DECO3200
Concept Proposal
Common emotional problems in
parents with new babies
mtia3747 | jili3428 | aliu0837 | xzha9389
Content
Introducation..............................................................1
Research to Inform......................................................2
Primary Research......................................................10
Persona.....................................................................17
Concepts...................................................................18
Group Charter...........................................................21
Reference..................................................................23
Appendix..................................................................26
1. Introduction
1
Design Brief
Children's health and women's health are global topics. It is also one of the Sustainable
Development Goals of the United Nations. Although countries have made great strides in
reducing infant and maternal mortality, maternal mortality remains unacceptably high. According
to the World Health Organization, around 810 women worldwide die every day from complications
related to pregnancy or childbirth (WHO, 2019), and this figure does not include women who die
due to psychological problems.
As early as 1995, the study by Michael et al. confirmed that about 10% of women have
experienced major postpartum depression (Michael et al., 1995), and in addition to changes in
hormone levels, today's increasingly complex family, psychological and other factors are more
likely to cause a series of psychological problems. Among the most common psychological
problems in pregnant women, postnatal Blues affects about 40%-80% of women, and
postpartum depression affects about 13%-19% of women (Antenatal and Postnatal Mental
Health, 2022). Women with severe postpartum emotional problems not only hurt themselves
but even their children. Therefore, solving women's mental health problems is an important
breakthrough to further solve women's health and even some children's health problems. But
universal truth is not objective truth. Since the solutions do not fundamentally solve the problem,
it also shows that they have certain limitations and timeliness.
Our project aims to dig deep into the psychological problems faced by postpartum women and
the causes of these effects through a variety of research methods, and to combine the advantages
of existing solutions with the actual needs of the target population to develop an innovative,
strong timeliness solution.
Plan to Tackle
In this report, we will first have a basic understanding of the subject to be studied in depth
through Background Research, and then analyze the advantages and disadvantages of existing
solutions through Market Analysis. We will establish the target group through Stakeholder
Analysis and get a general understanding of the main problems the target group is currently
facing through Online Ethnography.
In order to learn more about the emotional challenges faced by the target population at different
stages and the methods that can help them ease their emotions at this stage, we plan to use an
Online Survey to collect data. Finally, we will summarize the big data through Thematic Analysis
to extract more in-depth interview questions, in order to obtain more detailed and surprising
answers in Face-to-face Interviews.
2
Problem Statement
How to provide adequate emotional support and high-quality companionship for postpartum
women (or their partners) who are facing emotional problems due to lack of self-worth, role
change, low-quality companionship, and lack of parenting knowledge, so that they can face
emotional problems correctly, regain self-worth, and complete role transitions?
Why are we solving this problem?
Postpartum emotional problems are affecting women and even some men to varying degrees,
but people do not have a clear understanding of this issue. Therefore, we hope to investigate
the underlying causes of postpartum emotional problems and the serious problems faced by the
target group, trying to prevent and improve postpartum women and their partners' emotional
problems through early intervention or more effective methods. Given that severe postpartum
depression can have a direct or indirect impact on infants and young children, we believe it is
necessary to address the emotional problems of postpartum women and their partners.
2. Research to inform
Understanding the context
“Ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being at all
ages is essential to sustainable development.”
(Health - United Nations Sustainable Development, 2022)
SDGs 3 - Good health and well-being
Promoting good health and well-being is one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
that aim to transform our world. While the whole world is still under the influence of the COVID-19
pandemic, child health, maternal health, HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases are still the
mainstream issues that we are facing (Sustainable Development Goals, 2022). When tackling the
trending health emergency, the World Health Organization (WHO) also provides guidance and
advice for people to look after their mental health - especially for health workers, managers of
health facilities, people who are looking after children, older adults, people in isolation and
members of the public more generally (Health - United Nations Sustainable Development, 2022).
This brings us to the main focus of this report - maternal health, especially maternal mental
health problems.
Our background research aimed to give us a broad idea of the main issues identified, the
symptoms, the known causes, and suggested solutions available.
Maternal health
3
Maternal health refers to the health of women during pregnancy, childbirth and the postnatal
period. And the ultimate goal is to ensure women and their babies reach their full potential for
health and well-being and retain positive experience in each stage of the journey (Maternal
health, 2022). While SDG focuses more on how to reduce the global maternal mortality ratio, end
preventable deaths of newborns and children under 5 years of age, reduce premature mortality
from non-communicable diseases and achieve universal health coverage, it is noticeable that
emotional wellbeing also has a great influence on both maternal and child health which closely
align with the SDG 3 targets.
The significance of maternal mental health
Although pregnancy is generally viewed as a rewarding experience for women and marks the
beginning of their new social role as a mother, for some women, it can also be a stressful event
(Waqas et al., 2022). Pregnant women undergoing distress often experience varying degrees of
emotional disorders, and It may also trigger other common mental disorders (CMDs) especially
depression and anxiety during the perinatal period (Lin et al., 2019).
According to a recent review (Montagnoli et al., 2020), current data show that maternal mental
conditions affect about 10% of pregnant women worldwide. After researching the possible impact
of mental health conditions on reproductive outcomes before and during pregnancy, it is evident
that common mental disorders - depression and anxiety - during pregnancy are associated with
inadequate antenatal care, low-birth weight and preterm delivery. Primary mental disorders may
also increase the risk of miscarriage and other pregnancy complications. While in postpartum, it
is associated with diminished emotional involvement, neglect and hostility towards the newborn
(Srinivasan, Satyanarayana and Lukose, 2011). This finding further brings our attention to the issue
of postpartum depression.
Postpartum Depression
Postpartum depression (PPD) and anxiety are highly prevalent worldwide (Waqas et al., 2022). PPD
is “a mood disorder that affects approximately 10-15% of women during the postpartum period
yearly with depressive symptoms lasting more than 6 months among 25–50% of those affected”
(Beck, Records and Rice, 2006). Postpartum depression often occurs within a few months to a
year after birth. And other studies have suggested that for some women, PPD may occur as late
as 4 years after birth (Mauthner, 1998).
Many studies have found that not only women from western societies suffered from PPD,
conditions with similar symptoms have also been identified worldwide. And women from certain
areas of Asia and South Africa have been identified as being most at risk, where postnatal
mood disorders were generally associated with cultural stigmas, socioeconomic stressors, and
gender discrimination in some societies (Anokye et al., 2018).
Risk factors
4
The key risk factors for the development of PPD can be summarised as:
1. Biological factors (sex and stress hormones, thyroid hormones)
2. Psychosocial factors
Except for the postpartum-specific factors such as sensitivity to hormone changes, other major
risk factors are very similar to those typically found with major depression (O'Hara et al, 2013). And
most of them are social in nature (Anokye et al., 2018):
1. Stressful life events
2. Childcare stress
3. Low level of social support
4. Prenatal anxiety
Other situational factors may include:
Positive personal medical history for psychiatric illness (Leopold & Zoschnick 2003)
Domestic violence during pregnancy or after delivery (Šebela et al, 2018)
Marital conflict (Andrews-Fike, 1999)
Single parenthood (Andrews-Fike, 1999)
The symptoms
The symptoms are similar to symptoms of depression at other times of life (Anokye et al., 2018):
Low mood
Have crying spells
Sleep disturbance
Change in appetite
The diurnal variation in mood
Poor concentration
Irritability
In addition to that, women with PPD sometimes feel guilty about their inability to look after
their new babies (Keller & Nesse, 2006).
Women experienced different levels of depression and anxiety depending on the severity of the
symptoms (Craske, 2003):
Postpartum blues - for most women, symptoms are transient and relatively mild ;
Postpartum depression - 10–15% of women experience a more disabling and persistent form of mood disturbance.
Postpartum psychosis - relatively rare, affecting only 1 in 1,000 people after delivery.
It is a highly severe form of postpartum depression and requires emergency medical attention since there is an increased risk of suicide and risk of harm to the baby. Symptoms include severe agitation, confusion, feelings of hopelessness and shame, insomnia, paranoia, delusions or hallucinations, hyperactivity, rapid speech or mania.
Impact on maternal and child health
5
Postpartum depression may affect socialization behaviours in children and the mother, and it may
lead to thoughts of failure leading to deeper depression (Anokye et al., 2018).
When experiencing long-term server symptoms of PPD, women may suffer from diminished
emotional involvement, neglect and hostility towards the newborn. And affect their babies in the
following ways (Postpartum Depression: Causes, Symptoms & Treatment, 2022):
Have trouble bonding with your baby.
Neglect your child's care or not recognize when they are ill.
Skip appointments with your child's pediatrician.
Your child may have behaviour or learning problems.
Your child may have feeding and sleeping issues.
Your child may be at higher risk for obesity or developmental disorders.
Your baby may have impaired social skills.
Diagnosis, treatment and prevention
PPD’s impact on maternal and child health is well-recognized among the public health community,
accounting for high societal costs. The public health impact of these conditions has highlighted
the need to focus on the development and provision of effective prevention and treatment
strategies (Waqas et al., 2022).
Next part of the report, we will combine the research findings about PPD diagnosis, treatment and
prevention with competitor analysis of existing products on the market that tackle this problem to
identify our knowledge gap and further research direction.
Market Precedents (Limitation of existing solutions)
A thorough competitor analysis (Appendix 1) revealed a wide range of different approaches to
help women experiencing postpartum mental disorders. Many of the existing solutions aimed
to raise awareness of the risk, prevent PPD from an early stage, relief and treat symptoms
accordingly, offer professional help as well as promote a healthy lifestyle. We will walk
through each strategy in detail and carry out a competitor analysis for existing products or services
that fall into the category.
Raise awareness of the risk
The first step in preventing postpartum depression is being aware of your risk (Guarnotta, 2020).
The world Maternal Mental Health Day is a global event that provides a universal platform for
partners and advocates over the world to show their support and share their personal experiences
for the purpose of raising awareness so that more women will get treatment and fewer will suffer.
It also gathers global resources related to maternal mental health in one place. However, this
event was rarely heard of in the local community according to our initial trial user feedback. The
infor hierarchy and visual language of its website make it difficult to navigate and read through.
6
Another common approach is conducting depression screening during both perinatal and
postpartum periods, which uses established, validated tools that aid with early diagnosis, guide
management strategies, and optimise outcomes for women and their families (Ellington,2021).
The main drawback is that it is not compulsory in most perinatal and postpartum care services
worldwide, so there is a great chance that people will miss signs of mental disorders in the early
stage. And when some of them are aware of their mood disorders and looking for a place for
screening, it is difficult to choose the “right” clinic or platform to go to.
Prevention
In some cases, postpartum depression can be preventable. Recent studies have suggested some
steps women can take to prepare themselves which may significantly reduce the likelihood of
postpartum depression (Guarnotta, 2000).
Talk to your medical team
It can be helpful to alert your healthcare providers. They will be able to monitor you more
closely for signs of baby blues and postpartum depression and intervene if necessary. However,
it is highly limited to the local medicare resources available and health coverage plans. It can be
costly if people have to pay extra for seeking professional mental health advice other than general
practices.
Get active
Studies on the effects of exercise on postpartum women have found that it can help reduce and
prevent depression in the first place (Poyatos-León, 2017). It is also proven to be effective in
“improving sleep and memory, reducing muscle tension, and increasing the release of certain
neurotransmitters, including endorphins, serotonin, and norepinephrine” (Poyatos-León, 2017).
Fit Mamma is a community exercising group that offers dedicated classes for new mums that
cater to all post-natal concerns. By providing a creche space for the kiddies, Fit Mamma aims to
truly get an hour to mums and encourage them to connect with others, and empower women to
be the best mum they can be. It is affordable and accessible to women who live near the local
community, however, it has only one store at the moment. Another concern about the idea of
separating the mums and bubs is the safety of its child care services.
Fernwood, on the other hand, is the biggest chain gym in Australia expert in women’s health,
fitness and wellness. Except for its comprehensive training options that are designed for women
in different stages, it also provides baby care services in some areas. The joining fees are a bit
higher than Fit Mamma, and there are more bonding conditions once you joined. Compared to Fit
Mamma, Fernwood may be better equipped but less dedicated to new mums' mental well-being.
Another common limitation to exercising as a cure is the risk of getting injured during workouts.
Compared to high-intensity cardio in the gym, walking, cardio, etc. (Guarnotta, 2020).
Rest
7
Rest and good sleep are important for physically & emotionally recovering from childbirth
(Guarnotta, 2020).
The LectroFan Evo white-noise sound machine serves the purpose of facilitating high-quality
sleeping overnight through 10 non-looping fan sounds and white noise variations, as well as two
ocean sounds — “calm” and “surf.” Its noise-blocking abilities can get loud enough to mask
anything in the background. However, it is not suitable for new mums as they constantly need to
pay attention to their baby's needs and be alert to the baby's cries.
Eat a Healthy Diet
Low levels of certain nutrients, like omega-3 fatty acids, are linked to depression in postpartum
women. Eating a healthy diet is also important for breastfeeding women (Guarnotta, 2020). While
busy taking care of newborns, many people do not have enough time for groceries and cooking
properly.
HelloFresh is a meal-kit delivery service designed with flexibility in mind. They will deliver the
recipes and ingredients that people need to make their chosen meals at home. Save time for
groceries and ensure they get adequate nutrition. However, new parents may not have time to
cook, or not follow the recipe as instructed which leads to poor flavour. And also the freshness
of the ingredient matters. Youfoodz on the other hand provides ready to eat meals that save the
time to cook and avoid food safety concerns. The main critique of Youfoodz is its plain flavour and
early expiring problems based on trending reviews online.
Ask For Help
Many women are overwhelmed by the demands of motherhood. Caring for a newborn is a lot of
work, and having help with cooking, cleaning, or running errands can significantly ease some of
the stress that they feel (Guarnotta, 2020).
Under the influence of COVID-19, many new parents did not have the luxury of having family and
friends to help out so that they can take the time they need to recover. Considering using smart
home appliances may be a solution.
Roborock S7 is the newest robotic vacuum and mop that can empty dust and clean automatically
can significantly share the workload for new parents and allow them some time to recovery.
However, its price has stopped a lot of people from benefiting from its services (Roborock can cost
from $999 up to $1699). In addition, it may raise safety concerns when having a young baby at
home whom that easy gets injured by the moving vacuum.
Social Activity
It is important to make an effort to reach out to connections when new mums feel lonely or
isolated, whether it is a friend, family member, or professional.
8
However, while taking care of newborns full time, it is difficult to make time meeting other mums
or children. And inviting others to your home means extra preparation and housework.
Playgroup NSW is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to supporting families and
strengthening local communities through playgroups. Playgroups are held at safe, designated
venues (often Council-run community centres) designed to welcome and accommodate children.
That means no parent has to host a group at their house or fit strollers into overcrowded coffee
shops. Local volunteers will ensure there are toys and resources for the playgroup and run lightly
structured play activities so parents/carers and children can learn together through play (Playgroup
NSW, 2022). This service could effectively help new mums reconnect with their community,
however, not many immigrant parents are aware of the existence of the organisation.
Treatment
Find a Therapist
Psychosocial support has been the most effective intervention in its management (Anokye et al.,
2018). Active screening and following treatment based on cooperation between gynaecologyobstetrics and psychiatry is the major method of postpartum depression prevention (Šebela et
al, 2018). Through therapy, you can find better ways to cope with your feelings, solve problems,
set realistic goals and respond to situations in a positive way. Sometimes family or relationship
therapy also helps. However, psychotherapy can be ongoing and costly in the end and highly
depends on the health coverage plans that are available to the mum. And finding the right doctor
for your mental health issues sometimes is harder than finding the Mr right. Mums may not have
the knowledge and resource to find a suitable treatment plan.
Consider Medication
While seeking help from mental health professionals, they may recommend an antidepressant. If
new mums are breastfeeding, any medication they take will enter their breast milk, which brings
the concern of any side effects for their babies (Mayoclinic, 2022).
Key findings
After comparing and analysing chosen existing services and products that serve the purpose of
preventing and treating postpartum depression, it seems that creating a safe and dedicated place
for women to reconnect, recover, and empower themselves can effectively relieve women from
mental distress and prevent minor mental disorders becoming to postpartum depression. And
this can not be done without extra help that allows women to take some time away from their
motherhood duties. Having a universal platform for resources that are linked to maternal mental
health could help new mums quickly gain the necessary knowledge and help them be aware of
the risk of maternal mental health in the early stages. However, among the existing solutions,
many are limited by their poor exposure, different health coverage plans, difficulty in finding a
matching doctor, and lastly the affordability of fees.
9
Which inspired our ideation directions that we should avoid costly ideas, move away from the
current healthcare plan, and aim to increase the exposure and interaction of our future solutions.
Key knowledge gap
After conducting the background research and caring out market analysis, we learned that mild
symptoms of depression are common during the first few days after giving birth. This is referred
to as the baby blues and affects up to 80% of new mothers. And only a small portion of them
will further develop into postpartum depression with server and persistent symptoms (Guarnotta,
2000). The impact on women’s life includes difficulty to function, caring for and bonding with their
babies, social disconnection, and also influence on their marital relationships as well.
Prevention and treatment are critical yet it is estimated that 50% of women who are depressed
remain undiagnosed during and following pregnancy (Davenport et al., 2020). We are curious
about if women are aware of their mood swings and whether they know where to find help. At
the same time, we also wish through primary research to learn about real users’ current strategies
for tackling these issues and their effectiveness. We hope after the primary research, we could
combine the result with our market analysis to guide future ideation. While most literature
focused on the impact on women’s mental health during postpartum, there are less studies about
the mental status of their partners and their influence on new mums. We will continue studying this
specific area and collect data from the primary research in the next phase of our design. Informed
by our background research and market analysis, we created an overall research objective to
guide our future research questions, methods and design:
“Understand the common emotional challenges of pregnant women and new
parents, how do they cope with the challenges and identify future opportunities
to help new parents better transit into the new roles.”
And to achieve the objective, further six design questions have been drafted:
What are the common emotional challenges?
