Postpartum Depression (PPD) & Feminism

Postpartum Depression (PPD) & Feminism 

What is PPD ? 

It’s the type of depression you may get after you have a baby. It can start any time during your baby’s first year, but it’s most common for you to start to feel its effects during the first 3 weeks after birth. If you have it, you might feel sad, hopeless, and guilty because you may not feel like you want to bond with, or care for, your baby. Postpartum depression  doesn’t just affect first-time moms. You can get it even if you didn’t have it when your other children were born.

Postpartum Depression is entwined with motherhood, which itself is extremely politicized and scrutinized: from how and where a woman gives birth, to whether and how long she breastfeeds, to her decision to stay at home or work. It’s an issue that the feminist community has become increasingly vocal about.

How Women fell about PPD ?

Postpartum depression is deserving of attention and action from multiple communities, including the feminist community. Women feel as though they need to raise their  voices to increase public awareness of the issue, so that women do not feel stigmatized, and demand availability and access to support services. While it is experienced exclusively by women, postpartum depression has a ripple effect; and unless it’s addressed on a large scale, women and their families will continue to suffer in silence.