- I had very severe postpartum depression with my first child and was hospitalized. I'm pregnant again; could it happen again?
- Can you give me any advice on how to stay emotionally stable during the fertility treatment process?
- I've been taking antidepressants for two years. If I want to get pregnant, do I have to stop taking the medication?
- I've been trying to get pregnant for a long time, and now that I am, I'm feeling anxious and worried. I'd like to enjoy this moment, but I can't. What can I do?
- I've heard that women with schizophrenia can't be mothers. Is that true?
- I have bipolar disorder and I want to be a mother, but I have many doubts. What things do I need to consider?
- I'm a first-time mother and had a very difficult delivery. Since then, I've been having recurring nightmares. I want to have more children, but I'm afraid I won't be able to cope with this situation. What do you recommend?
- How can I tell if I have postpartum depression?
- I recently became a mother and sometimes I burst into tears for no reason. Is this normal? Is it depression?
- We recently became parents, and I've noticed my partner seems sad and withdrawn. I'm afraid she might have postpartum depression. What can we, as a family, do to prevent it?
- Do I have to stop breastfeeding if I take medication for anxiety?
- I have a one-and-a-half-month-old baby and sometimes I don't feel the emotional bond that mothers are supposed to feel. Is this normal?
- I've always had a lot of anxiety. What can I do to keep it under control during my pregnancy?
- I'm in the first few weeks postpartum and I'm experiencing anxiety. How can I manage it, especially with visitors?
- I have a baby with special needs and I'm so tired and overwhelmed I feel like I'm going to explode. What can I do?
- Since becoming a mother, I haven't been feeling well: everything makes me anxious, I feel sad, I don't think I'll be a good mother, and I often argue with my partner. Where can I ask for help?
- I had depression and now I'm pregnant. Could breastfeeding be a protective factor against a possible relapse?
I have a one-and-a-half-month-old baby and sometimes I don't feel the emotional bond that mothers are supposed to feel. Is this normal?
Not all mothers bond with their babies immediately, nor do they all experience that supposed infatuation the moment they see them for the first time. Many mothers take longer to bond with their babies; some feel a kind of protective instinct toward such a vulnerable being, others have serious difficulties bonding with their babies, and some even experience rejection. Experiencing mental health problems during pregnancy or postpartum, or having a difficult delivery, can interfere with the formation of this bond.
Many mothers experience mixed feelings. On the one hand, they feel happy, and on the other, they feel overwhelmed and distressed. Feelings about motherhood don't have to be singular and can be a mixture of many different emotions.
Once the bond has been properly established, raising children becomes much easier.
Skin-to-skin contact with your baby, breastfeeding, or in its absence giving a bottle as if we were breastfeeding, massages, all the behaviors typical of motherhood and close contact with your baby help to promote bonding.
