Idealizing of mothering: fantasy of the perfect mother
One common fantasy which seems to be played out by adults around a new baby is the fantasy that there exists a perfect mother somewhere.
When a girl was looking after her friends, sometimes she felt she was or had to be this prefect mother; sometimes it was located in a grandmother somewhere; sometimes in other women in hospital; sometimes in ‘working class women’ or ‘women in Africa’.
All of these other others were supposed to be able to cope better than the actual mother and by their coping, to leave the mother feeling inadequate by comparison.
Idealizations, often work in this way; some picture held up initially perhaps partly as a means of not losing hope entirely – since of nobody knows what to do with a baby, how will it survive at all? – becomes very quickly persecutory, as the actual state of affairs is compared with the ideal and some blame attached somewhere for the ‘failure’.
The pressure to play out this image of the Perfect Mother seems to be strong.
The idealization of mothering is perhaps partly related to problems we have as a small children when we long to be mothers ourselves but are as yet too small.
It often seems to me that people have in general extremely infantile views of mothering: assumptions about it which perhaps fit better with a view of a mother which a two – or three year old child might have.
Idealizing of mothering: fantasy of the perfect mother
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Sunday, November 01, 2009
Post Natal Depression
Post Natal Depression
In popular accounts, the symptoms and causes of post natal depression are routinely taken to be directly related to the physiologic of childbirth, particularly the hormone changes that take place following labor, although sometimes physical exhaustion is acknowledge as playing its part.
These explanations, presented so simply and unproblematically, comprise as substantial, component of the corpus of knowledge on post natal depression, which has taken on a new lease of life within and between the social and clinical sciences over the past twenty years, specifically gathering momentum in the 1990s.
The research literature on post natal depression spans the course of a century, although the emphasis and focus has varied concern with severe psychiatric illness to clinical depression, ‘maternity blues’ and most recently, the impact of maternal depression on the family.
Post natal depression is defined somewhat tautological as depression that occurs during the first twelve months following the childbirth.
The origin of this ‘cut-off’ stems from the work of Marce, a nineteenth century French psychiatrist who drew attention to the view that ‘postpartum illness’ was separate in time and type from other psychiatric disorders.
This view has proved compelling in clinical circles, established in 1982 and continuing to flourish, for the study of motherhood and mental illness.
Within the time span of twelve post natal months, however, there is a relative deficiency in the information about duration and course.
Some evidence suggests post natal depression lasts from six to eight weeks whereas other studies suggest that problems may persist throughout the first year.
Post Natal Depression
In popular accounts, the symptoms and causes of post natal depression are routinely taken to be directly related to the physiologic of childbirth, particularly the hormone changes that take place following labor, although sometimes physical exhaustion is acknowledge as playing its part.
These explanations, presented so simply and unproblematically, comprise as substantial, component of the corpus of knowledge on post natal depression, which has taken on a new lease of life within and between the social and clinical sciences over the past twenty years, specifically gathering momentum in the 1990s.
The research literature on post natal depression spans the course of a century, although the emphasis and focus has varied concern with severe psychiatric illness to clinical depression, ‘maternity blues’ and most recently, the impact of maternal depression on the family.
Post natal depression is defined somewhat tautological as depression that occurs during the first twelve months following the childbirth.
The origin of this ‘cut-off’ stems from the work of Marce, a nineteenth century French psychiatrist who drew attention to the view that ‘postpartum illness’ was separate in time and type from other psychiatric disorders.
This view has proved compelling in clinical circles, established in 1982 and continuing to flourish, for the study of motherhood and mental illness.
Within the time span of twelve post natal months, however, there is a relative deficiency in the information about duration and course.
Some evidence suggests post natal depression lasts from six to eight weeks whereas other studies suggest that problems may persist throughout the first year.
Post Natal Depression
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding
Despite being a natural progression of life, there still appears to be an enormous lack of awareness of the benefits of breastfeeding today. Often with the combined negativity towards breastfeeding and lack of support, it is common for first time mothers to be dissuaded from persisting with this beneficial practice.
