Hi All,

I am happy to hear this discussion about depressed women becoming  
mothers. My mother was most probably depressed most of her life -  
until about the last 12 years - and she was a wonderful mother and  
truly enjoyed mothering - she did not breastfeed any of us.

A close friend of mine suffered depression and anxiety - was medicated  
6 years prior to becoming pregnant and stayed medicated until the  
birth of her baby. She was told she could not be medicated because she  
was breastfeeding. The one thing she loved was mothering, she told me  
through tears how much she loved her baby, how proud she was of her  
baby. Her husband said the one thing that she was good at was  
mothering and she truly enjoyed nursing her baby. Sadly, she ended her  
life when that baby was 5 months old. This was complete mismanagement  
of her care.

This drives home the importance of working with the whole woman/child.

In sunny New York City,

Leigh Anne O'Connor, IBCLC
[log in to unmask]
www.leighanneoconnor.com


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