There are many factors that can contribute to these feelings.
Families are more isolated today than ever before.
Only nine percent of children grow up in the same city as their grandparents - time honored family members who have always been available to help with a new baby. It is no wonder that as many as 75 percent of all new mothers have periods of sadness in the first few weeks after a baby's arrival. Some experience overwhelming feelings of anxiety, fatigue, irritability, and helplessness. Others develop a poor appetite, insomnia, tearfulness, and difficulty concentrating. The newborn does not come with instructions, and most first time parents have never taken care of a baby before giving birth to their own.