The different factors that cause the challenges.
Who faces the most emotional challenges during the different stages of being a
new parent?
How do the emotional challenges affect their life or family relationship?
How does their emotional status change through different phases of pregnancy and
after childbirth?
What are the existing solutions and their effectiveness?
3. Primary Research
10
Research Strategy
We adopt post-positivism as the main philosophical position to solve the research problem. In
post-positivism, human knowledge is not based on solid and unchallenged principles, but rather
on the confluence of a variety of human hypotheses (Groff, 2004). To obtain objective truth about
psychological problems during pregnancy and postpartum, we undertake continuous research and
improvement based on universal truth.
Due to the complexity of psychological phenomena, this paper uses a mix of quantitative and
qualitative research methods to examine the emotional challenges pregnant women and new
parents face, and how they cope with them. The quantitative method uses mathematics and
statistics to analyze a research object's numerical or quantitative value, as well as draw scientific
and objective conclusions using a variety of data models (Bentler, 1990). The qualitative method
refers to collecting textual data about psychological characteristics and behavioral performance
through methods, such as observation and in-depth interviews. Analyze and collate these
collected unstructured data to understand the root causes and motivations behind the problem
(Green & Thorogood, 2018). As Price et al. (2004) point out, quantitative research is useful for
providing precise answers to specific research questions and eliciting general conclusions about
human behavior, but it cannot provide the psychological feeling of being a member of a particular
group in a particular situation. However, the relative weakness of quantitative research is the
relative advantage of qualitative research, which could provide researchers with new insights and
hypotheses. This study used quantitative research to gain a general understanding of emotional
problems experienced by pregnant women, new parents, as well as their causes and current
solutions. Using qualitative research, we uncover the underlying reasons behind a target group's
attitudes, beliefs, motivations, and behavior.
Stakeholders
The stakeholder analysis (Figure 1) indicates that the 4 groups in Quadrant 1 have high influence
and power, it is critical to understand their pain points and needs (Brugha & Varvasovszky, 2000).
As a result, this study will target new parents as well as pregnant women and their partners.
1. Online Ethnography
11
Ethnography, according to Fielding (1993), is a form of qualitative research that combines a variety
of methods. Using field investigations, participation, and observation, the researcher seeks to
understand, explain, and describe a group's culture as well as provide theoretical opinions about
the group. The online ethnography method involves observing and responding to target groups
in online communities and platforms to gather relevant useful information to form insights (Hart,
2017). Hallett and Barber (2014) point out that research on stigmatized and marginalized groups
experiencing psychological problems is difficult with traditional methods, but online research
offers researchers a convenient way to access these groups. In addition, the second benefit
of conducting online ethnographic research before contacting target groups is that it helps
researchers get a general sense of their current situation, which will improve the efficiency of
subsequent studies.
1.1 Data Collection - OE (Appdenix 2)
Four social media platforms with high user activity and three professional mother and baby
community platforms were used to collect 70 reviews, from which we extracted some of the most
common emotional challenges faced by mothers, the factors contributing to those challenges, the
impact these challenges have had on their lives and on their family relationships, as well as some
solutions they have tried. A preliminary analysis of the data revealed that 90% of the observed
were women who had given birth, 6% were new fathers, and 3% were expecting. There is not
enough data to generalize conclusions about pregnant women and new fathers based on these
small sample sizes.
2. Online Survey
An online questionnaire survey is a way to collect data by preparing a detailed questionnaire
and asking respondents to answer it, which is widely used in the field of humanities and social
sciences (Wright,2005). It requires a large amount of data collection in this study to analyze the
psychological phenomena of pregnant women and the parents of newborns, and the instruments
and equipment needed to measure and collect these psychological phenomena are not easily
accessible. Consequently, active reporting through sample populations has become an important
method for collecting primary data (Parajuli, 2004). As well as saving time, money, and effort, the
data from online questionnaires are easier to analyze, quantify, and process statistically (Jones,
Murphy, Edwards & James, 2008). However, this approach also has obvious limitations. During the
survey, we found that because the respondents were worried about the misuse of their personal
information, they were reluctant to disclose accurate personal information in the questionnaire,
and sometimes even quit the survey because too much personal information was involved.
Moreover, the questionnaires are pre-designed by the questionnaire designer with the answer
range, which limits the respondents' answers, and they may miss more detailed and in-depth
information. Further, the low response rate of the online questionnaire negatively affected the
sample size of the survey.
2.1 Questionnaire Design - OS
12
Through stakeholder analysis (Figure 1), participants in this study were selected as pregnant
women or women within five years of giving birth and their partners. We developed four sets
of questions because pregnant women, new mothers, pregnant women's partners, and new
fathers have different pain points and needs, and each group has about 17 questions, including
single choice, multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank, and ranking questions.
To ensure that each question is valid and targeted, the questionnaire was designed around the
following research questions:
What are the common emotional challenges?
The different factors that cause the challenges.
Who faces the most emotional challenges during the different stages of being a
new parent?
How do the emotional challenges affect their life or family relationship?
How does their emotional status change through different phases of pregnancy and after childbirth?
What are the existing solutions and their effectiveness?
As expected, the questionnaire is arranged logically, with a logical order of easy before difficult,
simple before complicated, and concrete before abstract, in line with the thinking process of the
respondents (Bork & Francis,1985).
2.2 Participants - OS (Appdenix 3)
The questionnaire was uploaded to Questionnaire Star, which supports multiple question types as
well as correlation logic and jumps logic. It was sent to more than 1,000 members of five WeChat
groups for new parents. As of August 16, 2022, 84 people took part in the survey, 74 of whom
were female and 10 of male. With the exception of four participants, all lived in China. 85.5% of
these participants and their partners had given birth and 15.5% were expecting. In this study, the
majority of female participants were between 26 and 45 years of age, within the childbearing
stage. Their educational backgrounds primarily consisted of undergraduate (n = 46) and junior
college (n = 24), with more than 70% of female respondents currently employed (n = 52).
3. Semi-structured Interviews
Zautra (2003) states that mental activity is a dynamic system that is extremely complex, and the
factors that lead to psychological problems are also complex and diverse, including the interaction
between social factors, family factors, and individual factors. In this case, semi-structured interviews
are highly appropriate, since they are open-ended and allow for flexibility (Dearnley,2005). As
part of the interview preparation process, a list of questions was developed. However, during
the interview, the order of the questions asked was not definitive, and some questions that were
discovered during the interview were asked as well, to facilitate further investigation.
13
This method of interviewing has many advantages. By promoting two-way communication, the
interviewer can obtain a richer, more complete, and a deeper level of information. In spite of this,
Dearnley (2005) argues that semi-structured interviews may be less effective due to their flexibility.
3.1 Questionnaire Design - Interviews
To uncover the root causes and potential needs of postpartum psychological problems among the
target population, we designed the following questions in the interview. To explore the negative
emotions experienced by new parents, participants were asked, "Have you ever experienced any
negative emotions during your pregnancy or since after birth?," "Could you give me an example
of what kind of negative emotions you experienced?," "How’s your mental status changed
since your daughter was born?," "Can you think of a moment when you experienced the worst
emotional breakdown?". To understand how emotional challenges affect their lives or family
relationships, participants were asked, "How did lack of sleep impact your daily life?," "How
about your child, do you think the negative feeling has affected your daughter as well ?," "How
about your wife, do you think the negative feeling has affected her ?," "how would that impact the
relationship between you and your partner?," "What is the impact of these negative emotions on
everyday life?". To understand existing solutions and their effectiveness, participants were asked,
"Have you tried doing anything to alleviate negative emotions?," "Are there any other methods
that you have tried to help you relieve your negative feeling other than taking courses?," “Apart
from the help your husband has given you, what other factors have kept you in a relatively healthy
mental state?," "Any actions that you undertook so far?". To understand the role of a partner in a
woman's pregnancy and postpartum, researchers asked participants "what role do you play during
your wife's pregnancy and after birth?," "How about your partner? Do you think you can discover
his emotional changes in time?,".
Using the user-centered design principle, we developed four sets of interview questions tailored
to different types of respondents and considered the reasonableness of the question order. For
example, before an interview, we make small talk to reduce the interviewee's nervousness. As well,
we interspersed thought-provoking questions with more narrative questions in order to reduce
psychological stress on the interviewee. Moreover, since the privacy of the topic, we avoided using
words that might upset users, and from the shallow to the deep, we asked questions and explored
unknown details throughout the interview.
3.2 Participants - Interviews
At the end of the questionnaire, a non-required question asked participants if they would be
willing to participate in in-depth interviews. This enables us to rapidly locate people with some
experience and understanding of mental health problems and who are interested in this issue.
Among the participants who expressed their willingness to be interviewed, we selected 7 for in-
depth interviews, of whom 6 were new mothers and 1 was new father. They had an average
age of 35 and came from various regions and occupations. During the interview appointment
process, most respondents stated they preferred to be interviewed after their children rested at
14
night, and that they did not want the interview to last too long. Therefore, we averaged less than
21 minutes in our interviews and selected their addresses for face-to-face interviews.
3.3 Data Collection - Interviews (Appdenix 4 & 5)
A total of five face-to-face interviews and two online interviews were conducted during the study.
The whole interview process is recorded in the form of an audio recording and then transcribed
line by line to produce a transcript.
Summary of Insights and Findings
Quantitative data analysis
The data obtained from the quantitative study are analyzed in Excel. According to a statistical
analysis of the data, 40% of women who have had children said they experience negative
emotions on a daily or weekly basis, and 54% of female respondents said anxiety was the
most common negative emotion they felt. However, 60% of men participants said they often
experience mood swings when accompanying their partners to a pregnancy checkup, mainly
anxiety. In the study, 75% of the males cited hobbies as a way to relieve their negative emotions,
while 53% of the females gave the opinion that talking with others was the most effective way to
ease their negative emotions. Additionally, men participants said they were unable to effectively
help their partners deal with negative emotions during pregnancy, because they didn't know
what to do.
Due to social desirability bias, it may also be possible that participants will answer questions in a
socially acceptable way, which may reduce their credibility (Grimm, 2010). We refer to Neidhoff's
(1985) suggestion to minimize or prevent social desirability bias by utilizing the use of forcedchoice items and self-administration of the questionnaire. However, there did not appear to be
any method that excelled under all circumstances in dealing with both other-deceptive as well as
self-deceptive social desirability biases.
Qualitative data analysis
Thematic Analysis is used to analyze qualitative data, which is a method of combining and sorting
the content of collected texts to identify certain themes. Although the questionnaire survey is a
quantitative study, the open-ended questions were evaluated using thematic analysis, which was
independent of the quantitative analysis. Using Braun and Clarke (2006) as a guide, we conducted
thematic analysis in six stages: (1) familiarizing ourselves with the data, (2) generating initial codes,
(3) developing a broader theme, (4) revising the themes, (5) defining themes, and (6) consolidating
the findings and reporting them.
Each researcher formatted the online ethnographic and interview textual information they
collected and extracted codes from it. Through group discussions, the large number of existing
15
codes (n = 268) was divided into 65 categories and assigned new labels based on pain points,
delights, and drivers. In order to resolve disagreements, we verify that the classification is correct
by comparing the color distribution of the code under these labels (Appendix 6). Five themes
emerged after four rounds of categorisation and summarisation: personal time, low self-identity,
social interactions, inadequate antenatal education, and high-quality companionship.
Theme 1. Personal time
In the study, we found that the heavy life pressure of caring for a newborn or multiple children,
including housework, work, and financial pressure, prevents new parents from relaxing and
sleeping well for a long time. Taking the time to adjust can be challenging, even when new
parents notice that they are experiencing emotional difficulties. “I simply do not have time for any
personal feelings" (Christy).
Our study confirms the findings of Johnston and Swanson (2006), which found the majority of
mothers responded "being there" when asked to describe a "good mother", whereas a "bad
mother" is one who is “absent” or "working". They consider it selfish to take time for themselves.
In our research, being unable to break free of a baby contributes significantly to a new mom
feeling bad and finding it difficult to make changes. "It’s not venting, but sometimes I don’t want
to take care of the baby, I just want to stay alone” (Lihua). Because of this, new parents find it
necessary to take time for themselves in the early stages of parenthood.
Theme 2. Low self-identity
The research data we have collected show that many women lose a sense of self-identity after
childbirth, both physically and psychologically. The decrease in physical self-identity can be
observed in statements such as "... I've gained a lot of weight and I'm unhappy with my body
image, which also bothers me." and "After having a baby, I'm like a milking cow". As Mercer (2004)
reports, childbirth damages the women's bodies and leads to body image issues, which negatively
affect their self-identity (Baruch & Barnett, 1986).
In addition, a woman's mental self-identity is reduced when she gives up her job and stays at
home full-time to take care of her children. As a result of the questionnaire survey, 30% of new
mothers are not working, and taking care of the baby becomes the top priority for many of
them. One interviewee said it was distressing that she sacrificed her job to take care of her
children, and she wished she could return to work to regain her self-identity and confidence.
As Little (1997) points out, conscious and positive intervention, doing what one is good at, and
improving one's external value can help to enhance the sense of self-identity. This point was also
supported by 42.5 percent of the female participants who believed it was a useful way to relieve
negative emotions.
Theme 3. Social Intera
16
According to the survey, 53 percent of female participants tried to deal with their negative
emotions through talking with others and 29 percent through social activities. More
significantly, half of the participants gave these methods perfect scores when they rated their
effectiveness. This discovery is similar to that of Small et al. (1997). Women were asked to explain
why they had developed postnatal depression, and "lack of support" and "feeling isolated" were
the most common responses. Asked what advice they would give to a new mother suffering from
postpartum depression, the most common response was "talk to someone." In the interview,
many interviewees stated that joining a MOPS group or a mommy group, talking with other
mothers, and helping each other, could alleviate negative emotions. It could be explained by the
fact that new mothers can feel a sense of belonging and security when they find the same group
and realize that they are not alone. Additionally, communicating and socializing with others can
divert attention from children and housework, thereby reducing negative emotional states.
Theme 4. Inadequate antenatal education
As a result of the lack of knowledge about common postpartum negative emotions, family
members and partners often can't empathize with mothers, value and solve their mental and
healthy problems. On the other hand, mothers are also prone to neglect their physical and mental
state and fail to judge whether they need help. One male respondent said, "I felt overwhelmed as
there is so much to learn as being a parent for the first time." In addition, as reported by Smorti
and Pancetti (2019), new mothers are more likely to suffer from postpartum depression than
multiparous mothers due to difficulties in early interaction with their children. This reflects the
importance of fetal education from the side. For this reason, it is necessary for pregnant women
to learn postpartum knowledge with their families before giving birth. Through professional
study and receiving professional help, the confusion and anxiety caused by the unknown or halfunderstood can be effectively relieved.
Theme 5. High-quality companionship & Empathy
Our findings have shown that timely communication and mutual understanding with partners
are key elements in alleviating emotional difficulties. According to the questionnaires, lack of
companionship was a major factor contributing to low pregnancy satisfaction (50%). It is less likely
that new moms will feel alone and negatively affected by negative emotions when they have highquality companionship and empathy from their partner. Additionally, many female respondents
indicated that if their partners are able to recognize negative emotions in time and provide them
with positive emotions, such as comfort, listening, affirmation, praise, and support, it will help
them cope with their emotional and mental health issues.
Conclusion
The current research examines factors that influence the mood of new parents during pregnancy
and delivery and aims to assist them in adjusting to their new role while caring for themselves
and their partners. Therefore, studying how partners provide positive emotional support during
17
pregnancy and after birth is an important area of future research. M ost existing research has
focused on examining single social or personal factors that affect pregnant women and their
partners, and how negative postpartum emotions affect their children. However, our survey is
novel and exploratory in its insight into the inner needs and pain points of pregnant and birthgiving women and their partners. To cope with negative emotions, new parents need to take time
for themselves and their partners to engage in social distractions and provide two-way quality
companionship. Moreover, it is essential to address the legacy of low self-identity and inadequate
prenatal education.
4. Persona
5. Concepts
18
Concept 1 - Emotioncast
"Emotioncast" is an application for couples to help them
better understand each other's emotions. When they cannot
express their emotions to their partners face to face, users
can use the app to inform their partners of their emotional
state to understand them better and empathize with
the user. At the same time, the application will provide the
user's partner with suitable solutions to help him ease the
user's negative emotions. "Emotioncast" can effectively address the fifth key theme we found
in our previous research - "companionship and communication between couples", also meet the
criteria we set - increase communication and understanding between couples. Help the partner
who cannot empathize with the user to understand the user's negative emotions in time through
emotion visualization, increase the communication between husband and wife so that the partner
can better understand the user and give positive feedback with the help of the application, to
reduce the user's negative emotions.
In addition to sharing emotions, users can also upload photos/diaries to record and share
moments of life and parenting jointly. The couple can also get exclusive special effects when
they go online simultaneously. Initially, the application will provide a small sapling, or users can
choose to raise the animals or plants they are interested in or even build a house. Take building
a house as an example; the user will be given the first house after sending a message for the first
time to express emotions to the partner. After that, the user will get a new house every time after
posting with the partner. Users can increase their communication with their partners when
sharing information with their partners. Therefore, both parties will not lose communication due to
parenting issues affecting the relationship between partners.
Compared with existing product
Compared with the existing product "facereader", this
way of expressing emotions directly by the user is more
humanized and not too mechanical like "facereader",
in which the user's emotional changes can only be
identified by quantifying facial emotion values, and
only five emotions can be displayed - happy, sad,
surprised, angry, neutral ("Emotion analysis - Facial
expression recognition software", 2022), which is not easy to understand. In addition, compared
with "facereader", this solution can also provide a way to relieve negative emotions to the user's
partner (also one of the users of "Emotioncast"), which "facereader" cannot do.
19
Kelly's baby went to Daycare for the first time
today, but her husband didn't come, so she
wasn't happy!
She remembered the App she downloaded
on a friend's recommendation but didn't
have time to use. She decided to vent her
emotions through it.
