Postpartum

The weeks after a baby arrives are supposed to be joyful. And they are, in many ways. But they're also exhausting, disorienting, and for a lot of new parents, genuinely hard on mental health.

When most people picture a struggling new mother, they imagine someone who can't get out of bed, who cries without warning, who feels disconnected from her baby. That picture has a name: postpartum depression. It's been discussed, screened for, and written about for decades.

Do you feel as though you're drowning when you glance down at your bump? The one who declares, "Life will never be the same," or "You can never go back"? Perhaps you're ready to become a mother in some part of you, but you're not sure how to handle the unexpected pregnancy and adjust to this new role. It's normal to feel nostalgic for your life before becoming pregnant or even to consider quitting motherhood.

Many things are happening in your body right after you have a baby. During pregnancy, your body changed a lot. Read on for advice about what to expect from your postpartum body.

Most of us don’t think about our pelvic floor very often. But it is a crucial group of muscles that literally hold our organs together in our abdomen. During pregnancy, those pelvic floor and abdominal muscles get a real work out, and sometimes get stretched or even separate.  

Postnatal depression – which affects a minority of both mothers and fathers to newborns – is still under-recognised and under-researched, while Britain’s crumbling healthcare system means more people aren’t getting the help they need. Eloise Hendy speaks to many on the frontline fighting for change.