Also the changes in hormone levels can cause women to experience mood swings or post-delivery depression. In rare cases, post-natal depression can become a serious mental illness and the mother may need to spend some time in hospital. Some women feel sick in the early weeks of motherhood. They can sweat a lot and the sensation of their womb contracting and cleansing feels unpleasant. Their breasts may feel uncomfortably large, sore and swollen and over-filled with milk.
Some women also have difficulty losing the extra pounds which they gained during the pregnancy.
Other women feel wonderful. They perceive their breasts as large and firm and enjoy breast-feeding. They feel their body returning to normal and see themselves as attractive and sexy. All of a sudden, a great deal of time has to be spent taking care of the new baby, and if there are older children as well, the work load can be even greater. Sometimes a man can feel as if his partner is pushing him away.