Depression in New Mothers

Are you prepared to provide the best possible treatment for new mothers with depression—including those determined to breastfeed?

This book, which completely updates Kathleen Kendall-Tackett’s 1993 classic text Postpartum Depression, provides you with a comprehensive approach to treating postpartum depression in an easy-to-use format, including treatment options that are safe for use with breastfeeding mothers. Addressing fatigue, pain, negative birth experiences, infant characteristics, and psychosocial factors, Depression in New Mothers: Causes, Consequences, and Treatment Alternatives presents a vital, cross-cultural view of depression in new mothers that will prove invaluable in treating the mothers who come to you for help.

Depression in New Mothers: Causes, Consequences, and Treatment Alternatives dispels the myths that hinder effective treatment and presents up-to-date information on:


the impact of maternal depression on the health of the mother, as well as the health and well-being of the infant

conditions that may co-occur with postpartum depression, including anxiety disorders (obsessive compulsive disorder), posttraumatic stress disorder, eating disorders, and substance abuse

alternative treatments, including diet, exercise, and omega-3s

the role of psychotherapy and community-based programs

the use of herbs and psychotropic medications to combat postpartum depression

the impact of various treatments on breastfeeding—with treatment options that are safe for women who continue breastfeeding through treatment

From the Foreword, by Jane Honikman, Founding Director of Postpartum Support International, Santa Barbara, California:Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett has been a pioneer educator in the field of maternal mental health since her first book, Postpartum Depression, was published in 1993. In this new volume she expands upon her knowledge of the complexities and interrelationships that exist in the field of maternal depression. Her goal is to equip her readers with the information needed to make a real difference in the lives of mothers and babies. She has achieved this goal through a systematic framework that will help you understand the topic and how to communicate effectively with postpartum mothers.

Depression in New Mothers is truly comprehensive, addressing under-investigated issues, such as negative birth experience, previously untreated trauma, and the impact of infant characteristics such as crying, sleep habits, prematurity, chronic illness, and disability. Each chapter contains summaries of thought-provoking international research studies. The information in this reader-friendly resource can add a vital perspective to advance the way health professionals today—and the health professionals of tomorrow—view and treat postpartum depression.