1. Shifting of role such as that from being a daughter to being a parent and mother herself.
2. Abandonment - during pregnancy and actual labor, the mother is the center of everybody’s attention. This changes soon after the baby comes out, attention shifts to the baby and the mother may feel abandoned. This should be addressed by encouraging the mother to verbalize her feelings. They may ask themselves that how can a good mother feel jealous of her baby and they should be properly explained.
3. Disappointment - this occurs when the newborn does not meet exactly the parents’ expectations. When this occurs, the woman may blame herself for these unmet expectations. A nurse can offer support emotionally and psychologically, which can improve the coping abilities of the mother.
4. Postpartum Blues
- Most women experience a certain degree of overwhelming sadness, which they cannot account for during the postpartum period. This is commonly termed as baby blues.
- This may be associated to a lot of factors, one of which is the hormonal changes experienced immediately after birth. Estrogen and progesterone levels decrease during this time. There is also marked increase in the woman’s dependence after delivery due to extreme exhaustion.
- The woman and her support system need to be reassured that what the new mother is experiencing is but normal. Allow them to verbalize and make decisions to give them a sense of control over the crisis that they are feeling.