Most New Moms Exhausted: Study

C-sections, breast-feeding especially linked to postpartum woes

By Serena Gordon
HealthDay Reporter

Related Encyclopedia • Acne • AIDS and HIV Infection • Alagille Syndrome • Amenorrhea More... Related Healthscout Videos Super Kids: Indigo Kids Debate Super Kids: Genius Sperm Bank? Super Kids: 8 Ways to Boost Your Baby's Brain Power Best HIV Combo More... Related Animations • Breast Reduction • Dental Cavities • Erectile Dysfunction • Facelift More... Related Drug Information • Actonel • Adderal XR • Cialis • Concerta More... Related News Articles • Health Tip: My Child's Sick • Health Tip: If Your Child Has a Seizure • Fitted Sports Gear Key to Eye Protection • Cancer's Return Shouldn't Limit Elizabeth Edwards, Doctors Say More...

TUESDAY, March 28 (HealthDay News) -- Many new mothers may underestimate the toll giving birth and caring for a baby can take on their health, new research shows.

At five weeks postpartum, a majority of new moms were fatigued, had breast discomfort and a decreased desire for sex, the study found.

Text Continues Below

---

"This study highlights the need for ongoing rest and recovery beyond four to six weeks postpartum, and the need for more support for women," said study author Pat McGovern, an associate professor in the division of environmental health sciences at the School of Public Health at the University of Minnesota.

"Moms that have just delivered have a great need for support. In other parts of the world, help for new moms and maternity leave is more generous than in this country," said Dr. Nicholas Klein, director of obstetrics and gynecology at Nyack Hospital in Nyack, N.Y.

Under the federal Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), women who work for companies with more than 50 employees can take 12 weeks of unpaid medical leave for the birth of a child, explained McGovern.

However, she pointed out that many women can't afford to take unpaid leave, and the law only covers employees of relatively large companies. That means a lot of women may end up going back to work sooner than they'd like.

According to the study, 76 percent of working mothers return to work within a year after the birth of their child. Forty-one percent of working mothers are back within three months, and nearly one in six is back within the first month after delivery.

McGovern and her colleagues suspected that many of these women were still experiencing delivery-related symptoms or symptoms associated with the demands of caring for a newborn.

To see if this was the case, they interviewed more than 700 women five weeks after they had given birth. Most of the women were white and married. About half had a college education. The average age was nearly 30.

Page:  1 | 2 | Next >>