Sleep deprivation v's PND

[Anne Clarke]

Dear Mary and Colleagues,   I will not understand those who believe that 'pushing mother's out too early' from hospital explains the reason for sleep deprivation during early motherhood.  Going home from hospital early is definately not the reason and keeping mothers in hospital longer is definately not the answer.   Support for mothers IN THE HOME is the answer.  I believe that it is our present society and the pressures involved, including unrealistic expectations placed on new mothers and fathers that is the cause.  We need to get our mothers out of hospital as soon as possible, not keep them in longer.   Indeed, we as a group should lobby educators to include parent education and its reality of family life (including sleep deprivation) into our high schools, hopefully well before most men and women start a family, not to scare our future parents but enable them to cope with becoming parents.   It is indeed frustrating to involve politicians who do not consider motherhood worthy of the financial backing that it would take to include postnatal care ideally a similar model as in Holland, that is, a doula for a week or so at no cost to the mother.  She would visit mother's in their home not only to help them with their new baby, breastfeeding etc but with the household as well if needed.   Of course prolonged sleep deprivation is a co factor in postnatal depression.  It is well known that sleep deprivation is very effective during torture of course its going to depress you!   However, keeping mothers in hospital is not going to help this.  We as carers should encourage pregnant women and their families to recognise and put in place early, well before the birth, strategies that will enable a new familiy overcome or at least reduce the stressors that accompany a new and demanding baby.   As a childbirth educator, it still amazes me when speaking to pregnant and new mothers that they ask when will their baby be in some sort of routine, will it be by one or two weeks after birth?  Becoming a new parent is always a bit of a shock to the system, but it saddens me how little prepared most new parents are.    I do hope that Dr Anderson in 'realising' that sleep deprivation is prevalent in new parents (he only had to ask a new mother for that enlightenment surely) that he has also put in place a plan to support these mothers rather than 'manipulating' in some way the bahaviour of the infant that is so prevalent in doctors and in partcularly in men as how they 'solve problems' relating to mothers and women in general.   Regards, Anne Clarke Brisbane