Overcoming Baby Blues: A comprehensive guide to perinatal depression

Gordon Parker · Kerrie Eyers · Philip Boyce

Feb 2014 · Allen & Unwin

About this ebook

Pregnant women are expected to glow, and new mothers are expected to bask in the delight of their baby. But for some women, this is a time of unsettling mood shifts and uncertainty. One in ten women experience clinical depression either during pregnancy or in the postnatal period, while the majority of new mothers face the 'blues', anxiety and other emotional changes.

Overcoming Baby Blues shares intimate stories of mothers' experiences with depression and other mood problems during pregnancy and their baby's first year. Their stories shine with wisdom, humour and fortitude. Also included are research-based guidelines on assessing moods, causes of perinatal depression, and effective management strategies. Safety of medications in pregnancy and breastfeeding is covered, as are suggestions for adapting diet and lifestyle to reduce symptoms, and advice for partners.

'Every woman expects to be flooded with joy during pregnancy and after birth and when that doesn't happen, it can be terribly lonely and distressing. This book is a fantastic read for every woman struggling with the idea and the reality of being a new mother. You're not alone.' - Mia Freedman, Mamamia

'I had post natal depression and felt like a failure. It's hard to admit you're not coping with all the pressure to be a ''happy, wonderful'' mum. I hope this book will help you discover there is a way through.' - Jessica Rowe, broadcaster and writer

About the author

GORDON PARKER is Scientia Professor of Psychiatry at the University of NSW, Professorial Fellow at the Black Dog Institute, and a renowned researcher and expert on mood disorders. KERRIE EYERS is a psychologist based at the Black Dog Institute, Sydney. Gordon Parker and Kerrie Eyers are editors of the bestselling Journeys with the Black Dog and several other books on depression. PHILIP BOYCE is Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Sydney, Professorial Fellow at the Black Dog Institute, and an international expert on postnatal depression.