Reduce visitors after birth to avoid postpartum depression – Doctor

Paediatrician at Korle Bu, Dr. Hilda Boye says first time mothers who receive lots of visitors at home, risk losing sleep and getting a disease called postpartum depression.
She therefore advised them to try and reduce visits by family and friends after giving birth so they could get enough sleep and avoid the disease.
Speaking on Adom FM’s reality show for pregnant women, ‘Nyinsen Ne Awuor’, the Doctor said postpartum depression makes the mother feel down and weak, and could impact negatively on the way the mother cares for the newly born baby.
“I understand people will want to visit you after a successful delivery but all efforts must be put in place to at least reduce the visitors, especially during the first five months because newly born babies sleep more in the afternoon than in the evening and that is where mothers also need to take time off and sleep to regain energy lost during the pregnancy period,” she said.
Dr. Boye added that taking care of the newly born babies should be a collective responsibility, saying that house chores can be done either by the husband or other relatives to allow the mother to rest.