Bad thoughts: Brazilian women's responses to mothering while experiencing postnatal depression

this study explores Brazilian women's experiences of mothering of their infants while experiencing postnatal depression.

a cross-language qualitative descriptive design.

the sample was composed of 15 women diagnosed with postnatal depression in a psychiatric institute in São Paulo, Brazil. Open-ended interviews were conducted and the data underwent thematic analysis.

13 women worried that harm would come to their infants. Seven of these women self-identified as potential sources of harm, with two women physically hurting their infants. The remaining six women worried about unknown agents, such as disease, hurting their infants. In response to these bad thoughts, women mothered their infants in one of four ways: (1) transferred care, completely delegating this task to family members; (2) shared care, asking family members to share the responsibility; (3) sole care, having to look after their infants by themselves because they had no available family support; (4) and smother care, being hyper-vigilant, constantly watching their infants and not trusting infant care to anyone else.

the bad thoughts influenced the women's adaptation to mothering their infants. Health professionals should assess these thoughts early in the postnatal period and the women's mothering responses for the protection of mother and child.