Baby Blues : Husband’s Support in Form of Communication

Abstract

Baby blues is the mildest form of postpartum mood disorder, and it is a common condition in newborn mothers. Up to 50-80 percent of newborn mother experience baby blues. While it has the mildest effect, such factors as psychiatric history, environmental stressors, cultural context, breastfeeding, and parity may cause baby blues to progress to a more severe depression. The treatment required by mothers who are affected by baby blues is only reassurance. One of its forms is support system from those within the mother’s immediate environment. The form of support that is discussed in this study is communication with husband. This study aims to discover whether communicating with one’s partner, or husband in this context, is effective in decreasing mood disorder for newborn mothers experiencing baby blues. This study was conducted by interviewing 18 female participants who admitted that they experienced baby blues and were willing to participate in the study. The result of the interview showed that only eight of the eighteen participants stated that communication with their husbands was effective in decreasing their mood disorder during baby blues.