High perceived pressure to breastfeed and poor perceived quality of health care professional support have been associated with early breastfeeding cessation, guilt, and shame. This is problematic because guilt and shame significantly predict post-natal anxiety and depression. No previous attempts have been made to provide quantitative evidence for relationships mapped between the post-natal social context, infant feeding method and post-natal emotional well-being.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Women are estimated to develop several mental disorders during pregnancy and/or for up to a year postpartum, with anxiety and depression being the most common co-morbidities. Postpartum anxiety is less well studied compared with postpartum depression in the Palestinian context in terms of risk factors, mental health outcomes and protective factors.
Purpose: The aim of the current study was to investigate whether self-esteem and social support mediated the association between posttraumatic stress symptoms and postpartum anxiety among Palestinian women.
Most perinatal research relating to COVID-19 focuses on its negative impact on maternal and parental mental health. Currently, there are limited data on how to optimise positive health during the pandemic. We aimed to bridge this knowledge gap by exploring how women have adapted to becoming a new parent during the pandemic and to identify elements of resilience and growth within their narratives.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To assess the feasibility and acceptability of a single-session Acceptance and Commitment Therapy intervention to help women manage fear of childbirth during a first pregnancy.
Design: A mixed-methods approach including qualitative feedback and pre/post-intervention self-report measures. Pregnant women (14-37 weeks gestation) were recruited via the UK National Health Service and attended a single-session (<3 hours) Acceptance and Commitment Therapy intervention alongside routine antenatal care.