The Experiences of Pregnancy and Childbirth in Women with Postpartum Depression: A Qualitative Study

Background: Postpartum depression is a common disease with serious consequences for the mother and child. However, a few qualitative studies have been conducted on the lived experiences of mothers. Objectives: This study is aimed at exploring the experiences of mothers with the depression from pregnancy and childbirth. Methods: This qualitative study has been conducted on 16 women with a history of depression after childbirth. To collect data, 16 semi-structured interviews were conducted. The data collected were analyzed using content analysis suggested by Graneheim and Lundman. Results: The data analysis led to the development of 821 inductive codes categorized into three themes: 'experienced problems', 'unmet expectations', and psychological distresses. The experienced problems comprised socioeconomic factors and complications during pregnancy and childbirth. The unmet expectations comprised conditions and reactions women expected to occur during interactions with others such as social support and marital relationship. Further, psychological distress was the women's reaction to pregnancy-related events and relative interactions, including psychological reactions and inefficiency in playing roles and fulfilling responsibilities. Conclusions: The findings emphasize the need for exploration of the psychological processes during pregnancy. Women felt they needed support that was not easily available and were worried about lack of privacy and loss of control over their private life, causing psychological distress for women. Couples should receive the education necessary for the risk of post-partum depression.