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 Guilty Feelings
 Post Partum Depression in Philadelphia
  
 

 

Guilty feelings: throughout the months of pregnancy, women, along with their partners have fantasized about what life would be like after the birth of a child. Now that the child is here, so is reality. Many women experience profound guilt after the birth because their expectations about what motherhood was going to be like were not met. Unfortunately, many women who experience guilt blame themselves for these feelings, whereas they are really suffering from a treatable problem called postpartum depression (PPD).  If you have questions about whether or not you are experiencing “just guilt” as compared to guilt that is symptomatic postpartum depression, you can take our postpartum depression quiz (PDQ) and/or schedule an appointment with one of our therapists, who specializes in treating women with postpartum depression (Schedule Appointment).

 Common reasons why women feel guilty:

  • Many women feel guilty that they aren’t ‘in love’ with their child. In fact, they feel rather disappointed, or even cheated by their bundle of joy.  Their bundle of joy is more like a lump that eats, cries and poops, not exactly what one would call responsive.
  • Having a child to many women feels anti-climatic.  After months of anticipation, they are now sleep deprived and upset with their body that still looks at least 6 months pregnant.
  • After the birth of a child, some women experience a profound shift in attention from them to their baby, resulting feelings of jealousy towards the infant.  The experience of feeling jealousy can make a new mom who loves her child feel guilty.  It’s hard going from being the center of attention to being number two. 
  • Relationship adjustments: The relationship is no longer about you and your partner, now there is a third person who is demanding attention 24 / 7.  Parenthood is exhausting, and does not leave much time for partners to have sexual or emotionally intimate time together.    
  • Many women, even though they know they are supposed to be overjoyed at being a mother may not like their new roles of continually feeding, changing diapers and holding an infant, thus causing them to feel guilt.

 Tips on how to manage the guilt:

  • Give yourself permission to cry.
  • Ask your friends and family to take care of you the way you are caring for your infant.
  • Encourage your partner to focus his energy on you.
  • Give yourself permission to use a babysitter and treat yourself to having some personal time.
  • Get out of the house, do something fun.

 

 

 

 
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If you live in the Philadelphia area, and wish to enroll in a support group or schedule a therapy session please contact The Center For Growth, Inc. 233 South 6th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106 and speak with Alex (215) 570 -8614.

 

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