Effects of Mother’s Mental Health on Child’s Care and It’s Development

By Dr Priyanka Dubey | Updated: 29/03/2022

The first pregnancy is an entirely different experience for a mother than the second. When she is pregnant for the first time, she is entirely unaware of thousands of life-changing events that she would never have imagined. She may juggle her ill health and baby’s care simultaneously, or her career and baby’s care, or joint family issues and baby’s care, or a combination of all of these.

I am the mother of a 9-month-old baby girl who was conceived within three months of my marriage, with a problem of hypertension. My gynaecologist advised me to be on bed rest, so I went to my maternal home for good treatment and rest.

During my pregnancy, I was concerned about five things: first, my health; second, my baby’s health; third, I had very little time to get to know my husband and be with him after my marriage; fourth, my in-laws were not supportive. Fifth, I didn’t have the habit of staying at home 24 hours a day because I used to work 11 hours a day in the dental profession, seven hours in college, and four hours in the clinic.

I grew depressed after spending the entire day at home. In such a situation, a mother’s most significant difficulty is maintaining a healthy and cheerful state of mind to adjust well to nurture her baby and not regret it properly.

Of course, my mother and husband were my most incredible supporters; they taught me how to adjust to a new life that I was about to embark on and let go of all negative ideas. I read a lot of articles, did yoga, listened to Bhagwat Katha, and went on a walk. But it was holding my baby in my arms that helped me. I was afraid that my negative energy had infiltrated in my daughter too, but as she smiled and laughed. I felt relieved and resolved to never be in that mental state again.

Every day, I keep myself occupied with my baby, and when she is old enough to grasp things, I know I will be able to resume my work with her help, and I am confident that my life is more lovely now that she is in it.

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