'Drowned in a Sea of Inhumanity': Natural Childbirth, Postnatal Depression and the National Childbirth Trust, 1956-80s.
Soc Hist Med
; 37(1): 69-92, 2024 Feb.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38947274
ABSTRACT
During the 1970s, the National Childbirth Trust (NCT) began to provide information and support to women experiencing postnatal mental illness, building on its promotion of natural childbirth and emphasis on the emotional wellbeing of women around birth, which had occupied the organisation since its establishment in 1956. This article argues that, alongside emotional, social and medical factors, the NCT attributed postnatal depression to the shift to hospital deliveries, involving high levels of intervention and frustrating women's choice and agency. While sharing ambitions to improve care in childbirth and giving women a voice in describing their experiences, it is suggested that the NCT's relationship with the feminist health movement remained ambiguous. The article also explores the NCT's collaboration with a variety of experts and advisors, some of whom emphasised the risk of postnatal depression to the bonding process and infant's development, potentially exacerbating the mental distress of new mothers.
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Soc Hist Med
Asunto de la revista:
CIENCIAS SOCIAIS
/
HISTORIA DA MEDICINA
Año:
2024
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Reino Unido
Pais de publicación:
Reino Unido