This may come as a shock to new moms, but postnatal depression can last for up to a decade.
Pregnancy, labour and the early weeks postpartum are tough.
You're dealing with physical changes, the effects of childbirth, and keeping a tiny human alive - all while being sleep-deprived and ravaged with hormones.
Baby brain
All new moms will be aware that there is plenty of prenatal support and focus. But once the baby is born, all attention switches to them.
And this combination of the extremely demanding task of being a mother from the perspective of both childbearing and child-raising can lead to both physical and mental depletion, Australian Dr Oscar Serrallach explains.
Fatigue, exhaustion, 'baby brain,' feeling emotional, topped with a sense of isolation, vulnerability, and of not feeling “good enough, and you've got a mother who is barely holding it together – but that holds it together every day – because that is what mothers do."
Nature's design
And Dr Serrallach says some women actually still feel the effect of pregnancy and birth years later.
Speaking to Goop, he said: "The placenta passes many nutrients to the growing baby during pregnancy, tapping into the mum’s iron, zinc, vitamin B12, vitamin B9, iodine, and selenium stores—along with omega 3 fats like DHA and specific amino acids from proteins.
"Nature’s design is that the developing fetus will take all that it requires from its mother. The go-between to ensure that this happens safely is the placenta."
Postnatal Depletion
Serrallach has spent the majority of his career witnessing the effects of pregnancy - which he calls postnatal depletion - first-hand, watching as women fail hormonally, nutritionally, and emotionally to get back on their feet after the baby comes.
Part of the pregnancy and postnatal process, Serrallach explains, is reprogramming: “It supports the creation of ‘baby radar,’ where mothers become intuitively aware of their child’s needs, if they are cold or hungry, or if they cry at night.”
But this hyper-vigilance becomes dangerous for the mother when she isn't supported.
Changing brains
Serrallach says we need to respect and encourage a natural birth, skin-to-skin postpartum time and breastfeeding as much as possible, as these all contribute to the release of oxytocin that helps the bond between mother and baby become established.
"This is nature’s design, so the further we drift away from this in terms of interventions, the more we can expect the 'cascade-like' flow of 'compromises' in the postpartum period and beyond, for mother and baby."
As well as this, the doctor wants to encourage healthcare professionals and mothers themselves to become more aware of the changes that happen in a women's brain when she becomes a mother.
Your brain changes when you are pregnant, and the grey matter volume decreases.
Social modification
However, says Serrallach, this is not so much the brain getting smaller, but rather being socially modified to become a mother.
"Part of this upgrade is the acquisition of the 'baby radar', where mothers become intuitively aware of their child’s needs, if they are cold or hungry, or if they cry at night," he explains.
"This hyper-vigilance is obviously vital for the survival of the child but if living in an unsupportive society, it can lead to sleep problems, self-doubt, insecurity, and feelings of unworthiness."
