Many women experience unexplainable emotional changes after childbirth, one of which is post-partum depression. However, depression after childbirth often worsens because some live in denial while others cannot seek help because of the fear of stigmatisation. OYEBOLA OWOLABI reports that conversations about mood swings after childbirth, and the need to ensure access to help, are scaling up
Omotola Uti, a mother of one, knew nothing about postpartum depression (PPD) till a few weeks to her delivery date. It was mentioned briefly during one of the ante-natal lectures, and this prompted her to further research into depression after childbirth – an illness that affects nothing less than 20 per cent of mothers in developing countries, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).