Kelly opens the App and the system asks
if she wants to turn on Nurture Mode. She
chose yes, and chose to build buildings
among several different types of cultivation.
Kelly posted pictures of her child in Daycare.
In the evening, Kelly's husband went home
and apologized to his wife according to the
method given by the App, and brought a gift
to the child. Her husband uploaded a selfie
of the three to the app. The system prompts
them at the same time - You are successfully
build a floor.
And she sent an angry emotional visualization
to her husband.
The system prompts to successfully build a
floor. She clicked on to the cultivation space.
Concept 2 - Parentingboost
"Parentingboost" is inspired by an electronic pet game that
covers parenting knowledge before and after birth, helping
novice parents to get rid of complicated parenting knowledge
books and learn more interesting parenting knowledge in the
game. This concept meets the first and second criteria - increase
communication and understanding between husband and wife, and pass on parenting-related
knowledge to new parents. In the pre-birth stage, parenting knowledge will be integrated into
each level and displayed in the form of games. Levels will provide content related to parenting at
different stages. After completing all the levels, new parents will be equipped with basic parenting
knowledge and ready for the birth of their child.
After the child is born, the program will retain the parenting knowledge level and increase the
"development of the partner" model. Users can choose to take care of people who resemble
themselves/partners. Users can see the status of their own and their partner's characters on
their machines - through the value bar. According to the collected data, the system will infer the
possible negative emotions of the user and their time points, project them into the simulated
characters, and show the characters' discomfort through the reduction of the value bar. In addition
to automatically simulating the system's negative emotional states or discomfort states, users
can also click on the avatar to set the avatar state to inform their partner when they feel unwell
to gain their partner's attention. In order to better remind users or their partners and make
them aware of their/partner's abnormality, both parties can set their own reminder values. For
example, when the value is lower than 70, the system will display a strong reminder to inform both
parties. In this way, users can be aware of their negative emotions and also prompt their partners
to increase their attention to users. At this time, the user can choose to use other functions in
the program, such as jumping to play movies, dramas, music and other things that the user is
interested in, to relieve the negative emotions and recover.
20
Compared with existing product
The existing product - "Realcare Baby", is an infant simulator that can
realistically simulate what happens in parenting ("RealCare Baby 3 Infant
Simulator", n.d.). However, the disadvantage of this product is that it
requires the physical model to be sent to the user's home. Although the
"Realcare Baby" is more realistic than "Parentingboost", the user cannot
control the learning time independently. Moreover, this product is only
suitable for maternity before giving birth. After new parents have children, they no longer need
this product, resulting in a waste of resources. "Parentingboost" allows users to learn parenting
knowledge anytime, anywhere, no matter the stage. After the mother gives birth, it can be
used continuously, and the program will also provide the content of the corresponding stage.
Therefore, "Parentingboost" is more practical than existing products.
Neither Mark nor his wife had any experience
in raising children, and they felt confused
every day, so he bought a parenting game
console on the recommendation of a friend,
hoping to improve the current situation.
He chose the Learning Mode and passed all
the levels in a few days between work. He
has learned some parenting knowledge and
finally has the confidence to help his wife
take care of the kid.
One day Mark felt a strong reminder from
the game console when he was at work. He
asked his wife, knowing that his wife was
worried because the child had been sick for
a few days. He gave comfort and helped his
wife ease her emotions in time.
Although he comforted his wife, he was
also anxious about the child. He turned on
the game console and chose the Relaxation
Mode. After listening to a piece of soothing
music, he felt that he was in a better mood.
Mark also bought a parenting game console
for his wife and switched both to Nurture
Mode. They choose and cultivate virtual
characters similar to each other, with a
numerical bar on the character's head
recording their emotional state.
Mark will check the day's value every night
after the child go to bed, and talk to his wife.
Concept 3 - Momvibe
"Momvibe", an application specially designed for mothers to help them learn the skills they
are interested in and find private, non-traditional part-time jobs. Provide a platform that enables
mothers to work/study remotely while taking care of their children, relying on their hobbies or
spare time to earn funds and distract their attention to a certain extent, thereby alleviating the
negative emotions caused by parenting. With the help of the system, users can filter out jobs that
suit their abilities, time, place, and interests, such as handmade dolls, mobile phone case making,
wood carving, etcetera. Also, provide a community to users so they can collaborate freely.
For example, in the face of some heavy workloads, the user can convene other members in the
community to take over the job together, share the work, and distribute the salary in proportion to
the work. Allow users to earn money and make friends. At the same time, provide courses with the
required skills to users without a skill base to help them start a business.
21
Compared with existing product
Compared with the existing job-seeking products, "Momvibe" also adds course services and
community services. Most importantly, it is a product specially provided for mothers so that
the screening conditions will be more suitable for the needs of mothers. Compared with most
traditional jobs that require participation in offline work, considering that many mothers need
to take care of their children at home, "Momvibe" mainly provides non-traditional jobs and
supports remote work. Even if users do not find a suitable job in "Momvibe", they can learn
skills or participate in exchanges in the community to prepare for future entrepreneurship.
Kelly has been out of work after giving
birth, but she didn't want her husband to
pay for the family expenses alone, so she
downloaded an entrepreneurial app specially
made for mothers.
Kelly discovered the handicraft industry she
was interested in by looking at it. She signed
up for relevant courses and entered the
crafting community to discuss technology
with mothers.
She was sifting through work and found a
company order for two hundred handmade
items. Due to the large number, she uses the
community to bring other mothers together
to complete the work.
Because Kelly does more and faster, she gets
paid more.
At the end of the course, Kelly found a
suitable job through the platform screening
function.
Kelly sold her first item and got paid.
6. Group Charter
Complete together:
Confirm the Topic
Background Research
Collect & Translate Online Ethnography
Discuss Questionnaires and Interview questions
Find groups to fill in questionnaires & find Interviewees
Interviews & content sorting
Classification and analysis of all data
Most of the thinking part
Construction of Concepts
22
Tiana
Antonia
Responsible for overall direction control & Thinking
Mainly write Background Research and Market Analysis parts
Responsible for Research & Thinking
Mainly write the Primary Research part (Methodology and Data Analysis
Xinyi
Responsible for Research, Thinking, and making Online Questionnaires
May
Responsible for Sketching, Storyboard, Layout and Design of Proposal
Responsible for summarizing Persona and writing the Concept section
Writing the Introduction and Group Charter sections
Our cooperation is very pleasant, and we will communicate in time if there are any questions.
We held online meetings every night, and together we completed the integration and
classification of data under high-quality and efficient brainstorming. We are responsible for
completing the parts that we are good at, and we are also honing in areas we are not familiar with.
Reflection
Because postpartum depression is a relatively private topic for many women and a psychological
problem that men are reluctant to admit, it is challenging to dig deeper into the impact of
postpartum depression on postpartum women and their partners. We found a lot of related
complaints through online ethnography, excavated some in-depth descriptions and analyses,
integrated them into questions in the online survey, and collected detailed data through
questionnaires as a basis for analysis. After data analysis, we confirmed the interview questions.
In this way, through questioning step by step, we finally entered the sensitive inner world of
postpartum women.
Since postpartum depression isn't a very new problem, it has many different solutions. Although
after our investigation and analysis, these solutions cannot effectively solve the problem for a long
time, they have played an effective role in prevention and mitigation.
Therefore, it is more difficult to jump out of the original solution and create a new solution.
Fortunately, there are four of us, and everyone can provide some valuable ideas. Inspired by
methods such as Mind Map and Crazy 8, we finally came up with three relatively satisfactory
solutions, and look forward to subsequent revisions.
Limitation
For most interviewers, this topic is sensitive and private, so they are reluctant to appear
fully on camera.
The original solution has been able to solve the problem to a certain extent, and it is
more difficult to completely jump out and create a new solution.
Reference
23
Andrews-Fike, C. (1999). A review of postpartum depression. Primary care companion to the
Journal of clinical psychiatry, 1(1), 9.
Anokye, R., Acheampong, E., Budu-Ainooson, A., Obeng, E. I., & Akwasi, A. G. (2018). Prevalence
of postpartum depression and interventions utilized for its management. Annals of general
psychiatry, 17, 18. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12991-018-0188-0
Antenatal and Postnatal Mental Health. (2022). FHS. Retrieved 23 August 2022, from https://www.
fhs.gov.hk/english/health_info/woman/30098.html
Baruch, G. K., & Barnett, R. (1986). Role quality, multiple role involvement, and psychological wellbeing in midlife women. Journal of personality and social psychology, 51(3), 578.
Beck, C., Records, K. and Rice, M., 2006. Further Development of the Postpartum Depression
Predictors Inventory‐Revised. Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic & Neonatal Nursing, 35(6),
pp.735-745. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1552-6909.2006.00094.x
Bentler, P. (1990). Quantitative methods in psychology. Psychol. Bull, 107, 238-246.
Bork, C. E., & Francis, J. B. (1985). Developing effective questionnaires. Physical Therapy, 65(6),
907-911.
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2012). Thematic analysis. American Psychological Association.
Brugha, R., & Varvasovszky, Z. (2000). Stakeholder analysis: a review. Health policy and planning,
15(3), 239-246.
Cleveland Clinic. 2022. Postpartum Depression: Causes, Symptoms & Treatment. [online] Available
at: <https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/9312-postpartum-depression> [Accessed 11
August 2022].
Craske, M. G. (2003). Origins of phobias and anxiety disorders: Why more women than men?.
Elsevier.
Davenport, M., Meyer, S., Meah, V., Strynadka, M. and Khurana, R., 2020. Moms Are Not OK:
COVID-19 and Maternal Mental Health. Frontiers in Global Women's Health, 1. https://www.
researchgate.net/publication/342312189_Moms_Are_Not_OK_COVID-19_and_Maternal_Mental_
Health
Dearnley, C. (2005). A reflection on the use of semi-structured interviews. Nurse researcher, 13(1).
Ellington K. (2021). Perinatal depression screening: Improving outcomes during COVID-19.
Nursing, 51(10), 50–54. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.NURSE.0000791712.24103.2e
Emotion analysis - Facial expression recognition software. (2022). Retrieved 23 August 2022, from
https://www.noldus.com/applications/emotion-analysis
Fielding, N. (1993). Ethnography. Researching social life, 154-171.
Green, J., & Thorogood, N. (2018). Qualitative methods for health research. sage.
Grimm, P. (2010). Social desirability bias. Wiley international encyclopedia of marketing.
Groff, R. (2004). Critical realism, post-positivism and the possibility of knowledge. Routledge.
24
Guarnotta, E., 2020. Can Postpartum Depression Be Prevented?. [online] Choosingtherapy.
Available at: <https://www.choosingtherapy.com/postpartum-depression-prevention/> [Accessed
14 August 2022].
Hallett, R. E., & Barber, K. (2014). Ethnographic research in a cyber era. Journal of Contemporary
Ethnography, 43(3), 306-330.
Hart, T. (2017). Online ethnography. The International Encyclopedia of Communication Research
Methods, 1-8.
Johnston, D. D., & Swanson, D. H. (2006). Constructing the “good mother”: The experience of
mothering ideologies by work status. Sex roles, 54(7), 509-519.
Jones, S., Murphy, F., Edwards, M., & James, J. (2008). Doing things differently: advantages and
disadvantages of web questionnaires. Nurse researcher, 15(4).
Keller, M. C., & Nesse, R. M. (2006). The evolutionary significance of depressive symptoms:
different adverse situations lead to different depressive symptom patterns. Journal of personality
and social psychology, 91(2), 316.
Leopold, K. A., & Zoschnick, L. B. (2003). Women’s primary health grand rounds at the University
of Michigan: Postpartum depression. Retrieved April 5, 2005.
Lin, B., Kaliush, P. R., Conradt, E., Terrell, S., Neff, D., ... & Crowell, S. E. (2019). Intergenerational
transmission of emotion dysregulation: Part I. Psychopathology, self-injury, and parasympathetic
responsivity among pregnant women. Development and psychopathology, 31(3), 817-831.
Little, J. (1997). AND WOMEN'S SELF-IDENTITY. Contested Countryside Cultures: Otherness,
Marginalisation, and Rurality, 138.
Materanal mortality. (2019). WHO. Retrieved 23 August 2022, from https://www.who.int/newsroom/fact-sheets/detail/maternal-mortality
Mauthner, N., 1998. Re-assessing the importance and role of the marital relationship in postnatal
depression: Methodological and theoretical implications. Journal of Reproductive and Infant
Psychology, 16(2-3), pp.157-175.
Mayoclinic.org. 2022. Postpartum depression - Diagnosis and treatment - Mayo Clinic. [online]
Available at: <https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/postpartum-depression/diagnosistreatment/drc-20376623> [Accessed 15 August 2022].
Mercer, R. T. (2004). Becoming a mother versus maternal role attainment. Journal of nursing
scholarship, 36(3), 226-232.
Montagnoli, C., Zanconato, G., Cinelli, G., Tozzi, A. E., Bovo, C., Bortolus, R., & Ruggeri, S. (2020).
Maternal mental health and reproductive outcomes: a scoping review of the current literature.
Archives of gynecology and obstetrics, 302(4), 801–819. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-02005685-1
Nederhof, A. J. (1985). Methods of coping with social desirability bias: A review. European journal
of social psychology, 15(3), 263-280.
Parajuli, B. K. (2004). Questionnaire: A Tool of Primary Data Collection. Himalayan Journal of
Sociology and Anthropology, 1, 51-63.
25
Price, P. C., Jhangiani, R., Chiang, I.-C. A., Leighton, D. C., & Cuttler, C. (2017, August 21).
Research methods in psychology. Retrieved from https://opentext.wsu.edu/carriecuttler/chapter/
qualitative-research/
Šebela, A., Hanka, J., & Mohr, P. (2018). Etiology, risk factors, and methods of postpartum
depression prevention. Etiologie, rizikové faktory a metody prevence poporodní deprese. Ceska
gynekologie, 83(6), 468–473.
RealCare Baby 3 Infant Simulator. Retrieved 23 August 2022, from https://www.realityworks.com/
product/realcare-baby-3-infant-simulator/
Small, R., Johnston, V., & Orr, A. (1997). Depression after childbirth: the views of medical students
and women compared. Birth, 24(2), 109-115.
Smorti, M., Ponti, L., & Pancetti, F. (2019). A comprehensive analysis of post-partum depression
risk factors: the role of socio-demographic, individual, relational, and delivery characteristics.
Frontiers in public health, 7, 295.
Srinivasan, K., Satyanarayana, V. and Lukose, A., 2011. Maternal mental health in pregnancy and
child behavior. Indian Journal of Psychiatry, 53(4), p.351. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/
articles/PMC3267349/
Waqas, A., Koukab, A., Meraj, H., Dua, T., Chowdhary, N., Fatima, B. and Rahman, A., 2022.
Screening programs for common maternal mental health disorders among perinatal women:
report of the systematic review of evidence. BMC Psychiatry, 22(1).https://doi.org/10.1186/
s12888-022-03694-9
Waqas, A., Raza, N., Lodhi, H., Muhammad, Z., Jamal, M. and Rehman, A., 2015. Psychosocial
Factors of Antenatal Anxiety and Depression in Pakistan: Is Social Support a Mediator?. PLOS
ONE, 10(1), p.e0116510. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0116510
Wright, K. B. (2005). Researching Internet-based populations: Advantages and disadvantages
of online survey research, online questionnaire authoring software packages, and web survey
services. Journal of computer-mediated communication, 10(3), JCMC1034.
Zautra, A. J. (2003). Emotions, stress, and health. Oxford University Press.
Image Reference List
Cover Page
Female postpartum depression illustration. (n.d.). [Image]. 699pic. Retrieved 23
August 2022, from https://699pic.com/tupian-401866784.html
Persona
Googel Image. Man. [Image]. Retrieved from https://t3.ftcdn.net/
jpg/02/00/90/24/360_F_200902415_G4eZ9Ok3Ypd4SZZKjc8nqJyFVp1eOD6V.
jpg.
Lyric Cook-Morrissey's mom. (2012). [Image]. KCRG. Retrieved from https://
images. app.goo.gl/xs2j89gR1S82wmAi9
Concept Ideas
RealCare Baby 3. (n.d.). [Image]. Realityworks. Retrieved from https://www.
realityworks.com/product/realcare-baby-3-infant-simulator/
Solution for Emotion analysis. (n.d.). [Image]. Noldus. Retrieved from https://
www. noldus.com/applications/emotion-analysis
26
Appendix
Appendix 1 - Market Analysis
Market Analysis
Strategy
Competitor
Market segments
Depression screening during perinatal
and postpartum
Women during pregnancy or
postpartum
A variety of self-report screening
measures for PPD are used in research
and in clinical practice to detect
probable cases of PPD - Through filling
out a well designed depression
checklist, the sore will help both users
and mental professionals determine
what level of support you may require.
World Maternal Mental Health Day
Women during pregnancy or
postpartum, other people that care
about them as well
Since 2016 a multidisciplinary group of
international maternal mental health
activists, academics, clinicians and
people with lived experience are
coming together once a year to raise
awareness of this ever topic to demand
maternal mental health services for all.
It provides a universal platform for
partners worldwide to joint together
and make a impact to raise the
awareness of maternal mental health
issues
Talking to your medicare provider
Women during pregnancy or
postpartum
They will be able to monitor you more
closely for signs of the baby blues and
postpartum depression and intervene if
necessary.
https://screening.mhanational.org/scre
ening-tools/depression/
https://www.beyondblue.org.au/thefacts/anxiety-and-depression-checklistk10
Being aware of
the risk of
maternal mental
health problem
Prevention
Get active
Rest
Social Activity
Physical elements
Physical questionnaire
N/A
Visiting your medicare provider
during regular appointment
Online elements
Accessibility
Online depression test website
Requires online access
Can be accessed through both
screen and phone
Paper checklist also available for
people experiencing
A official website for campaign,
organising global events, sharing
resources, individual story sharing and
also getting global partners
Requires online access
Can be accessed through both
screen and phone
It has facebook and twitter for
social media campaign (# hashtag)
The event will be held each year on
the first Wednesday of May, close
to “Mother’s Day” and “Mental
Health Week” in many countries, so
that more people may come in
touch with the campaign and
aware the pressing issues
N/A
Require professional medicare
services available in the
community
Currently it's group training option
is only available in ROSE BAY
limited capacity for the creche
service depends on the number
nannies available
Option of online program allow
more mum to be involved
Affordability
Successes and failures
The initial screening is free
Most of the checklist that we tested were easy to
follow and fill out. And it is extremely effective in
assessing your level of depression and anxiety for
early diagnosis.
