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‘Kept in the Dark’: Childhood, Pregnancy and Childbirth Experiences

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Motherhood and Postnatal Depression

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Abstract

This chapter details the significant life events the women experienced during childhood, pregnancy, and childbirth that they perceive contributed to their PND. “Kept in the dark” represents women and their partners’ experiences with health professionals in pregnancy and childbirth, and was a term used by one of the participants. Women’s childhood, pregnancy, and childbirth experiences are discussed in a temporal order. This is followed by women and their partners’ perceptions of PND before diagnosis. The lack of information about PND from health professionals, when combined with the sensationalization of PND in the media, results in confusion about the severity of the illness.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Peace of Mind Parenting Support, 3126, Eltham, Victoria, Australia

    Carolyn Westall

  2. School of Public Health, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, Melbourne, Australia

    Pranee Liamputtong

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  1. Carolyn Westall
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Correspondence to Carolyn Westall .

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Westall, C., Liamputtong, P. (2011). ‘Kept in the Dark’: Childhood, Pregnancy and Childbirth Experiences. In: Motherhood and Postnatal Depression. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-1694-0_4

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