The Emotional Toll of Parenting Challenges: Social Media, Breastfeeding, and Postnatal Depression

A recent large-scale research study has highlighted a common issue among parents: feeling distressed when their babies cry excessively. In today's pragmatic internet culture, parents often seek immediate answers and solutions to the "problem" of crying. 

Parents often turn to advice found on the internet and social media, which is frequently not supported by scientific evidence. We understand that babies go through developmental leaps at various stages of their early lives, making them prone to bouts of crying that modern culture struggles to accept as normal. Adding to the confusion, babies have unique temperaments and genetic predispositions, making it impossible to define what "normal" really is. 

Despite this, social media and certain aspects of healthcare continually pressure mothers to prove that their baby is at least "normal," if not "advanced for their age."This unrealistic expectation often leads to feelings of guilt, inadequacy, and a lack of confidence for new parents. Given this cultural context, it's no surprise that rates of postnatal depression are alarmingly high in the UK.

"Inability to breastfeed" is another significant source of guilt and inadequacy for many mothers. They often search for the root cause of the issue, wondering if there's a problem with their breast or with the baby, such as a tongue tie. However, breastfeeding is a complex negotiation between mother and baby, influenced by numerous uncontrollable factors like the mode of delivery or the use of pain relief during labor.

Effective strategies for successful breastfeeding can vary widely and often require a great deal of trial and error. We need to be more compassionate towards mothers who are striving to do their best for their babies. Most importantly, we should invalidate social media influencers who place guilt and blame on mothers, often with the ulterior motive of promoting formula products they are sponsored to advertise.

For more details, refer to the original study here.