The main drawback is that it is not compulsory in
most of the perinatal and postpartum care
services worldwide
However, many screening checklist were part of
the services provided from different mental
health clinics and online platforms. It is the
question of "which one should I choose" that
troubles users the most.
The website does not have commercial
purpose, people can support through
becoming an advocate or a global
partner.
The WMMHDay succeeded in providing a
universal platform for partners worldwide to joint
together and make an impact to raise the
awareness of maternal mental health issues.
The best part of its website is that it gathers
global resources related to maternal mental
health in one place.
The date was carefully chosen to be close to
those well-known events for women worldwide
And the idea of letting people sharing their own
story of maternal mental health problem is
inviting.
Tho it aims for raising awareness, however the
event itself was rarely heard of in the local
community according to our initial trial user
feedback.
The events were lack of interaction with potential
audience
Highly dependent on the health cover
plan in the specific area
It maybe the most efficient way of seeking
professional opinion and help without putting
extra effort
However, it is highly limited to the local medicare
resources available and health cover plan. It can
be pricy if people need to pay extra for seeking
professional medicare other than general
practices
The price is fairly moderate compare to
other big chain gyms - starting from
23$ /per week
The idea of creating a group exercise place
specially for new mums is novel and thoughtful, it
offers a range of exercise variations and
modifications that cater for all post-natal
concerns.
And through providing a safe, clean, indoor
creche space for the kiddies allow women to step
down from their duty of mum and be themselves
again, even for just 40 mins.
It also provide a place for women to unwind and
connect with other mums. As having a support
network is important.
The drawback of this services is its limitation of
only Rose bay area, the safety concern of its
creche services.
Women during pregnancy or
postpartum
Group exercise for mums
Dedicated creche for the kid
Additional at home options: online
training, physiotherapy, nutrition,
support and tribe of mamma’s from all
over
Attending group training outdoor or
indoor
Creche service
Online training option
Website
Women and men in all stages
The LectroFan Evo offers 10 nonlooping fan sounds and 10 non-looping
white noise variations, as well as two
ocean sounds — “calm” and “surf.” to
facilitate high quality of sleeping time
A physical table-size sound machine
Website
Online traning
Blog
Podcasts
ebook
Hello Fresh
https://www.hellofresh.com.au
Women and men in all stages
HelloFresh is a meal-kit delivery service
designed with flexibility in mind. You
choose the meals you like, and we’ll
deliver the recipes and ingredients you
need to make them at home. Plan
deliveries to fit your schedule so you
can stay flexible
Delivery box
Sealed fresh ingredients
Recipes
Online ordering website
Customer services
Can be accesses via screens or app
via a phone
Can talk to customer services via
email or phone
60$ for 5 receipts that cater for two
people
Youfoodz
Women and men in all stages
Ready to eat food delivery service
Delivery box
Sealed pre-made meals
Online ordering website
Customer services
Can be accessed via screens or app
via a phone
Can talk to customer services via
email or phone
Average below 8$ for each meal
Low price, easy to use
But poor flavour and early expiring meal problem
Roborock S7 Robotic Vacuum and Mop
Cleaner
Women and men in all stages
Robotic Vacuum and Mop Cleaner
Auto-empty dock
Robotic Vacuum
Recharging and cleaning dock
Smart App
999 $ - 1699 $
A robotic vacuum and mop that can empty dust and
clean automatically can significant share the workload
for new parents and allow them some time to
recovery
However the price has stopped a lot of people
benefiting from its services
Also, it may raise safety concern when have young
baby at home that easy to injured by the moving
vacuum.
Fit Mamma
https://www.fitmamma.com.au/
LectroFan Evo White-Noise Sound
Machine
Eat a Healthy Diet
Get help from
others
Functionality
offered
Playgroup NSW
Women and kids
Playgroup NSW supports individuals,
groups and communities to start and
maintain playgroups with insurance,
resources, advice and support.
Playgroups are held at safe, designated
venues (often Council run community
centres)
Information and booking website
Travel size
Does not have internal battery - need to
$ 40
recharge in time (the power cord has a
USB-A connector, so you can plug it into
any USB power source)
Require mobile app to set up and
control remotely
Need to become a member first
Should call before attending the
playgroup to ensure availability
Each playgroup usually charges a small
fee each week to cover venue hire
costs, resources and morning tea. This
is generally around $3 -$5 per session,
but costs differ for each group.
Find a Therapist
Psychotherapy
Women during pregnancy or
postpartum
Active screening and following
treatment based on cooperation
between gynecology-obstetrics and
psychiatry
Face- to -face consulting
Online consulting
Need to have resources of
psychiatrist, psychologist or other
mental health professional.
Need to find the right doctor for
you that suit your situation
Fees depends on health coverage plans
Consider
Medication
Antidepressants.
Women during postpartum
medication for depression
Medication
N/A
Limited by breastfeeding concern -
Fees depends on health coverage plans
Its noise-blocking abilities (Its white noise and fan
sounds “can get loud enough to mask anything,” )
The main drawback of this product is that it is not
suitable for new mums that constantly need to
pay attention to their baby's needs, be alert to
baby cries.
Save time for groceries and ensure your getting
adequate nutrition
New parents may not have time to cook, or not
follow the recipe as instructed which lead to poor
flavour
The freshness of ingredient matters
Playgroups are held at safe, designated venues
(often Council run community centres) designed
to welcome and accommodate children. That
means no parent has to host a group at their
house, or fit strollers into overcrowded coffee
shops. Local volunteers, supported by Playgroup
NSW, also ensure there are toys and resources
for the playgroup, and run lightly structured play
activities so parents/carers and children can learn
together through play.
This solution addresses the needs of getting
connected with community quite well, no obvious
limitations - only feedback is that many of mums
do not aware of the services and some are not
comfortable meeting strangers
Through therapy, you can find better ways to
cope with your feelings, solve problems, set
realistic goals and respond to situations in a
positive way. Sometimes family or relationship
therapy also helps.
However Psychotherapy can be ongoing and
costly in the end and highly depends on the
health coverage plans that are available to the
mum. And finding the right doctor for your
mental health issues sometimes is harder than
finding the Mr right. Mums may not have the
knowledge and resource to find a suitable
treatment plan
Taking medications can effectively control the level of
depression but also raise concerns about side effect
of babies for women who breastfeeding.
27
Appendix 2 - Online Ethnography
Data Source Xiaohongshu
Online Ethnography
Date Record
Data Observation
Interpretation
Female, Experienced Personality reshaping
The role of being a mother impacts women
significantly in both ways
Themes
【1】
”I have changed dramatically psychologically after
our child was born, there are positive impacts and
also negative impacts to me and my family.“
Challenges facing
我有一只小柚子. 23 July 2022.
http://xhslink.com/X4j03i
【2】【3】【4】
“Since our child was born, I often found my life was
tie up. I couldn't help thinking about what if my
child miss me at home when I was out by myself
like shopping, travelling, working...”
"I would consider the possibility of losing my job if I
choose to take a more challenging role."
Set of criteria:
Post within 3 years; China,
both female and male
New mums often put their children's needs and
feeling before their own
Female, Experienced career development barrier
"Mum guilt" makes women difficult to focus on
their own development and push them to sacrifice
more
Online Ethnography
Because they feel responsive to the new born and
therefore tend to play safe
我有一只小柚子. 23 July 2022.
Date Record
Lizzy L. Feb 2021.
http://xhslink.com/X4j03i
【 】【 】【 】【 】【 】
5
6
7
8
9
"I used to be a very optimistic person, but although
my families took good care of me and baby after
birth, I no longer able to enjoy any thing from my
life. I felt an overwhelming sense of loss and
sadness constantly"
Data Observation
Interpretation
YouTube
Themes
【1】37 likes
”I understand and thanks for sharing dears... This
women at least had their families close to
them:mothers friends sisters..... telling them what’s
going on and helping them ... many many of us
don’t have this , more so during Covid times...
thanks baby center for doing this...“
Overwhelming sense of loss and sadness
"I stopped expecting the future, lost my passion
about travelling, reading and writing...my life is
meaningless to me now."
"Although I never thought about end my life, but
sometimes I just wish such meaningless days will
not carry on any more."
Data Source
Popular attitudes to postnatal depression
New mums are less comfortable stepping outside
of their comfort zone
"And also, I felt strong sense of guilt if I use my
weekends for short courses instead of keeping her
accompany."
Feel life is meaningless
Female with 1 child, have family support her after
birth, experienced postnatal depression
Stopped look forward to tomorrow
Challenges facing
Refuse to make contact in any way
Because of the Covid-19, she had no close family
members who could help her after giving birth, but
baby Center offers help.
Female, Public review
She hopes mothers could share more of their
stories and stop feeling ashamed of postnatal
depression
Popular attitudes to postnatal depression
She was unaware of her serious psychological
problems until she had her third child.
pain point
Female, Public review
Postnatal depression is still misunderstood and she
wishes more people could share their experiences
about it.
Popular attitudes to postnatal depression
Female, Experienced postnatal depression, Sleep
deprivation
The correlation between not getting enough sleep
and postnatal depression
Causes of postnatal depression
Female, Suffering from severe postnatal
depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder,
anxiety, anger and suicidal thoughts
Not getting enough sleep and lack of husband's
company
Causes of postnatal depression
Data Observation
Interpretation
Themes
existing solutions
challenges facing
embeytey. Aug 2021.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=c1FlrDJvN7I&lc=UgzFsMZnIa2DqoqH70Z4AaABAg
【2】72 likes
Easy to ignore the serious impact to life until it is
too late
"I feel repulsive to any kind of touching, not even a
pat on by shoulder or arm..."
，
Female, Experienced postnatal depression No
close family member
“I could only hope that there is no more shame
around postpartum depression. I'm glad these
women were able to share their stories and help
other women who are suffering in silence.”
"The worst part of postpartum depression was the
ignorance from mums themselves and also others
that often lead to long-term suffering."
Lizzy L. Feb 2021.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=c1FlrDJvN7I&lc=UgzFsMZnIa2DqoqH70Z4AaABAg
大思
Joy
. 16 Sep 2021.
http://xhslink.com/tRy13i
【3】9 likes
【10】【11】【12】【13】
"Hello beautiful women and mommas. My kids are
teenagers now, but I was officially diagnosed with
PPD after my third child was born, only to realize I
also had it after the other two and had no idea!
The suffering and feelings of loneliness and
confusion terrified me."
"It was not easy to find the right mental health
professionals in China or overseas...the timezone
differences, the high fees etc."
Mental health professional services are often pricy
"I ended up find a women's health clinic that have
specialist in the postpartum depression."
Female with 1 child, have family support her after
birth, experienced postnatal depression
“The Female hormone specialist asked to fill in a
questionnaire that marks up the level of
depression and designed a treatment plan mixed
with hormone injection and Talk therapy."
Low level of Progesterone is the most common
reason for postpartum depression
Reason behind depression
Solutions and limitations
treatment plan mixed with hormone injection and
Talk therapy is quite effective
Konrad, J. Apr 2022.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=c1FlrDJvN7I&lc=UgzFsMZnIa2DqoqH70Z4AaABAg
【4】239 likes
"So good to hear as many mothers as possible
share their personal stories of postpartum
depression; it's still so misunderstood and I really
appreciated your video xxx"
"Low level of Progesterone is the most common
reason for postpartum depression for women"
大思
Female with 3 children.
She experienced postnatal depression and now
creating a program to help women navigate real
self-care and lifestyle changes that truly support
their needs and will continue to serve them
through life.
SJ Strum. Aug 2021.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10Z712B1fOA
Joy
. 16 Sep 2021.
http://xhslink.com/tRy13i
【5】289 likes
"This is exactly why it upsets me so much when
people demonize sleep training. No parent wants
to hear their child cry, but when your sleep
deprived to the point that you don’t even want to
BE AROUND YOUR KID, something needs to
change. Sleep is so important and such a big part
of your mental state!"
【 】【 】【 】【 】
14
15
16
17
"I was having trouble fall asleep even when I am
already tired."
Poor quality of sleep impact women's mental and
physical health
"Breast feeding has limited the options of my
meals everyday and I no longer enjoy eating."
"I would response intensely to my partner for tiny
things that did not follow my will."
Female with 1 child, being isolated with her partner
since child born without extra help
Breast feeding may cause negative impact on
women's daily life
Vulnerable relationship btw new parents
Relationship between new parents are vulnerable
after child born
"Even if I can, I just do not want try to harder
change my life status. I felt being wronged all the
time."
Reason behind depression
http://xhslink.com/ybJ33i
【18】【19】【20】
"I have been arguing with my husband constantly
when isolating at home with him only."
"He was in charge of cooking, housework, diaper
change, I only needed to do breast feeding, but I
still experienced depression for a long time."
"I did not aware that I was suffered from
postpartum depression, neither as my husband."
懒婷婷 30 Mar 2022
http://xhslink.com/ybJ33i
Being isolated and stay in the same room at all
times
Female with 1 child, being isolated with her partner
since child born without extra help
Partners actively participated in parenting and
housework
【5】11 likes
“After having my child, I quickly learned that you
cannot judge the thoughts other mothers had
when they were struggling with pp mental illness. I
suffered severely from pp OCD, anxiety, and rage
and the horrible thoughts I had made me terrified
of what the real hell is like. I truly was living as close
to hell on earth as possible. Life was just going
through the motions to survive. Same thing; 2hrs
sleep every night, no help, husband working
nonstop without another choice. I sympathize with
you so much. Not many of us have experienced
this level of torture.”
Women experienced depression can not pick up
themselves to make change
懒婷婷 30 Mar 2022
Paloma S. Aug 2021.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10Z712B1fOA
challenges facing
challenges facing
solution
Gretchen Summer. Aug 2022.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10Z712B1fOA
New table
The awareness of depression is the first step of
recovering
Date Record
【6】93 likes
“I’m a year late but I’m so glad I found this. I
suffered from PPD for months after I had my
second baby. It’s started about 3 months
postpartum. I felt alone, isolated, and extremely
irritable...like a rage. Eventually I started having
suicidal thoughts It was awful. I stood in my closet
with my husbands gun to my head. I was going to
do it, but I heard my son coming up the stairs
calling for me. Thank God! My husband tried
everything to get me help, but I was so scared they
would take my kids. These feelings progressed and
I began cutting myself. I also began having terrible
thoughts toward my daughter. Tears are rolling
down my face as I write this. Eventually I saw my
GP and he was incredible. He hugged me and told
me I wasn’t alone. I was placed on a low dose
medication and it worked! I began to see a
psychiatrist and talk therapist monthly and it
helped me immensely. It’s been almost 2 years
since and thinking back on that time brings such
guilt and shame but I know I made it. My kids have
their mama and my husband has his wife. Ladies,
please don’t suffer, there is help out there!”
She was violently angry after childbirth and had
severe suicidal tendencies.
existing solutions
Female, Experienced severe postnatal depression
Recovered by taking low doses of medication and
counselling by a psychiatrist.
Brenna R. Aug 2020.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fd130O67nlo
【7】81 likes
“I always thought PPD was bs and that’s only a
terrible person would feel they way they do after
birth, but with my fiancé being pregnant I’ve been
doing a lot of research and it makes me sad that
the stigma exist. I still don’t understand how the
human brain could do that to a mother, but as a
suicide attempt survive to know our brain is wack
heck. Glad there are women speaking up about it
so I can learn.“
Male, His partner experienced PPD
He had misconceptions about depression and it
was only after his fiancée became pregnant and
experienced postnatal depression that he became
concerned about the problem and discovered its
seriousness
Female, Experienced postnatal depression
She believes that watching scary films exacerbates
her psychological problems and that watching
happy programmes will alleviate this problem
existing solutions
Male, His wife experienced PPD
His wife is experiencing postnatal depression and
feels no affection for their daughter. He needs
more access to understand ppd and to help his
wife.
pain point
Men do not understand postnatal depression
CoyoteStalker. Aug 2022.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_3NlTtybIA
【8】65 likes
“So glad people are talking about the anxiety as
well as depression. I realised that scary/dramatic
tv shows and movies were adding to my anxieties.
I was WAY more sensitive to it all than normal. I
recommend only watching fluffy happy kinda
shows if you’re feeling v anxious! ☺”
Emily. Aug 2019.
https://chayoutube.com/watch?v=703PgA95WCQ
【9】65 likes
“My wife has mentioned that she doesn't feel a
bond with our 10 month old daughter. She feels
like she's a burden on us, that my daughter and I
would be better off with her as a mom who is
pretty much estranged if you will. She's not
thinking suicide, or harming our daughter. We have
spoken about this. She won't do therapy or
anything. It's pretty much on me to figure it out, so
that I can help the love of my life.
The alone need, the disconnect, mood swings. Not
crying or anything.
I have been watching your videos ever since I
found out we were pregnant. I'm so glad I found
this video. Please if there is anything else ? I need
to help my love.
Thank you, we love your videos!”
Ric T. 49. Jun 2019.
chayoutube.com/watch?v=703PgA95WCQ
28
Appendix 2 - Online Ethnography
Data Source
New table
Data Source
Babytree
Babytree
New table
Date Record
Data Observation
Interpretation
Themes
Date Record
Data Observation
Interpretation
Themes
Female
Baby's cries and lack of sleep make her feel
devastated
Causes of postnatal depression
Female
She was alone with the baby, and her husband
didn't understand. Physical and mental exhaustion
made her emotionally devastated.
