Norwegian researchers at the Akershus University Hospital Health Services Research Centre have analyzed data for 55,000 mothers who gave birth between 1998 and 2008, according to a new study published in an international journal of obstetrics and gynecology, BJOG.
The objective of the research was to assess whether there was an association between mode of delivery and maternal postpartum emotional distress.
The scientists found that delivery method didn’t really have an influence on a new mother’s psychological state six months after the birth. However, they did discover a link between the mother’s mental state during her pregnancy and her mental state six months after the birth.
There was a strong link between emotional distress during pregnancy and emotional state six months later. Women with the highest levels of distress during pregnancy were 14 times more likely to suffer from postpartum distress six months later, compared to mothers who experienced little or no emotional distress during pregnancy.