How Having a Baby Affects Mothers Mentally

Having a baby is a profoundly transformative experience. For new mothers, it involves significant changes in both the body and the brain. These range from hormonal fluctuations that affect mood to societal pressures that can contribute to serious mental health challenges. Here’s what you need to know about navigating life as a new mom.

the full story
01 Maternal Mental Stress

When you become pregnant, carry a baby, and give birth, you undergo what is likely to be the most transformative experience in your adult life—you become a mother. For thousands of years, this metamorphosis occurred within the tribe of the extended family, where other women, who have had that experience, were able to provide physical care and offer mental support. There was a village to raise the child. Today, you may embark on this journey alone. As a result, you may feel lonely, anxious, or severely stressed. Five factors can make your journey to motherhood miserable.

Physical transformations
02 Maternal Mental Stress

First, and most obviously, pregnancy alters the female physique — your body changes. Your feet may grow, your eyesight might deteriorate and the child’s birth can painfully damage your body. While some discover a deeper love for themselves or develop a new connection to their femininity, for others these changes can be hard to accept and recover from.

hormonal impact
03 Maternal Mental Stress

Your mind is affected by hormonal fluctuations. Your estrogen levels, which act like a mood stabilizer, tend to increase tenfold during pregnancy. Then, right after delivery, they drop sharply and return to pre-conception levels only three days later. This often results in intense mood swings and may even trigger depressions.

baby needs
04 Maternal Mental Stress

Then there is your baby, a tiny human being you must protect and nurture, often day and night, for years to come. The ongoing crying might push you to your limits. And if the baby falls sick, you may feel worried and helpless. And while many mothers also feel an overwhelming amount of unconditional love for their newborn, others need more time for these feelings to develop—a realization that can be deeply disturbing.

identity loss
05 Maternal Mental Stress

Then there is the loss of your old self. You might have had a thriving career or a vivid social life before your pregnancy, but with childbirth, all of that comes to an end. For those who feel unhappy in their new role, the loss of their old identity can be daunting. You may wonder if you’ll ever lead a normal life again. And if you do return to your former life you may be labeled as a bad mother.

pressure to perform
06 Maternal Mental Stress

Lastly, there are overwhelming expectations. New mothers are expected to instantly bond with their baby, master breastfeeding, take care of their partners, regain their pre-pregnancy bodies, and seamlessly balance work and family life. The societal pressure to do all of that can lead to intense feelings of inadequacy.

maternal mental stress
08 Maternal Mental Stress

Add to these factors the severe lack of sleep, constant nighttime feedings, diaper changes, and hours spent soothing a baby, and it’s not surprising that you may, at times, wish you could go back to your old life. Some mothers may also develop dark thoughts, often accompanied by feelings of shame and guilt. This maternal mental stress can range from mild forms of baby blues to postpartum depression, up until postpartum psychosis.

mental health spectrum
09 Maternal Mental Stress

Baby blues refers to light mood swings and feelings of sadness within the first few days to weeks after childbirth, that typically resolve on their own. It’s often the direct result of changing hormones and affects up to 4 in 5 new mothers.

10 Maternal Mental Stress

Postpartum depression (PPD) is a severe and longer-lasting form of depression that occurs after childbirth. PPD may require medical intervention and can last for several months. Symptoms include overwhelming fatigue, persistent sadness, and difficulty bonding with the baby. The condition affects close to 10% of new mothers. 

11 Maternal Mental Stress

Postpartum psychosis (PPP) is a severe mental health emergency and affects about 1 of every 1,000 mothers. Symptoms can include hallucinations, extreme agitation, and insomnia—which when combined can threaten the life of both newborn and mother. In most modern societies, PPP is the leading cause of death for new mothers.

support and solutions
12 Maternal Mental Stress

There are 4 ways to help: Clear protocols can ensure that medical professionals check their patients’ mental well-being already during pregnancy and especially after child birth. The presence of a partner, family, friends, or an experienced midwife may work wonders. The best solution is often a support group where new mothers can share how they feel with those who have been through the same — this can also be online.  If things get seriously bad, medication might be the only way to prevent a tragedy.