Causes of postnatal depression
【10】32 likes
“I am a sahm, we have a 3 year old and a 1 year
old. My biggest tips for sahms are: find a MOPS
group or a mommy group, exercise (either walking
w the stroller, workout at gym with daycare,
exercise at home during nap time), drink a lot of
water, and use magnesium spray or lotion. I have
noticed huge improvements physically and
emotionally since upping my water intake and
using a magnesium spray everyday.”
【19】9/30/2014
Female, Has two kids, Experienced postnatal
depression
She made the negative emotions less intense by
joining a mum's group, exercising, taking naps,
drinking more water and using a magnesium spray
or lotion.
existing solutions
I cried aggrievedly, and I don't know why, the tears
flowed involuntarily, and I also felt that when this
day was over! I don't have a good rest. My baby has
a stomachache because of taking the medicine for
jaundice, and he likes to cry. When I hear the baby
cry, my head hurts! I still regret having a baby now.
The more my husband coaxes me, the more I cry!
Stefanie Medina. Aug 2019.
chayoutube.com/watch?v=703PgA95WCQ
【20】02/04/2021
【11】16/09/2016
I can't adapt to the new role of being a mother. I
feel very tired. Although the baby is very good, I still
want to cry. I feel that I can't see the future and
there is no end.
Female
She couldn't adjust to being a mother
pain point
【12】18/11/2014
I'm in the same boat. I got married in May this year
and had my baby in November. My husband was
with me all the time before I had the baby, but on
the third day after I gave birth, my husband went
out to work. The two of us have not been alone
since the baby was born. My mother-in-law slept
with me and had to take care of the baby, so I
didn't have any privacy to call my husband. I felt
like the focus was off of me after the baby was
born, and it was hard because I had a c-section. I
was so depressed that my partner couldn't stay
with me that I cried under the covers several times
at night.
Female
Her husband was not able to be with her after the
birth, which made her very miserable.
Female
Poor relationships with family members in the
postnatal period
I'm also very depressed, my baby is 21 days old, I
really can't hold on anymore. Various negative
emotions of upset, worry, fear. My husband is not
around, and I feel that he doesn't love me and my
children. I really want to get a divorce, disappear
and give him the child to let him feel my hard work
every day. He only knows how to measure love
with money. I just hope that he can accompany me
and my child more when I need him. The child is
not mine alone. New mothers have not yet entered
the state of many things. Since the baby was born, I
haven't slept well for a whole day. I breastfeed,
change diapers every day, and my hands are about
to break. At night, I am afraid, I am afraid that the
child will cry and get sick. Now I really regret having
a child with all my life. If I had known that I would
never have a child for the rest of my life.
pain point
Online Ethnography resources from reddit
【13】2/2/2015
I cried every day because of postpartum
depression. The worst decision was to let my
mother-in-law and mother take care of the
confinement.
pain point
Date Record
【13】17/1/2021
I'm postpartum depressed, can't sleep at all, always
have panic attacks and chest congestion and
insomnia! Sometimes I can only sleep for about an
hour a day, sometimes 3 or 4 hours! I can't control
my emotions! I feel like there is no point in living!
Female
Sleep deprivation exacerbated her postnatal
depression
Causes of postnatal depression
Data Observation
Interpretation
Themes
nervous, unbelievable
Nervousness despite knowing she is healthy.
Postpartum Depression Symptoms
"So much that it hurts feeling so upset and suicidal.
It’s progressively gotten worse over the past few
weeks and I’m at a point now where I’m
rationalizing the reasons why I should do it. I know
I need to get help but I feel like it’s too late, I also
don’t want to be ridiculed. I just hate myself so
much to begin with and the fact that I feel this way
makes me hate myself even more. I just want to be
a good mom and be happy for him I don’t know
why it’s so hard."
https://www.reddit.com/r/Postpartum_Depression/
comments/wjtznu/vent/
upset, pain, need help, hate herself, don't want to
be ridiculed
Knowing she needs help but afraid that's too late.
afraid to seek help
"I love my baby so much and she makes me so
happy. But i am also sad all the time. I feel a bit of
joy when i get time for myself, which isn’t a lot. But
then i feel a lot of guilt for feeling so free when i’m
not around her. My children are the only reason i
am still around, my commitment to them and
unconditional love for them. But i am once again
living for somebody else. I am forced everyday to
be there for somebody else. My daily life is on auto
pilot. I am sacrificing finding myself and doing
something for myself so that when my daughter is
older she can have options. I am willing to lose
myself, which i slowly am, if it means that she will
grow up to be a strong, confident, and free thinking
woman. But i am sad all the time. I pray multiple
times a day that this is just a phase and that one
day i will wake up and be happy again. She
deserves the world and i will make sure she knows
she is loved and cared for. But right now i am sad
all the time."
https://www.reddit.com/r/Postpartum_Depression/
comments/wi5pr3/im_sad_all_the_time/
sad, feel guilty, feel her living for somebody else,
lose herself
She sacrificed herself for the children to have more
choices in the future, and felt that she lost herself
for the children, but feel guilty for feeling so free
when leaving her kids.
want to be happy again
"I’m beyond exhausted. I even opened my incision
because I don’t have any help and it’s only me
taking care of my son.
i’m starting to get severely depressed. i’m having
bad thoughts like i wish something bad would
happen to me so i could have a break. all i want is
to sleep. i am constantly crying my heart out every
time i have to wake up at night with him. i get so
angry with him. i pray out loud to god begging him
to let my child sleep.
this is all going down hill. i just don’t see a light at
the end of the tunnel anymore. this is horrible.
having a child is the worst decision i have ever
made."
https://www.reddit.com/r/Postpartum_Depression/
comments/wa7k4k/im_feeling_depressed/
exhausted, have bad thoughts, want to have a
break, angry with her child, feel horrible
Lack of help, wanting to rest, feeling having a baby
was the worst thing she'd ever done.
lack of help
"Hi, I’m 5months postpartum. Lately I’ve just been
feeling down and anxious about every little thing.
Last night, I had a conversation with my partner
and he expressed how he’s running low on his
patience with me about my negativity. And he
would like to see me take our daughter out on daily
adventures. But truth is, I’m too tired to actually
take my daughter anywhere that’s not the park
down the street. "
https://www.reddit.com/r/Postpartum_Depression/
comments/w7ybth/idk_anymore/
anxious with everything, feeling down Have
negative emotions, tried
Anxious about everything, her husband lost
patience with her. Too tired to take the kids out on
adventures.
challenge she faced
"I’m so sleep deprived after pregnancy and caring
for him. I feel like I’m going crazy. Last night I had
an episode at 2 am while baby was crying that I
thought my falling hair was so irritating I started
scratching my scalp uncontrollably till I was
bleeding, and next thing I know I cut my ponytail
off, ugh. Yes just snipped it off. I don’t know why I
feel the urge to do this."
https://www.reddit.com/r/Postpartum_Depression/
comments/w7ca9d/should_i_see_a_therapist/
going crazy, uncontrollably, urge, Troublesome
Severe sleep deprivation after pregnancy and
childbirth, causing your baby to do things when she
cries that she wouldn't otherwise do.
Postpartum Depression Symptoms
"I feel distant and disconnected. My daughter cries
and I feel annoyed instead of feeling empathetic. I
used to get upset and run to her everytime she’d
cry. Now I ignore her and get frustrated with her
bothering me....Someone please help. I don’t like
this shell of a person I’ve become. I feel so cold and
distant and annoyed all the time. "
https://www.reddit.com/r/Postpartum_Depression/
comments/w0zojk/i_feel_horrible/
feel annoyed, frustrated, need help, don't like
current situation
Feeling a loss of empathy while caring for a child,
feeling frustrated, and feeling disconnected from
the child. Unsatisfied with this state
unsatisfied with current state
"I want to shoot myself in the head but i dont want
to emotionally scar everyone in my household by
seeing that.
I am really not doing well. Every day it gets even
worse than the day before it. I know it wont last
forever but the guns in the next room tempt me
with an easy exit from my pain."
https://www.reddit.com/r/Postpartum_Depression/
comments/vzvhl2/i_want_to_kill_myself/
painful, hide her emotion, want to suicide
She doesn't want to let her negative emotions
affect the emotions of other family members, and
be found. Has suicidal tendencies.
Has severe symptoms and want to resolve
"I can’t tell if I’m dealing with ppd and ppa , my
obgyn wants me on meds but I don’t wanna take it
cause some days I good others I can feel the
anxiety and disconnect from people and the
intrusive thoughts. Is it off and on for anyone else?
I can’t tell if how I’m feeling is normal mom stuff or
ppd"
https://www.reddit.com/r/Postpartum_Depression/
comments/vuvvii/i_cant_tell_if_im_dealing_with_pp
d_and_ppa_my/
refuse take medicine, anxiety
Not sure if I'm in a normal state and want help but
don't want to take medication.
Confused about having postpartum depression
"No thoughts of harming myself or baby. But I have
been feeling very panicky out of nowhere. Panic
attacks, loss of appetite, nervous knot feeling in
stomach, feelings of impending doom, worried I’m
going crazy during those attacks he and then
feelings of inadequacy, guilt, sadness, and
hopelessness. I’m also Anxious when out and
about some of the time."
https://www.reddit.com/r/Postpartum_Depression/
comments/vn70l4/postpartum_depressionanxiety/
panic, uncomfortable, anxious, worrried
Feeling panicked for no reason. There are a lot of
negative emotions and the fear of losing control.
Despite this, there is no idea of harming herself
and her children.
worry about the negative emotions
" I was suffering bad from PPD/PPA already due to
triggers of preeclampsia and postpartum
hemorrhage in my first pregnancy. I honestly can’t
believe this is happening. I know I’m in the right
place for my health but I can’t help but feel so
nervous. "
https://www.reddit.com/r/Postpartum_Depression/
comments/wkn2ls/10_days_postpartum_developed
_preeclampsia/
New table
Date Record
Data Observation
Interpretation
Themes
Female
Deal with depression by talking to a therapist,
exercising, and doing yoga
existing solutions
【14】8/17/2019
Depression is really scary, I can't control myself. I
was a little depressed when I was pregnant. I often
go to chat with my psychiatrist now, and I obviously
feel much better. You can also exercise, do yoga,
which can help calm.
【15】9/18/2019
I was quite depressed after giving birth, and I heard
the doctor say that the placenta was separated
leading to a hormonal imbalance. Now that my
baby is almost nine months old, I only have to take
care of the baby at night and on holidays, so
basically the depression is gone. New mums can
make friends with more mums and talk to each
other to distract themselves.
Female
She thinks that other people helping to look after
the children and making friends with other
mothers can make the mood better.
existing solutions
【16】3/17/2017
The best way is to talk to your husband more and
confide in him more. I was the same way in the
month after I had my baby, I was irritable all day
long, I didn't like anything, I was angry, I wasn't very
close to my child, I felt like I was becoming a
psychopath, then once I had a fight with my
husband, I told him all my worries, all kinds of
discontent and unhappiness. I was so much better
when I said it, and my husband got a lot better
when he heard what I had to say.
Female
She believes that communicating with her partner
is the best way to address negative emotions.
existing solutions
【17】04/12/2019
I've been depressed. I'm on my own taking care of
the kids and it's exhausting. I've been thinking
about why I got married and had children.
Female
Not having anyone to help her with the children
has left her feeling exhausted.
Causes of postnatal depression
Female
She felt like no one cared about her, and she
couldn't cope with postpartum depression herself.
pain point
【18】
I feel depressed too, I went to the mental health
hospital but no one cares about me. When I'm
having a hard time, I just get through it on my own.
Sometimes I really don't think there's much
point. I want to be strong, but I don't have the
energy and don't know what to do. In the end, I
get more depressed and disappointed in myself.
，
29
Appendix 2 - Online Ethnography
Data Source from:
美柚(记录大姨妈以及孕期状态的App) https://www.meiyou.com/enterprise#brief
Date Record
Data Observation
Interpretation
Themes
"I think I was prenatally depressed. My mood is very
unstable, and I want to cry when I encounter a little
thing. Before the pregnancy, my husband said that if I
was pregnant, he wouldn't let me do the housework
even if I wanted to. But when I was really pregnant, he
thought I was lazy, saying that I only knew how to eat
and play, and didn't do anything."
Female
Some manifestations of prenatal depression and
the emotional effects of a partner'
Depression symptoms during pregnancy
"I feel like my world is crumbling, depression weighs
me down, I always feel like I'm superfluous, and their
focus is the baby never cared about me. I always burst
into tears for no apparent reason, and I was not
interested in anything. Sometimes I wonder what
would happen if I didn't have a baby."
Female, Posting for help at 23 weeks pregnant
Some manifestations of prenatal depression
Depression symptoms during pregnancy
"3 signs of postpartum depression: 1. Depressed
mood, 2. Exhaustion, 3. Insomnia. If mothers have
the above three situations after giving birth, please
pay attention, this may be the performance of
postpartum depression, and you must take
measures to deal with it in time. Families, especially
husbands, should give mothers more care and
love."
Female
Some manifestations of prenatal depression
Symptoms and Prevention of Pregnancy
Depression
Data Source from:
美柚创办于2013年，是⼀家移动互联⽹⾏
业的国家⾼新技术企业，从经期⼯具APP起
步，逐步发展成为⼥性⽣活服务提供商。
通过不断挖掘⼥性⽤户需求，持续开发并
运营围绕⼥性⽣活的各类移动应⽤产品。
公司总部位于厦门，在北京、上海、⼴
州、杭州、成都等地设有分公司。 美柚旗
下的移动互联⽹软件包括美柚、宝宝记、
柚⼦街等丰富的产品矩阵，为⼴⼤⼥性⽤
户提供全⾯的健康管理、知识科普、线上
购物、互联⽹医疗等服务。
微博
https://www.zhihu.com/
Date Record
www.meiyou.com
Data Source from:
知乎
Data Observation
Interpretation
Themes
Obstetrician
Focus on male emotional development. They also
have a lot of stress and need to go through a role
change after becoming a new father
Postpartum depression in men
"Raising children is not tiring to do, but every little
thing is random. The biggest attribute of a child before
the age of three is that all behaviors are
uncontrollable, and as a parent, it is completely
unclear why the child is crying. You have to maintain a
high level of mental stress at all times and not let the
child out of sight. You don't know what time your child
wakes up at night. In a state of high disorder for a
long time, it will be easier to fall into a state of mental
depression."
Freelance, Full-time dad
Being in a state of emergency with a high degree of
disorder and high tension for a long time will make
people more prone to mental depression
Some causes of postpartum depression
"I have to wake up every two hours at night, and
during the day I still need to pay attention to the
crying of the child at all times. After more than half
a year, I started to lose sleep often, as if I was ready
to fight at any time. After sleeping for an hour or
two, I would wake up, repeating this over and over
again, very much like being tortured and not
allowed to sleep. It's so easy to get depressed. I
really want to throw my child in the trash when I'm
so tired...what a horrible thought."
Full-time dad
Poor sleep leads to poor mental health - prone to
depression
Some causes of postpartum depression
"Persistent self-loathing. I'm not interested in anything,
especially I hate my daughter so much. When she
cries, I go crazy and cover my daughter's mouth and
nose several times. I want to die every day, I feel so
happy to die."
Female, Engineer
Severe postpartum depression, and some selfreported symptoms
postpartum depression symptoms
"I was depressed because of physical reasons. I
weighed 52kg before pregnancy and gained 40kg after
pregnancy. What's even more disgusting is the stretch
marks, which are dense and unsightly like a spider's
web. I used to like swimming very much, but after
giving birth, I no longer have the courage to go
swimming with my friends. Inexplicably, I feel very
wronged and sad, and I cry every day..."
Female
self-reported symptoms
(Depression due to physical factors such as body
out-of-shape)
postpartum depression symptoms
"It's really so scary. When a mother-to-be is pregnant,
she is cared for in every possible way, but after giving
birth, everyone will give some of the love to the child.
At this time, the mother will have a very large
psychological gap in her heart and will doubt herself.
Due to factors such as body changes and improper
pelvic floor muscle recovery, they have a very high
chance of suffering from depression."
Male, Psychologist
Explain the causes of postpartum depression from
a professional perspective
Some causes of postpartum depression
"I was depressed the day I had my baby. My father-inlaw never knew that he should avoid me while I was
breastfeeding. My mother-in-law was dedicated to
taking care of the baby, and my husband spent the
rest of his time playing games except washing clothes
and bottles. The three of them are like tourists in the
zoo. They take pictures when the baby is good, and
they can't help with other things. They put me further
and further down the path of depression."
Female
Depression caused by family
members/environment
Some causes of postpartum depression
"Whether it is a man or a woman, whether pregnant
or non-pregnant. Emotions, like our hair and nails, are
not just part of the body, they all grow and fall out.
Accepting its existence is the healthiest state of mind,
and if you put the blame on others, you are most likely
going the wrong way."
Female, PhD in Marriage and Family Psychology
Accept the presence of negative emotions. positive
regulation
Emotional problems are most related to self, not
others
The importance of self-regulation
"Go outside in the sun. It can quickly increase the
levels of 5-Hydroxytryptamine and dopamine in the
body that make us feel good. The modulating effect of
sunlight on them is comparable to that produced by
antidepressants. For women who have irregular life
during pregnancy and postpartum and sleep rhythm
disorders, more sun exposure can improve mood,
regulate biological rhythms, and improve their own
immunity."
Female, PhD in Marriage and Family Psychology
The modulating effect of sunlight is comparable to
that produced by antidepressants
Manage depression during pregnancy or
postpartum's solution
"Write down or doodle all the unhappy things in the
way you are used to, no matter where it is written. The
process of writing has already helped you to sort out
inwardly, 15 minutes a day, as long as you stick to it
for 4 days, it will be very different."
