One woman I interviewed told me that her depression was caused by hormones. I discovered that she had had a terrible birth experience, her husband and family were unsupportive, and she was alone 16 hours a day with a baby who cried all the time. Any one of these could have caused her depression. The combination of all three made depression seem almost inevitable. May Not Affect Another Fatigue and sleep deprivation.
Sleep deprivation is a fact of life for new mothers.
Perhaps because it is so common, its influence on a mother's emotional state is often overlooked. I was at a Series Meeting once where a mother of a new baby asked when the baby would start to sleep through the night. Several mothers in the Group, not hearing the desperation in her voice, told her how their children were still not sleeping through the night. A mother sometimes decides to wean because she is so fatigued. When working with a new mother, it is important to take fatigue seriously.