And help matters! Because behind every baby we’re so warmly welcome to this world, there may well be an adult who needs as much attention as the little one. As the philosopher Osho once said, “When a child is born, a mother is born.”

Share your thought
13 Maternal Mental Stress

But tell us, what do you know about this transformation? And if you are a mother, how did you handle it? Please share your thoughts about maternal mental stress and insights on how to support new mothers in the comments below.

Sources

Dig deeper!

  • Watch this 60 minute video documentary about Postpartum Psychosis 
  • Read this article on many other factors that may affect a woman’s mental state before they leave the hospital. Most doctors, for example, consider that childbirth pain is not worth addressing, and as a result women’s pain is often dismissed and considered “them being dramatic” which makes childbirth in hospitals a harsh experience for many women. 
  • Watch The Let Down, a movie about a woman who is determined not to be defined by motherhood. In theory, this seems fairly easy. In practice, her career-focused husband, self-obsessed mother, and fancy-free best friend make it damn-near impossible. 

Classroom activity

Objective:
Students will explore the psychological, emotional, and social challenges of motherhood by analyzing the transformative journey to becoming a mother, understanding its associated stresses, and reflecting on ways to provide support to new mothers.

Materials Needed:

  • Video on the transformative experience of motherhood.
  • Case studies or personal anecdotes about maternal stress.
  • Chart paper or whiteboards for group brainstorming.
  • Access to online resources or printed articles on postpartum mental health.
  • Markers, sticky notes, and pens.

Duration:
60 minutes

Steps:

  1. Introduction and Context (10 minutes):
    • Ask students: “What do you think are the biggest challenges faced by new mothers?”
    • Write down responses on a whiteboard.
    • Watch the Video of Sprouts on Maternal Mental Stress
    • Briefly explain the physical, mental, and emotional changes that occur during pregnancy and after childbirth.
    • Highlight the five factors that can make the journey to motherhood challenging (from the video).
  2. Analysis of Causes and Challenge (20 minutes):
    • Divide the class into four groups, Assign each group one challenge from Scenes 4–8:
      • Physical changes (Scene 4)
      • Hormonal changes (Scene 5)
      • Caring for the baby (Scene 6)
      • Loss of identity (Scene 7)
      • Societal expectations (Scene 8)
    • Watch the assigned scene. 
    • Discuss the following:
      • What specific challenges are mentioned?
      • What psychological or societal factors contribute to these challenges?
      • How might these challenges affect new mothers emotionally and mentally?
    • Write insights on chart paper
  3. Group Presentations and Discussion (15 minutes):
    • Each group presents their findings to the class.
    • Encourage classmates to ask questions or share personal observations.
    • Highlight recurring themes across challenges.
    • Pose questions such as:
      • How can families and communities better support new mothers?
      • How do cultural expectations shape maternal experiences?
  4. Solutions Workshop (10 minutes):
    • Brainstorm Support Strategies: Divide students into pairs or small groups and ask:
      • What can individuals, communities, and healthcare systems do to better support new mothers?
      • How can stigma around postpartum mental health be reduced?
      • Groups write their ideas on sticky notes and place them on a shared board.
    • Class Debrief: Summarize the ideas and emphasize the importance of empathy and community.
  5. Reflection and Sharing (5 minutes):
    • Individual Reflection: Ask students to write responses to these prompts:
      • What did they find most surprising about the challenges of motherhood?
      • How can they personally support someone going through this transformation?
    • Sharing: Allow a few students to share their reflections with the class.
    • Conclusion: End by asking students what they think of: “Behind every baby, there is a mother who also needs care and support.”

Assessment:

  • Evaluate participation during group discussions and presentations.
  • Assess the depth of insights shared during brainstorming and reflections.
  • Encourage students to use examples and evidence from the script in their discussions.

Collaborators

  • Script: Jonas Koblin and Ludovico Saint Amour di Chanaz, PhD
  • Cartoon artist: Pascal Gaggelli
  • Producer: Selina Bador
  • Voice artist: Matt Abbott
  • Coloring: Nalin
  • Editing: Peera Lertsukittipongsa
  • Sound Design: Miguel Ojeda
  • Publishing: Vijyada Songrienchai