Female, PhD in Marriage and Family Psychology
Express emotions by writing or graffiti. The process
of writing is the process of sorting out emotions
Manage depression during pregnancy or
postpartum's solution
"With a good family atmosphere and a safe and
comfortable postpartum life, you may not be
depressed, but your husband may be. Some new
fathers do not want to bring other troubles to their
lover, and may try to cover up their hard work and
sadness at work or their anxiety and loss due to their
role changing. Therefore, both parents of newborns
need to strengthen communication and mutual
understanding..."
https://m.weibo.cn/
Date Record
"I am 35 weeks pregnant. The most
uncomfortable moment has also arrived, the
body is clumsy, and it is breathless after
walking a few steps. The mood is suddenly very
unstable, easily sad, and easily excited. I can be
depressed all day or even cry over a small
thing. I can't control it and I don't want to
control it."
"I have been a little anxious lately, more and
more anxious to be exact. It is a fear of an
unknown life-state change that is about to
come. Others are postpartum depression, I
think I may have been depressed before
pregnancy. I learned ahead of time some of the
symptoms that can occur in early pregnancy.
But I'm still very afraid that my husband will
think I'm being hypocritical when I'm
uncomfortable during pregnancy. I want to
know how to go on the next road so as not to
feel too wronged myself."
Data Observation
Female, Share weekly pregnancy journal on
online platforms
Female
"Going to a confinement center after giving
birth can greatly reduce the risk of
postpartum depression. I slept well and
recovered well. The confinement center is
the most correct choice for me after giving
birth."
Female, Calligraphy blogger
"I think I may be suffering from pregnancy
depression. I've been unhappy lately because
I'm bored. Another feeling is that people don't
love me anymore. I also don't want to
communicate with people, the only thought
now is to travel by myself, or stay in one place
alone and see no one."
Female
Interpretation
some symptoms of postpartum depression
Anxiety before pregnancy,
Anxiety about the unknown state of life and
upcoming changes
Confinement center is an effective way to
prevent postpartum depression
Themes
Depression symptoms during pregnancy
Anxiety before pregnancy
Prevention method
Symptoms of depression during pregnancy,
and self feelings
Depression symptoms during pregnancy
"I had postpartum depression when I had my
second child. Mainly due to hormones and a
small living environment. There was not enough
room to live in, my parents came to help with
the second child, and the house suddenly
became crowded. I didn’t adjust my mentality
and became depressed. I went to work after
two months of maternity leave. Fortunately, I
slowly came out of my work."
Female, Mother of two children
Postpartum depression in the second child
due to living environment. Recover slowly
during work
Prevention method
"Weight control during pregnancy. Too fast
weight gain will stretch out stretch marks,
irreversible, and will bring risks when giving
birth. The postpartum weight loss will also be
very painful. The sooner you know, the less you
suffer."
Female, Well-known mother and child
parenting blogger
Weight control during pregnancy will bring
many benefits, and it can also effectively
avoid some negative emotions
Prevention of postpartum depression
Female, Well-known mother and child
parenting blogger
With the help of professional people or
institutions, help her recover better and
spend the most difficult month after giving
birth happier.
"If economic conditions permit, painless
injections must be given when giving birth. Try
to hire a babysitter or go to a professional
recovery agency. Let the husband take care of
the baby. If there is only one person in the
hospital to accompany you, then the husband
must be chosen. These can make you suffer less
after giving birth and have a good mood."
Prevention of postpartum depression
30
Appendix 3 - Online Survey
Questionnaire Questions
1.What's your age?
under18;18-25;26-35;36-45;over 45
2.What's your education background?
High school and below; college; undergraduate; postgraduate; doctoral student; other (fill in the blank)
What' s your gender?
Male/Other
3.What' s your gender?
Female
4. Are you currently
working?
Yes (what is your occupation
- fill in the blank)
Are you currently working?
No
24. Your partner's current status
pregnant; delivered
5. Do you plan to work in
the near future?
25. Which of the following emotions did you experience during your partner's
pregnancy (multiple choices)
Anxiety; Depressed; Vulnerable; Fearful; Confused; Worried; Lonely; Sad;
Angry; Helpless; Other please list them
6. Are you pregnant or have recently given birth?
Pregnant
Are you pregnant or have recently given birth?
given birth
7. What stage of pregnancy are you in now?
1-3 months; 4-6 months; 7-9 months; about to give birth
13.How many children do you have?
0 1 2 3 over 3
8. Have you received regular obstetric examinations?
Yes/No
14.How satisfied you are with your
current life with children
1-10
9. Do you usually go alone or accompanied by someone during the
prenatal check-up?
Alone; accompanied by someone
10. Your satisfaction during pregnancy
1-10
；；；；
15. If you are not satisfied, what are the possible reasons? (multiple
choice)
Unwell; stress at work; caring for a newborn; caring for multiple
children; other children not comfortable with the arrival of a newborn;
lack of sleep; dissatisfaction with self; disagreement with partner;
disagreement with family; financial stress; other (please list reasons
except these - fill in the blank)
（
）
26. How often you feel these emotions
daily; several times a week; several times a month; rarely
27. Under what circumstances do you experience mood swings
most often (multiple choices)?
When accompanied by a partner during routine obstetrics; when
alone; when with a partner; when with a family member; at
work;other(fill in blank)
28.Is there any way to make you feel better
Yes
12. Which of the following emotions did you experience
during pregnancy (multiple choices)
Anxiety; Depressed; Vulnerable; Fearful; Confused;
Worried; Lonely; Sad; Angry; Helpless; Hopeful; Enjoying;
Indifferent; Other(list them)
12. Which of the following emotions did you experience during pregnancy
(multiple choices)
Anxiety; Depressed; Vulnerable; Fearful; Confused; Worried; Lonely; Sad;
Angry; Helpless; Hopeful; Enjoying; Indifferent; Other(list them)
16. Which of the following negative emotions have you experienced
recently (multiple choice)
Anxiety; Depressed; Vulnerable; Fearful; Confused; Worried; Lonely;
Sad; Angry; Helpless; Other(fill in blank)
17. Under what circumstances do you experience mood swings most
often (multiple choices)?
caring for a child; alone; with a partner; with a family member; at work;
facing separation from a child; other (please list reasons other than
these - fill in the blank)
20. What methods have you tried to help yourself (multiple choice)
Medication; psychotherapy; talking to others; sports; hobbies; social
activities; others helping with housework, childcare, etc.; selfimprovement; other(fill in blank)
.Is there any way to make you feel better
No
33. Why do you feel unable to relieve these emotions (multiple
choice)?
I feel that it doesn’t matter; I feel that psychological treatment
cannot solve the problem; It has little impact on life; I don’t
want to communicate with others and refuse treatment; Others
(other reasons - fill in the blank)
30.. How effective do you think these methods are
1-10 (completely ineffective - very effective)
18. How often you feel these emotions
daily; several times a week; several times a month; rarely
19.Is there any way to make you feel better?
Yes
20. What methods have you tried to help
yourself (multiple choice)
Medication; psychotherapy; talking to others;
sports; hobbies; social activities; others helping
with housework, childcare, etc.; selfimprovement; other(fill in blank)
21. How effective do you think these methods are
1-10 (completely ineffective - very effective)
Is there any way to make you feel better?
no
23. Why do you feel unable to relieve these emotions?
I feel that it doesn’t matter;
I feel that psychotherapy cannot solve the problem;
It has little impact on my life;
I don’t want to communicate with others and refuse
treatment;
0-7
31. Why do you think these methods are
ineffective?
8-10
32. What do you think is the most
effective method for you?
34. Which of the following emotions do you think your partner has
experienced (multiple choices)
Anxiety; Depressed; Vulnerable; Fearful; Confused; Worried; Lonely; Sad;
Helpless; other (please list other emotions besides these - fill in the blank);
no particular mood swings
35. What did you do to help your partner during her pregnancy
(multiple choices)
Provide financial support; listen and compliment; share household
chores; be patient; create small surprises; pay attention and comfort
in time; encourage partner to seek professional help for emotional
problems; browse the web for ways to help partner; other (please list)
Other things you do besides these - fill in the blanks)
22. Why do you think these methods are
ineffective?
36.Do you think you are effective at helping your partner get through
pregnancy difficulties?
Yes
37. Why do you think your help is effective? Please describe~
39. Thank you for supporting our project and filling out
this questionnaire! If you are interested in accepting
follow-up interviews and telling us your story, please
leave your contact information and we will contact
you~Thank you~
Do you think you are effective at helping your partner get through
pregnancy difficulties?
No
38. What is the reason why you failed to help your partner effectively
(multiple choice)?
I think she can recover on her own; busy making money, no time;
don't want to bother her for fear of aggravating her anxiety; don't
know how to help her, didn't try; she's grumpy and doesn't want to
communicate with her; Other reasons - fill in the blank)
31
Appendix 3 - Online Survey
What's your age?
Have you received regular obstetric
examinations?
Yes
No
Under 18
Do you usually go alone or
accompanied by someone during
the prenatal check-up?
Alone
Accompanied by
someone (Fill blank)
Over 45
What's your education background?
Your satisfaction during pregnancy
High school and below
College
Dissatisfied
Undergraduate
Postgraduate
Doctoral student
Other (Fill blank)
What's your gender?
Male
Female
Very satisfied
If you are not satisfied, what are
the possible reasons?
Are you currently working?
Unwell
Yes (Occupation?)
Stress at work
No
Dissatisfied with yourself
Worry about your child's health
Worry about the child's future
Do you plan to work in the near future?
Worry about job development
Partnership
Yes
Family stress
No
Lack of company
Can't find a good hospital/doctor
Unpleasant pregnancy test
Economic pressure
Others (Fill blank)
Pregnant
Given birth
Which of the following emotions did
you experience during pregnancy
What stage of pregnancy are you in now?
1-3 months
4-6 months
7-9 months
About to give birth
Anxiety
Depressed
Vulnerable
Fearful
Confused
Worried
Lonely
Sad
Angry
Helpless
Hopeful
Enjoying
Indifferent
Other (List them)
How many children do you have?
Over 3
32
Appendix 3 - Online Survey
What methods have you tried
to help yourself?
Medication
Psychotherapy
Talkiing to others
How satisfied you are with your current life
with chidren
Dissatisfied
Sports
Hobbies
Social activities
Others helping with
housework, childcare...
Self-improvement
Others (Fill in blank)
How effective do you think these
methods are
Completely ineffective
Very satisfied
If you are not satisfied, what are the possible
reasons?
Unwell
Stress at work
Caring for a newborn
Caring for multiple children
Very effective
Other children not comfortable with the arrival of a newborn
Lack of sleep
Why do you think these
methods are ineffective?
Why do you feel unable to relieve
these emotions?
Dissatisfaction with self
Disagreement with partner
Disagreement with family
Financial stress
Others (List them)
Which of the following negative emotions have you
experienced recently?
Anxiety
Depressed
Vulnerable
Doesn't matter
Psychotherapy cannot solve
the problem
It has little impact on my
life
Don't want to
communicate with
Other
others and refuse
treatment
Your partner's current status
Fearful
Confused
Worried
Pregnant
Lonely
Delivered
Sad
Which of the following emotions
did you experience during your
partner's pregnancy
Angry
Helpless
Others (List them)
Anxiety
Under what circumstances do you experience mood
swings most often?
Depressed
Vulnerable
Fearful
Caring for a child
Confused
With partner
Lonely
Alone
Worried
With family
Sad
At work
Facing separation
from child
Other (List them)
Angry
Helpless
Others (List them)
How often you feel these
emotions?
How often you feel these emotions?
Daily
Daily
Several times a week
Several times a week
Several times a month
Several times a month
Rarely
Rarely
Is there any way to make you feel better?
Yes
No
33
Appendix 3 - Online Survey
What emotions do you think your
partner has experienced?
Anxiety
Depressed
Vulnerable
Fearful
Confused
Worried
Lonely
Sad
Under what circumstances do you experience mood
swings most often?
Angry
Helpless
Others (List them)
No particular mood swings
When accompanying your
partner for a routine obstetric
check-up
Alone
What did you do to help your partner
during her pregnancy?
With partner
With family
At work
Provide financial support
Others (Fill blank)
Listen and compliment
Share household chores
Is there any way to make you feel better?
Yes
No
Be patient
Create small surprises
Pay attention and comfort in
time
Encourage partner to
seek professional help for
Browse the web for ways to
emotional problems
help partner
Others (Fill blanks)
How did you relieve it?
Medication
Psychotherapy
Talkiing to others
Do you think you are effective
at helping your partner
get through pregnancy
difficulties?
Yes
Sports
No
Hobbies
Self-improvement
Why do you think your help is
effective? Please describe
What is the reason why you failed to help your partner
effectively?
Others (Fill in blank)
How effective do you think these
methods are
Don't know how to help her,
didn't try
Completely ineffective
I think she can recover on her own
Busy making money, no time
Don't want to bother her for fear of
aggravating her anxiety
She's grumpy and I don't want to
communicate with her
Others (Fill the blank)
Very effective
Why do you think these methods are ineffective?
What do you think is the most effective method for you?
Why do you feel unable to relieve these emotions?
Doesn't matter
Psychotherapy cannot solve
the problem
It has little impact on my
life
Don't want to
communicate with
Other
others and refuse
treatment
34
Appendix 4 - Consent Form
Consent Form
Consent Form
Consent Form
I agree to participate in the study conducted by [ Name: Miaomiao Tian ].
I agree to participate in the study conducted by [ Name: Miaomiao Tian ].
I agree to participate in the study conducted by [ Name:
I understand that participation in this study is voluntary and I agree to immediately raise any
concerns or areas of discomfort during the session with the study administrator.
I understand that participation in this study is voluntary and I agree to immediately raise any
concerns or areas of discomfort during the session with the study administrator.
I understand that participation in this study is voluntary and I agree to immediately raise any
concerns or areas of discomfort during the session with the study administrator.
I understand that these sessions will be video recorded, and used internally for data analysis.
I understand that these sessions will be video recorded, and used internally for data analysis.
I understand that these sessions will be video recorded, and used internally for data analysis.
Please sign below to indicate that you have read and you understand the information on this form
and that any questions you might have about the session have been answered.
Please sign below to indicate that you have read and you understand the information on this form
and that any questions you might have about the session have been answered.
Please sign below to indicate that you have read and you understand the information on this form
and that any questions you might have about the session have been answered.
18 Aug 2022
Date: _________
18/08/2022
Date: _________
Date:_17/08/2022________
Menglong Zou
Please print your name: ____________________________________________________
Please print your name: ____________________________________________________
Please print your name: ____________________Yanjia Wang_____________________
Please sign your name: ____________________________________________________
Please sign your name: ____________________________________________________
Please sign your name: ____________________________________________________
Thank you!
Thank you!
Thank you!
We appreciate your participation.
We appreciate your participation.
We appreciate your participation.
CHRISTY MAI
Consent Form
I agree to participate in the study conducted by [ Name:
Consent Form
XINYI ZHANG
].
I agree to participate in the study conducted by [ Name:
Jingjie Li
].
I understand that participation in this study is voluntary and I agree to immediately raise any
concerns or areas of discomfort during the session with the study administrator.
I understand that participation in this study is voluntary and I agree to immediately raise any
concerns or areas of discomfort during the session with the study administrator.
I understand that these sessions will be video recorded, and used internally for data analysis.
I understand that these sessions will be video recorded, and used internally for data analysis.
Please sign below to indicate that you have read and you understand the information on this form
and that any questions you might have about the session have been answered.
Please sign below to indicate that you have read and you understand the information on this form
and that any questions you might have about the session have been answered.
Date:____17/08/2022_____
Date:_16/08/2022________
Please print your name: _____Tiantian Wang______
Please print your name: ____________________Lihua Guo_______________________
Please sign your name: ____________________________________________________
Please sign your name: ____________________________________________________
Thank you!
Thank you!
We appreciate your participation.
We appreciate your participation.
1
].
1
1
1
Jingjie Li
1
35
Appendix 5 - Transcript
Interview 1
Interview 1
Robert Zou, 33, Compliance Officer, lives in
Rosebery with his partner and 1 child (2yrs).
Let's get started. Firstly, might I ask how old is your
child?
My daughter is amost 2 years old.
How’s your mental status changed since your
daughter was born?
More responsibilities I think. I need to take care of my
wife while she was pregnant, and after our daughter
was born I need to take care of them both. It’s a
different role in my life.
Have you ever experienced any negative emotions
for the past 2-3 years?
Most people would have some sort of negative feelings.
Mainly because of being a parent for the first time, there
is so much to learn, sometimes I felt overwhelmed.
Secondly, there are less time for me and my wife to be
with each other before having the child. Many things
have to give way to the priority of taking care of our
babies.
Could you give me an example of what kind of
negative emotions you experienced？
I am not sure which word should I use….anxiety?
Maybe. I often find myself running out of time.
What kind of things that you felt running of time
doing it?
Pretty much everything. Work, time with my wife. As we
have shifted the focus of life from each other to our
daughter, there is no more time for us to talk, hug, or do
anything together.
Anything else that have been affected?
Also I no longer have time for myself. Like before I love
playing badminton in the weekends and also going to
the gym, but now I dont have time for that any more.
Maybe sit around 6, I think.
Any other negative feelings you have experienced
so far?
I feel that I simply do not have time for any personal
feelings. Handling parenting and work used up all my
time and energy.
How about your wife, do you think the negative
feeling has affect her ?
We have been argued more since the baby was born,
and she is properly worse than me as she has to breast
feeding for the first year.
When did you first start feeling anxious?
About in the first month after our daughter was born.
For the past 2 years, have you ever tried to do some
research about the potential emotional challenges
new parent may face after birth?
No, I did not.
How long does it last, the negative feeling?
It’s not always there. Only when I was packed and
overwhelmed.
Why was that?
I don’t know… no time? Or just never bother to know
about the reason behind.
Did you ever feel anxious in the past 7 days?
I think so, I was quite busy recently because of my
work.
Have ever thought about improving the situation?
Yes I did.
How about give me an example of situation when
you felt anxious?
