"One in 10 women suffer from baby blues," say Cambridge University researchers in a study recently published in Maternal and Child Health magazine.
So, to better understand this depression that affects many mothers, they interviewed nearly 14,000 young English mothers.
Their observation? Focusing on those affected by the baby blues, they noticed that breastfeeding women were half as many as others. From one month of breastfeeding, the morale of mothers would even increase visibly, and this every week, assure the researchers.
Dr. Maria Iacovou, who participated in the research, explains that the production of milk would release endorphins, the hormones of happiness. Another advantage:breastfeeding would reinforce the woman in the image that she is a "good mother", according to the clichés sometimes conveyed by society. Because obviously, we have every right not to breastfeed and Junior will not die of it, far from it, huh!
Note also that this study is in no way intended to lecture mothers who decide not to breastfeed. On the other hand, she wishes to warn about the lack of supervision of mothers who want to breastfeed and who cannot for health reasons. Indeed, they would be twice as likely to suffer the baby blues, warn the researchers.
For Dr Maria Iacovou, interviewed by the BBC, the medical profession must therefore monitor these women more. "Obviously, we can tell women that it's good to breastfeed, that there are lots of advantages, etc., but above all we need to recognize and focus on those who really want to breastfeed and who don't. can't, in order to support them well," she says.
Only good intentions but be careful not to forget and especially to blame those who were not going well. When is a study on the morale of mothers who are not breastfeeding and who are doing very well?
