ABSTRACT
The emotional changes taking place in the first few days after childbirth, particularly with a first baby, are probably greater than at any other time in a woman's life. A degree of elation is entirely normal in the very early postpartum days, particularly if the labour went well, and if the partner and family are happy and congratulatory. The 'blues' day is the one where partner is liable to be harangued if he is late visiting, or brings the wrong clothes, and where the mother may be angry and irritable with the midwives, especially if they are thought to be giving contradictory advice. Another large study of Norwegian women found that the factors most closely related to low mood on the fifth day were loss of control during labour, anxiety in the week before delivery, and 'unmet needs in relation to the midwife'. This implies that midwives have a crucial role to play in emotional well-being in the early puerperium.