All I think about now is when for the first time that I
could not sleep all night but wake up repeatedly for the
baby. It gets better once I get used to it but still impact
my life significantly- the lack of full sleep at night.
Can you tell me why it is so difficult to sleep over
night?
You have to feed the baby every 3-4 hours, change her
diaper when she needed, and other unknow reason that
she wakes up in the middle of the night. They all
required your immediate attention and you have to stay
alert and not fully relaxed at all time.
How did lack of sleep impact your daily life?
I found it difficult to stay focused, and often get fidgety
or irritable. I could not pick up myself doing other
things.
How about your child, do you think the negative
feeling has affect your daughter as well?
Yes, baby is very sensitive to adults emotions and facial
expressions. I try to hide my emotions when with her
but sometimes I knew I did not do well and she would
cry once she sensed the tension.
Any actions that you undertook so far?
Not really. It seems I stops at thinking about solving it
only.
What stops you from taking actual actions?
I put my work as the priority at the moment. And rest of
the day I have to take care of the baby with my wife as
well. There is just no time left for me to take any
actions.
Or maybe I just don’t think it’s a big deal.
Okay, next I would like to ask what role do you play
during your wife’s pregnancy and after birth?
I have been very supportive through the whole time.
Like going to OB appointments, taking care of the baby,
providing financial support, doing housework etc.
How do you find your relationship with your wife
now compare to before?
Our relationship was not as good as before. We have
both shifted our focus to the baby instead of each other.
Sometimes we fight for minor issues. The root cause I
think it is that we do not have time to empathy with
each other. Mainly it’s me that no longer try to
understand her better.
Can you give me an example?
Like sometimes I forgot what I promised to do and
supposed to do and I did not communicate with my wife
Ranking from 1 to 10, how serious is your level of
anxiety now?
What do you find the most challenging when
becoming a father?
I feel they are all quite challenging to me at the
moment, I am not 100% confident in any of the part so
far.
Alright last question. Can you give some tips for
who becoming a parent in the future?
Please do find a way to balance and manage your time
so that you could handle your different roles at the
same time. Leave sufficient time for your kid, your
parter, and yourself as well.
Have you tried any method to help you manage
your time better?
I have tried to plan ahead but it did not really works for
me as I easily quit once I get too busy.
Okay, I think that's all the questions I have. Thank
you so much for your time!
in time. She often got upset because of the
disappointment.
How did you feel when you are having
disagreement?
I felt bad.
Why did you feel bad about it?
Mainly because I felt helpless in similar situations, I
don’t know what I can do.
Was is about yourself or about your wife?
Myself, I don’t think I can make any change in the near
future.
Do you think you can discover your emotional
changes in time?
Yes I can.
How about your partner?Do you think you can
discover her emotional changes in time?
Sometimes but not all the time.
And why is that?
I am not that sensitive to other’s emotions and probably
too focused on my work.
If you could spend more time with your wife, would
your pick up her mind sooner ?
I think so, we were okay before the baby born. But now
we rarely stay in the same room.
Do you think you have fully embrace the identify of
a father now?
Yes I did.
When do you think you have acceptted the role of
being a dad?
Since the moment our daughter was born I think.
How do you feel about being a father?
There are more responsibilities. And I am really happy
to welcome the new member to our little family.
What kind of responsibility do you mind elaborate
more?
Like taking care of the baby, my wife, provide financial
support, as well as educating our daughter together.
36
Appendix 5 - Transcript
Interview 2
Interview 2
Christy Mai, 34, Event Specialist, lives in
French Forest with her partner and 1 child (3
yrs).
Let's get started. Firstly, might I ask how old is your
child?
My son just turned 3 years 3 month
Have you ever experienced any negative emotions
during your pregnancy or since after birth?
Yes, I had experienced such feelings.
Could you give me an example of what kind of
negative emotions you experienced？
The feeling of helplessness was quite common to me
while raising my son. Especially when I thought I have
done everything I can but he still did not really get my
idea or follow my instructions,
Sounds like it is the interaction between you and
your son that is often out of your control that you
struggled with the most.
Exactly!
Since when did you feel the helplessness between
you and your son?
It’s been on and off ever since my son was born. There
were always different scenarios that would produce
negative feelings.
Are you still having such feelings now, when your
son has turned 3?
It never stops. You know kids develop dramatically for
the first few years. There are always new challenges
along the way.
Ranking from 1 to 10, how would you evaluate your
emotional status right now?
Maybe sit around 7, I think.
For the past 3 years, have you ever tried to do some
research about the potential emotional challenges
women face after birth?
Yes, I did!
Do you mind sharing with me what did you do
exactly?
I took a short-term workshop called “Design Human ”.
My goal was to better understand my son’s natural
characteristics, and his gifts and talents. I wish to
know him better to understand what he is good at
and provide a suitable environment for him to learn
and grow at his own pace.
In what way does the course help you know your
son better?
Because my son is so young and just starts talking, he
can not communicate his feelings and wills to adults
properly. Like why he behaves in a certain way and why
he is not willing to follow my instructions.
I wish to understand him better and be able to speak in
his language.
Did the course effectively improve the
communication barriers between you and your
son?
Yes, through the course I understand that he is not
mean against me. Most of the time it was just who he is
and how he does things. The ability to empathy with my
son greatly helped me release from the feeling of failure
as a mother.
In addition, when I was trying to communicate and
teach him basic skills and learn to behave, I found it
easier to talk in his logic and language.
You have mentioned the “feeling of failure as a
mother” in your example. Could you share a bit
more about the feeling and when it normally
appears?
As the one who gave all her time and energy to her
child and did everything for her child’s benefit, it was
easy to feel frustrated when your child rebels against
your repeatedly every single day. There were no
rewards and acknowledgement of your efforts.
However, when I knew my son better and understand
the reason behind his rebellion, I felt much relief, at
least it’s not because I am not a good mother.
Now let’s move back to the topic of your partner.
Can you share a thing that your partner did that
make you happy?
Well, when he offered to take our son out to the
playground so I could some my own time and space.
Why does it so important that you could have some
time for yourself?
It is the only time that I could be myself instead of his
mum.
Do you think you can discover your emotional
changes in time?
Suppose that I can.
How would you react when you find yourself
starting to have negative feelings?
It depends on the nature of the event. If it is about
principles, I would allow myself to lost my temper to
some extent that my son knows it is something serious
and non-negotiagable. If I felt annoyed for small things
that does not that matters, I would quickly handle my
feelings and get back to normal as soon as possible. .
How about your partner?Do you think you can
discover his emotional changes in time?
I would notice his emotional changes and once I
noticed I would work with him together to handle the
situation and try not to against him at the moment.
Do you think you have fully embrace the identify of
a mother now?
I think I have accepted the truth that I am a mum now.
but…em….
How do you feel about being a mother?
I don’t know…. Its like “fine” I am handling it, but it is not
a great thing to me..
How about we do a ranking again, from 1-10, how
would you evaluate your experience of being a
mum?
8 I think…maybe….
Can you give me a more specific example of how
the course helped you?
For example, my son is not very into drawing. If I do not
notice that and force him to attend drawing class, both
of us will struggle: my son would not enjoy the class
and feel annoyed, and I would feel that I failed in
teaching and guiding him to learn new skills. But atfer
all he is just not meant to draw but to do something
else.
Thank you for sharing that. The feeling of
helplessness, did it impact your daily life?
It was okay, I might feel down every now and then but
not as bad as “impact my normal life” as I often find a
way to adjust my emotional status quickly.
Then how would that impact the relationship
between you and your partner?
Yes, at the very beginning of motherhood, I often want
to take a swing at someone to relieve my feelings.
Once I know and understand more about my son, I
rarely did that again.
How about your son, when you are in the mood, did
you find your son has been affected by your
emotions?
Kids are very sensitive to the emotions of people
around them. They are so young that they do not know
how to handle those different emotions. My son might
feel scared and overwhelmed when I lost my temper.
Are there any other methods that you have tried to
help you relieve your negative feeling other than
taking courses?
My feelings often come and go quickly. Sometimes I
just have some of my favourite food or watch a drama
show to take my mind off it.
Why taking your mind off the problem can
effectively help you recover?
I felt that doing something else that I like can quickly
pull me out of the bad mood. And once I calm down, I
would start reflecting on the problem and try to figure
out why would it happen in such a way.
Okay, next I would like to ask questions about your
partner. What role does he play during your
pregnancy and after birth?
I hear the word of “helplessness” repeatedly
through our conversation, why do you help so
helpless overall?
Well, as a mum, you have to give in your own time,
maybe even your career to be good mum. I just don’t
think the sacrifice is necessary for every woman.
If condition allows, would you like to take more time
doing things that you used to enjoyed?
Absolutely! However it is the “time” that I could not
afford for the past 3 years.
We have talked about the identity of mum. When do
you think you have acceptted the role of being a
mum?
I think it is a process rather than a moment. It starts
from the awareness of becoming a mum, to the
acceptance of fact, till you feel ready to be a mum. It
takes time and a lot of frustrations along the way. The
responsibilities and sacrifices are enormous. Until now I
would not say I am 100% ready to be a mum to grow
with my son.
Has being a mum caused any health problem to
you?
Lack of sleep!!! Always lack of sleep!
How did lack of sleep affect your daily life?
It is a vicious circle that lack of sleep would produce
more negative feeling during day time, and my son
will be affected by my emotions and does not
hehave, and therefore lack of sleep at night again.
Have you tried to break the vicous circle?
All I can do is trying my best to not projecting my
negative feelings to my son. But sometimes I just could
not help do so.
Alright last question. Can you give some tips for
who becoming a parent in the future?
Try to understand your kid better, know who he/she
really is. Do not ask them do things in your way as they
are all independent people not a reflection of you.
Alrighty, I think that's all the questions I have for
today. Thank you so much for sharing your
experience and thoughts with me!
My partner has been very supportive along the way. He
actively stepped in to take care of the baby when I
needed it. And he provided emotional support as well.
Can you give me an example of how your partner
supports you?
Well, he would stand on the same ground as me when
parenting our son. And when I was emotional he would
be the one who stays calm. And he would also try to
calm me down afterwards.
How about other housework or parenting duties?
Yes, he helped me with basic housework like throwing
the rubbish out and organising the house.
How would you evaluate your role as a mum and
wife? From 1-10.
8 I guess.
What are the 2 missing points?
Em....I still constantly feel that I do not have enough
time to be with my son, grow with him, and understand
his mind. As I was too tired after work and busy with
other house duties like cooking and laundry….
Can you think of a moment when you experienced
the worst emotional breakdown?
It’s difficult to recall exactly how that happens. It’s
always small things that make me fuzzy the most like
when my son was not willing to eat the food that I
prepared, or my husband failed to do a simple task
that I asked him to do. I could not understand why
such simple tasks that both my husband and my son
have to get me to clear up the mess. There will be a
very short moment when I just don't want to talk to
any of them.
Why did you find it frustrated when such things
happened?
Again, I felt helpless.
37
Appendix 5 - Transcript
Interview 3
Interview 3
Yanjia Wang, 37, General Staff, lives with her
partner, her mother, and 1 child (2.5 yrs).
Might I ask how old is your child?
Two years and six months.
Have you experienced negative emotions after giving
birth, such as feeling sad, empty, hopeless, etc.?
None of those you mentioned. It's just annoying and
anxious at times.
When did this negativity start? How long did it last?
It started when the child was about six months old,
because of the problems of going to work, taking care of
the child, and various questions about the cost of the child.
I will be more anxious.
Why does this feeling arise?
These emotions are caused by the trivialities of life, not
estrogen.
What is the most difficult and emotionally depressing
thing in your mind after giving birth?
When I just went to work after maternity leave, there was
no way to adjust the time. I hoped to have my own life
after getting off work, but because I had children, I
couldn’t do what I wanted. When people are always busy,
they are the most collapsed.
What changes did your body experience during
pregnancy or after giving birth? Which of these
changes affected your mood?
Because I was already fat, my body didn't change much
during pregnancy, but I'll gain more weight. People who
are overweight will feel depressed and tired, so it's a little
more tiring when I am pregnant. But these did not cause
emotional distress.
Do you have negative emotions during your
maternity check-up?
Because my physical fitness is very good, and the
needs to go swimming, go to early education institutions,
But when he interacts with you, you will feel that having
maternity check-up is also normal, so I am not particularly
etc. As long as his time allows, he will accompany the
such a child is like having an exclusive little toy, which is
worried. It's always been fine.
child. I don't earn much, and most of the family's
very fun. When I began to get used to his existence, I
expenses depend on him.
slowly accepted my new identity. Feeling the fetal
returning to work affect daily life/baby?
Did he do anything special after you got pregnant or
you don't really see the child, so you don't have that big
Yes, there will be. Once people are tired, they will become
gave birth?
feeling, those are really like acting in a TV series. You
irritable and get angry easily. I can't get mad at my
My husband is a very shy person, so he didn't change
have never met him, how can you experience the
colleagues, so the emotions are brought home. Or
much after I got pregnant and gave birth. But after having
connection between mother and child? When you call him,
sometimes I'm so irritable that I'll be annoyed when I
children, he is more responsible.
he responds, you play with him, and he laughs. When you
movement, watching 4D during the obstetric check-up,
Do negative emotions after childbirth and stress after
gradually resonate with him, you begin to feel that this is
come home and see my baby. But this is rarely the case.
How is your relationship with your partner?
your own child. In general, no one feels close to the child
as soon as they become pregnant. No.
So, do you take this emotion out on your child?
Pretty good. Because we are classmates, we have been
It is not venting, but sometimes I don’t want to take care
together for ten years before we get married, so it can be
of the baby, I just want to stay and sit alone.
said that we have a strong emotional foundation. After we
Share something about your partner that has made
got married, we didn't have too much separation, and the
you happy since you became a mother. Why does this
Are you trying to ease these unhappy emotions? For
way we got along after marriage and the stage of love did
make you happy? How did you feel at the time?
example, hire a babysitter to take care of the baby, or
not have a particularly big contrast. We don't usually
There are many things to be happy about. Especially
buy
quarrel.
when we have a baby. We often take the baby out to play,
some
technological
equipment
such
as
and every time the baby is held by my husband, who
sweeping robots to help with household chores?
In our family, my mother takes care of me and my baby.
Do you think you can detect changes in your own or
never needs me. I sometimes see other families with the
Especially after I go to work, the elderly takes care of the
your partner's mood in time?
mother holding the baby and the father walking very fast
baby at home, and there are not many things to worry
My husband is not very talkative, but if one day he
about at home, so these pressures are easier to relieve.
becomes very silent and does not say a word, it must be
happy that my husband does all the heavy lifting. He is
When I am unhappy, I will drop everything and go out to
something on his mind. He will express his unhappiness,
willing to take this responsibility and has a sense of
play or go shopping, do nothing, divert my attention, and
but because he is not good at expressing himself, he will
responsibility, which makes me feel happy in ordinary
mediate by myself, because I know that someone at
say very little. This emotion is not obvious, but it can be
times. Even if he is tired, there will be unhappiness, but
home is taking care of my son.
detected. As for me, once I find that I am in a bad mood,
he will not put these pressures on me again, he will share
I have a habit of stopping everything (as long as it is not
the responsibility.
How was your state and mood before returning to
very important and must be done immediately) and
work?
resting for a long time to adjust.
in front, which never happens in our family. It makes me
Who do you think affects your mood the most?
When I was pregnant, there were not many people and
Before I didn't work, the child was very young, and I felt
that he had no needs, so I didn't feel very tired, and my
Did you accept the role of "mom"? At what stage did
things that affected my mood. There might be some in the
mother took care of me, which reduced the friction
you accept such a new identity?
company, but not many at home. After giving birth,
between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, so I didn't
I think it is normal for everyone to accept such an identity
because my mother helped me take care of the child,
have too many negative emotions.
when the child begins to interact with you slowly in seven
sometimes the concept was different, or she was very
or eight months. The old saying always says that the child
tired with the child, she would get angry at me when she
What role does your partner play after you give birth?
is the flesh that falls from the mother's body, and you see
was emotional, and it would affect me. In the process of
Because my husband is self-employed, his time will be
that your own child will always be very close. Actually not.
taking care of children, the family has the greatest
more abundant. He would accompany me to every
It's not to say that he is particularly close to me from birth.
influence. When I came home from getting off work, she
obstetric check-up whenever he had time. After the baby
Sometimes I think he looks ugly, and I think he is very
spoke softly and we were fine, but sometimes as soon as
is born, if he is at home, he takes care of the baby, which
troublesome. He also doesn't interact with you when he's
I entered the door, she would start complaining that the
is especially good. After the child can go out, the child
very young, so sometimes I get irritable when I see him.
child was disobedient today, and I would be very upset
Interview 4
when I heard it. But if you argue with her, she will feel
wronged. She is very tired of taking care of the children,
and it is not very good to criticize her when we come back,
so we can't quarrel with her, it is very annoying. It's okay,
it's my mother who helps take care of the children. If my
mother-in-law came to take care of us, there may be more
conflicts. So, the pressure on the family will be even
greater.
What advice do you have for women who are facing
huge emotional challenges after pregnancy?
Peace of mind. Mentality is very important, and selfregulation is also very important. You can find various
ways to adjust, such as cultivating some of your own
hobbies, no matter what kind of hobby, even retaliatory
consumption can be, it is also a method of adjustment.
When I'm not happy, I buy things, maybe some useless
things, but I'm happy when I buy them. Therefore, we
must find a way to vent our emotions, we must vent them,
and we must not keep them in our hearts. There are many
ways, don't limit yourself to one, try more. Even if you
don't think about anything all day, just focus on doing one
thing you like, or go to the wonderland for a day, it is
actually effective. You must know how to self-regulate,
especially after childbirth. Because of hormones, people
are prone to cranky thoughts. I didn't feel this way before,
but for a month after giving birth, I would think a lot and
doubt. And maybe this anxiety is even stronger for
someone who doesn't have a job because she's a stayat-home mom and it's hard to reach people. For me, after
the maternity leave is over, I come back to work, I have
more contact with people, and my mood will gradually
improve.
