This topic I believe is something every new mother and father needs some simple advice on prior to having a baby. Last week I was on radio WM in Birmingham talking to Adrian Goldberg about the sentencing of a mother who couldn’t cope and posted her young baby down a rubbish shute in a bin bag. The baby survived but was left severely brain damaged and his mother served a prison sentence. Today we learn of an army major’s wife Emma Cadywould who threw herself to death in front of a train ‘while suffering severe post-natal depression’ after having a baby who was waking up to 20 times a night.
Both of these cases are very tragic and what I find more upsetting is learning that Harrisons mother had the support of a loving husband, her mother, was prescribed medication and additionally was seeing a psychologist who expected her to be better by Christmas three months later.
I have been helping babies and toddler to sleep for over 20 years and recognize just how hard many parents find things particularly after the birth of their first born child and trying to cope for weeks and weeks or months of sleepless nights. Sleep deprivation as many people know was once used as a form of torture. We are now more aware of the effects of post natal depression, yet it still has not lessened the occurrence of the illness. Mums are simply left to ‘get on with it’ and pushed out of NHS hospitals often within a few hours of giving birth.
Years ago British mums spent around 10 days in hospital getting used to feeding their baby and resting. Now you leave on the same day unless you’ve had a C-Section or there is a concern about your child. Having a baby is life changing experience and Mums need far more care from the health visitors and midwives.
I have helped many parents who’s suffered from the baby blues which is mild depression and lasts a few days, to more severe cases of post natal psychosis which has required hospitalization for several weeks. A baby needs a strong and well supported mother who needs more training and help with sleep techniques rather than vague advice that most health visitors give new mothers.
If anyone reading this thinks they may be suffering and are having endless teary days, sleepless nights, weird thoughts or hallucinations get some help and don’t be afraid or feel that you’re a bad mother, you’re not. P.N.D affects at least I in 10 women giving birth each year, if your baby is not sleeping please get touch and we can find a solution to make things easier for you.