Unfortunately, breastfeeding is not necessarily as instinctive as one would expect it to be. However, the common fallacy that seems to persist that a mother might not have sufficient milk supply is unfounded. Although possibly, it is a very rare occurrence. For such a condition to be a rampant problem would have been evolutionary suicide back in the days where baby formulas did not exist. In most cases, it is usually a lack of support and understanding that prevents a mother from breastfeeding.
Breast milk is produced on demand and the best way to increase milk production is to allow the baby to suckle directly from the breast. It is the baby's suckling action that encourages further milk production. No suckling, no milk. Often, because of the "apparent" lack of milk in the early days of nursing, well-intentioned relatives encourage the new mother to supplement the feeds with formula - just until the milk comes.
Although well-intended, this flawed recommendation often sabotages the new mother's milk supply because it reduces the frequency with which the baby takes the breast. Since breast milk is produced on demand, the reduced suckling means less milk is produced. This then lends itself to the fallacy that the new mother "doesn't have milk".
In the first two days after delivery, the breast does not produce milk. It produces a substance called colostrum. Colostrum is rich in all the necessary nutrients required by a newborn and is very easy to digest. It offers protective antibodies for the newborn and also helps prevent jaundice.
A common concern among parents during this early stage is that the baby may not have enough to eat. However, we should be mindful that the size of a newborn's stomach is about the size of a grape. It is important for the baby to have frequent feeds during the early days as it sets the stage for normal milk production. Generally, the more often you feed, the better your milk production. By about the third to fifth day (there is a variation among mothers), colostrum will be replaced with regular breast milk.
To encourage breast feeding, it is advisable not to offer the baby any artificial pacifiers for the first six weeks (there is some variation to the timing between sources), therefore, no bottle feeding of any sort. At this time, the baby is also learning how to breast feed. The introduction of pacifiers can cause confusion because the suckling action is different from that of the breast.
Breastfeeding
Despite being a natural progression of life, there still appears to be an enormous lack of awareness of the benefits of breastfeeding today. Often with the combined negativity towards breastfeeding and lack of support, it is common for first time mothers to be dissuaded from persisting with this beneficial practice.
Unfortunately, breastfeeding is not necessarily as instinctive as one would expect it to be. However, the common fallacy that seems to persist that a mother might not have sufficient milk supply is unfounded. Although possibly, it is a very rare occurrence. For such a condition to be a rampant problem would have been evolutionary suicide back in the days where baby formulas did not exist. In most cases, it is usually a lack of support and understanding that prevents a mother from breastfeeding.
Breast milk is produced on demand and the best way to increase milk production is to allow the baby to suckle directly from the breast. It is the baby's suckling action that encourages further milk production. No suckling, no milk. Often, because of the "apparent" lack of milk in the early days of nursing, well-intentioned relatives encourage the new mother to supplement the feeds with formula - just until the milk comes.
Although well-intended, this flawed recommendation often sabotages the new mother's milk supply because it reduces the frequency with which the baby takes the breast. Since breast milk is produced on demand, the reduced suckling means less milk is produced. This then lends itself to the fallacy that the new mother "doesn't have milk".
In the first two days after delivery, the breast does not produce milk. It produces a substance called colostrum. Colostrum is rich in all the necessary nutrients required by a newborn and is very easy to digest. It offers protective antibodies for the newborn and also helps prevent jaundice.
A common concern among parents during this early stage is that the baby may not have enough to eat. However, we should be mindful that the size of a newborn's stomach is about the size of a grape. It is important for the baby to have frequent feeds during the early days as it sets the stage for normal milk production. Generally, the more often you feed, the better your milk production. By about the third to fifth day (there is a variation among mothers), colostrum will be replaced with regular breast milk.
To encourage breast feeding, it is advisable not to offer the baby any artificial pacifiers for the first six weeks (there is some variation to the timing between sources), therefore, no bottle feeding of any sort. At this time, the baby is also learning how to breast feed. The introduction of pacifiers can cause confusion because the suckling action is different from that of the breast.
Breastfeeding
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