Do you feel anxious when you are separated from
your child?
It's not anxiety, it's worry. Especially when the child is not
feeling well. Although it is the person closest to me who
helps take care of the child, I still feel uneasy.
Interview 4
Tiantian Wang, 33, Sales Supervisor, lives in
Shanghai with her partner and twins (20
months).
Might I ask how old are your children?
They are 20 months.
Have you ever experienced any negative emotions
during your pregnancy or since after birth?
Basically, no. The only negative emotion may be feeling
that the personal space has been drastically reduced.
So how do you deal with the dramatic reduction in
your personal space?
Relieve by traveling on business, distance myself from
the family, and give myself a chance to relax. And eat
dessert.
So, except this problem, you don’t have other
negative emotions. Then, why you can maintain such
a relatively healthy physical and mental state? What
are the reasons?
Emmm…I think maybe it's because I went back to work
quickly after giving birth, and it helped me divert my
attention very well. Another reason may be the help of the
confinement center and the baby sister I was well cared
for at the confinement center, and I also learned some
good knowledge to take care of my baby through them,
which eased my anxiety of being a new mom.
Can we say that basically you haven't had anything
that made you feel difficult or painful since the
beginning of your pregnancy?
Yep… For me, maybe the most difficult thing for me is the
physical pain after giving birth, but it's fine, it will get better
after some time. Mainly because my parents and the baby
sister will take care of the children, and I will not have
many negative emotions because of the children.
Besides their help, do you have any other support?
My husband, we only take care of the kids on weekends.
Because we are usually quite busy on the workdays, both
of us have work to do. Basically, we do everything
together.
So what role do you think your husband played in
your entire pregnancy, childbirth, and now?
Accompany me, he basically accompanies me during my
obstetric examination, and also during delivery. Including
follow-up care of children. I think he did a good job.
Ok. Do you think you have accepted the new role of
"mom"?
Yes, I think.
When did you accept this new role?
When I was away from home and went on a business trip,
I found that I had to check with my family or baby sisters
to check the situation of my children. It's just one more
thing to worry about when going out.
Okey. I found that after you have this new role, you
don't have a lot of troubles or have a lot of negative
emotions. Then, based on your experience, do you
have any advice for women who are facing huge
emotional challenges after giving birth?
To allocate time reasonably, 50% of the time should be
reserved for yourself, and the remaining 50% should be
reserved for family members and children. Don't sacrifice
your time just because you have kids.
OK. Thanks for your suggestion. Our interview ends
here! Bye.
Bye.
38
Appendix 5 - Transcript
Interview 5
Interview 5
Lihua Guo, 36, Early Education-Lecturer, lives
with her partner, her mother-in-law, and 2 kids (10
yrs & 10 months). Reconstituted family. The eldest
son belongs to her and her ex-husband.
Might I ask how old is your child?
My eldest is 10 years old and my second child is 10
months old, both boys.
Have you experienced negative emotions after giving
birth, such as feeling sad, empty, hopeless, etc.?
Yes, especially two weeks before the birth of the eldest, I
had mild postpartum depression.
Why does this feeling arise?
Mainly because I feel that I have no experience with
babies ten years ago, nor have I studied professionally.
There's nothing I can do about baby hiccups, poor sleep,
always waking up and crying. I just feel that I have no way
to raise this little baby, and I feel that I can't coax him. At
that time, the people around me, my husband didn't
understand and he didn't care. I asked my mother-in-law,
but she has her own old method, she said that the child
will get better gradually, and there is no need to take him
to the doctor. So once was very impressed. The kid kept
hiccups for an hour, and I couldn't get him to stop. My
mother-in-law was watching TV and eating melon seeds
in the living room, and I was watching my eldest in the
bedroom. He was hiccups and I was crying. There was
nothing to do. This is the most impressive one. After two
weeks, the child got used to it, and I got used to it too.
The connection was relatively good in all aspects, and the
emotion gradually subsided. This also has a lot to do with
postpartum hormone levels plummeting.
Is this emotional serious?
Well, only mildly. Because I have also heard some more
serious ones, such as some mothers are depressed after
giving birth to their babies, lose hope in life, do not talk to
their babies, and even often stand in front of the window
with their children in their arms. If they want to commit
Do these negative emotions affect your daily life? Will
suicide, this is a more serious manifestation.
it affect the baby?
I didn't hire a babysitter, my mother-in-law helped take
degree of depression. Relatively mild symptoms, mothers
care of the children, and both children were like this. All I
Two weeks. After giving birth to the second baby, this
can be relieved by sleeping, listening to music, chatting
have to do is feed the baby and change the diaper. I don't
with others, complaining to other mothers, etc. This will
need to do things like cooking and cleaning the house. I
with the eldest son. The second child is healthy, and there
not affect the family and the baby. But some people, as
don't have to do physical work at all, I mainly rest.
are no diseases of the newborn. Taking care of him is
mentioned earlier, their relatives don't care enough, their
relatively easy. Therefore, the negative emotions after
husbands don't accompany them, or their living habits are
Do you find some of the methods you mentioned
giving birth to the second baby will be less.
different from their mother-in-law's, their concept of
earlier useful? Why?
raising children is different, they disagree every day, and
Yes, it is useful. After giving birth to a baby, I am like a
Will it have something to do with the change of
so on. In this case, the mother's emotions may have great
feeding machine/a cow. All I have to do every day is to
people around you to help you?
ups and downs, which may affect the baby. I don't have
feed and change diapers and these repetitive things, I will
Have a lot to do with it. At this time, if the husband can
this situation, but my sister-in-law's symptoms are very
feel irritable. Do something you like, sing, do some
give more care, cook more delicious food during paternity
serious. She didn't talk to her child and treated the baby
exercise or go out to get some fresh air, and try to divert
leave, ask your thoughts, and take care of the baby with
with cold violence. Later, the child spoke very late, he
your attention, which can effectively eliminate the
you. If he can help like this, then the mother's mood will
couldn't speak clearly at the age of two.
negative emotions of staying at home and facing your
feeling is even less, because I have some experience
children every day. Also good for your body.
definitely be much better. You won't feel that the burden
of raising children is all on your own.
What changes did your body experience during
pregnancy and after giving birth? Have these
Besides hormonal changes, what else do you think can
Ever understand why these emotions arise?
changes affected your mood?
cause negative emotions?
Yes. What I see is that hormones such as estrogen and
When I had my first child, I didn't know how to
Attitude of people around. When you are pregnant, you
progesterone are very high before giving birth. After
scientifically control my weight. I ate as long as I was
are like a queen, everyone is around, but after giving birth
giving birth, it will drop again quickly. This together can
hungry. When I gave birth, my weight increased by nearly
to a child, most people's focus will shift to the child, and
easily affect the mood of the mother. Just like a girl in her
20 kilograms. At that time, I felt that I had lost my hair, my
every day when they go home, they ask about the child's
menstrual period will be very angry, get angry at every
body had changed shape, and I still had spots on my face,
situation first and therefore neglect the mother. The
turn, and want to scold everyone around her. When it
which was unacceptable for a while. So the impact is still
mother will notice such changes. Like me, I was bleeding
comes to menopause, the mentality is unstable, can't
relatively large. And I have left my job and raised my
profusely when I gave birth. When I came out of the
calm down, and always get angry. It's all the same.
children at home, derailed from society, become a
operating room, I had a lot of testing instruments on my
housewife, unkempt at home, and have no independent
What is the most difficult and emotionally depressing
image and personality before, I will feel depressed.
body, and at the same time, I needed to infuse fluids. In
this case, I could not breastfeed the child. My mother-inlaw said I didn't have breast milk. It sounded like they
thing in your mind after giving birth?
When the child has all kinds of problems, but I can't
Have you tried to ease these unhappy emotions?
were complaining and accusing me of not breastfeeding
handle them well or can't do anything. It will feel very
Yes. It must be mediated, and you can't scatter your
my baby. I was devastated when I heard it and cried for a
helpless, and this is the most collapsed time. Sometimes
emotions on your relatives and babies. Moreover, anger
long time.
the baby keeps waking up at midnight and I need to
will affect lactation, although you vent, you have to spend
feed him, but the baby is still crying after two or three
money to buy milk powder because you don't have breast
What role does your partner play during your
feedings. Also at the midnight, the child sometimes has
milk. So it is to be mediated. I will chat with some friends
pregnancy
flatulence, and cries for half an hour, I can't coax him. At
and classmates whose children are about the same age
accompanying the maternity visit, sharing childcare
this time, I will be very broken down, and I even regret
as my baby, or practice yoga and postpartum recovery
chores, etc.?
why I gave birth to this child and caused so much trouble
exercises to divert my attention.
My husband will accompany me to the maternity check-
Have you asked a babysitter to take care of your
impatient, he will show or say anything he has, and will
I have some experience with the eldest son. The second
not hide it in his heart. When he was in a hurry, he yelled,
child is healthy, and there are no diseases of the newborn.
his responsibilities as a husband and a father.
and he couldn't stop angry even though he knew that
Taking care of him is relatively easy. Therefore, the
arguing with me would not solve any problem. After
negative emotions after giving birth to the second baby
Did he do anything special in the process?
getting along for a long time, I also know that he has such
will be less.
The special thing is that when I was lying in the operating
a personality, so I will wait for him to calm down before
room with heavy bleeding, he was very nervous outside,
communicating with him, and will not argue with him when
As a professional early childhood education and
just like in a TV series. He was afraid that the doctor
he is angry.
childcare teacher, does your occupation help you to
would ask him to sign a critical illness notice or something.
mediate your emotions?
Did you accept the role of "mom"? At what stage did
Yes, it helps. As a parenting instructor, I can anticipate
you accept such a new identity?
many postpartum changes, such as depression and
How is your relationship with your partner?
I didn't feel it when I was pregnant, not even a month after
hormonal changes. I will also not panic or nervousness
Pretty good! Even with a baby, we know that the marital
the baby was born. It's not that you feel close to the child
when faced with some difficult newborn problems. These
relationship comes first. After giving birth, if the mother
as soon as he is born. You have to take care of him, the
problems are easy for me, so raising the baby will be
focuses all her attention on the child and ignores her
more you nurture, the closer you get. By the time the child
smooth, and naturally, there will be less irritability,
husband, it will lead to estrangement, which is not good.
is five or six months old, he is getting bigger and more
disappointment, vulnerability, and other emotions.
I have friends around me who have broken up their
adorable. He lays on top of you every day... Later he
relationships because of this. Therefore, we will also
learned to call you "mom", and then you really adapt and
What advice do you have for women who are facing
reflect, avoid, and take time, such as after getting off work
accept this role. If someone jokes about "I'm going to take
huge emotional challenges after pregnancy?
and coaxing the children, if we have any ideas, we will
your baby back to my house" or "Let's change babies" at
Take some professional guidance courses during
communicate with each other, discuss, and make
this point, you don't want to. You will slowly start to feel
pregnancy to know in advance the nutrition required
decisions together, instead of playing on mobile phones
that I have to protect him, especially when the child is sick,
during pregnancy, the care of the baby after childbirth, the
and ignoring each other.
and the mother would rather be sick than the child is
common problems of newborns, etc., so that you will have
suffering.
some confidence in your heart. Dads also need to go to
Did he have some negative emotions after you got
class and study together, so that he can better
pregnant or gave birth?
Why didn't you accept the new identity of "mom"
After I was pregnant, he was very nervous. If I felt a little
understand his wife and participate in the care of the baby.
when you were pregnant?
A professional babysitter can be hired to take care of you
bit uncomfortable, he would keep texting me all day long.
Because when I was pregnant, I had morning sickness
He was also very nervous in the hospital when I gave birth.
and complained about the child. I felt that if I wasn't
Looking back now, he said that he felt like those days
pregnant, I wouldn't have to suffer this crime. I didn't
were like years, and he was about to collapse. Especially
experience the joy of pregnancy.
when I had a problem in the operating room, he was very
worried. He also didn't sleep well at night during the days
Share something about your partner that has made
in the hospital. He said that even work is not as tiring as
you happy since you became a mother. Why does this
these days.
make you happy? How did you feel at the time?
Your partner will help you share some of the childcare
Do you think you can detect your own/lover's
concerns. This should be the happiest for mothers, and
emotional changes in time?
this joy is stronger than giving gifts. He can take care of
My own mood changes I can definitely spot in time. After
the children at home, I can do what I want, and I feel
all, as an adult, I can definitely know when I am happy
happiest at this time. After all, children are not just the
and when I am unhappy, what causes my mood to change,
mother's responsibility.
and whether it is because someone said something
How did having two babies feel different for you?
and
after
giving
birth,
such
as
up as long as he can ask for leave. If he can't, he will ask
for myself.
housework and cooking. He accompanied me. He fulfilled
wrong. Regarding his emotions, because my husband is
vacuums to help you?
How long did this mood last after giving birth?
maternity check-up alone. After giving birth, he did all the
He was so frightened that he almost cried.
children or bought some household chores like robot
This depends on the state of each person, that is, the
and your child. If your mother-in-law takes care of you,
you should communicate in advance to ensure the same
concept and avoid unnecessary quarrels.
Do you think it is more likely to have emotional
problems when you take care of your child yourself
or ask a babysitter or family member to help?
It must be her partner who has the greatest influence on
a mother's emotions, which cannot be replaced by
anyone else. If the couple can still maintain the feeling of
being in love after having children, the husband still cares
about his wife very much, and he can take on the
responsibility as a father, even if he does not do many
things, the mother will be in a good mood.
my mother-in-law to follow me. I have never had a
39
Appendix 5 - Transcript
Interview 6
Interview 6
Min Liu is the mother of a 2-year-old boy. Her
husband runs a coffee shop and a leather
goods studio in a third-tier city in China.
Currently, she is unemployed and takes care of
her baby at home full time.
I don't know how to work through my emotions, I just let
resources depended on him, and he also worked very
it out when I am very angry, and it does work. But I think
hard. When I feel too tired and need a break, I ask his
in general my mental state during pregnancy and after
grandparents to look after him for a few days.
birth was good compared to other people's. My husband
has a lot to do with it. He was very emotionally stable,
It can be seen that you and your husband have a
he would always comfort me when I was upset, make
good relationship. Can you tell me a little thing that
me laugh and would prepare little gifts for me. I think
your partner has made you happy since becoming a
there is nothing more important than a good partner.
mother?
He gives me massages every night to put me to sleep,
Hi! How are you doing today?
Quite well. My husband and I took our baby to visit a
kindergarten this morning and to our surprise he quite
liked there. When my son starts kindergarten in
September, I'll be free!
Apart from the help your husband has given you,
hahahahaha.
what other factors have kept you in a relatively
You truly are a happy woman!
healthy mental state?
I agree with you! Having an emotionally stable husband
I started reading books on how to deal with postpartum
is more important than anything else.
emotions during my pregnancy and learned how to deal
That sounds great! How old is your baby?
He is over 2 years old and is at the age of being
naughty. I just picked him up from his grandma's house
yesterday. His grandparent's house is in the countryside,
and I think it's good for kids to be exposed to nature,
rather than staying every day indoors.
with various emotional problems. I think learning how to
And finally, what advice would you give to those
feed the baby is secondary, and more important is the
who are about to become mothers? So that they can
psychological construction of the soon-to-be mother.
all be as mentally healthy as you are!
Don't kidnap yourself morally, and don't completely
What changes have you experienced in your body
since giving birth? Which of these changes have
affected your mood?
Do you experience negative emotions after giving
birth, such as feeling sad, empty, hopeless?
To be honest, before I got married, I had more negative
emotions, but after getting married, my emotions were
much more stable. After giving birth, I sometimes get
angry and irritable because of exhaustion and other
reasons, but I haven't felt the postnatal depression that
people often talk about at all.
What are the things that make you feel emotionally
broken after giving birth?
Before he was six months old, I breastfed him every two
hours, day and night. As soon as he wakes up, I have to
pick him up and breastfeed him, almost no time for
myself. In the only free time, I just want to rest and
sleep, I don't even want to talk to others. The mother
during this period is like dairy cattle, whose daily task is
to produce milk.
I couldn't get any quality sleep after I had my baby and it
made me feel like I had aged 10 years. Plus, I gained 20
pounds and haven't lost any weight until now. But this
believe in the saying that "To be a mother is to be
strong". A mother's emotions are the most important.
With a happy mother, there will be a happy baby. Put
yourself first in everything, because the baby is very
sensitive, he will be affected by the mother's emotions,
so relax. Happy mom, happy family!
doesn't seem to affect my mood much because my
husband compliments me very seriously every day, from
the strands of my hair to my toes. He really compliments
me from the bottom of his heart, and this has made me
feel more and more confident about myself.
What role does your partner play after you give
birth?
What role? The role is that of my husband, my baby's
father.
Hahahah, I mean did your husband share in the
childcare, housework, and financial support after
you gave birth?
How to say it. My husband goes to work in his cafe
every afternoon, so he usually plays with my babe in the
Have you tried doing anything to alleviate negative
emotions?
morning. After we had lunch together at noon, I was left
alone with my kid. I stopped going to work after I
became pregnant, so all of our family's financial
Interview 7
anything, and my husband also doesn't know what to do
Interview 7
about the relationship between me and his mother.
Yanfang is the mother of two children, her
eldest daughter aged 16 and her youngest son
aged 5. She was 37 years old the year she gave
What other things have left you feeling emotionally
devastated after giving birth?
The first is the physical exhaustion and taking care of the
birth to her second, which is already considered
advanced maternal age. Now, she works as an
administrator at a state-owned enterprise in
I've gained a lot of weight and I'm very unhappy with my
China.
family disputes, old woman daughter-in-law contradiction.
Hi, sorry to disturb you so late.
It's okay, I only have free time after 10 o'clock.
body image, which also bothers me.
But it is mainly
What is the impact of these negative emotions on
everyday life?
This has seriously affected our relationship as a couple
Are you very busy every day?
Yes. Every weekday I get up at 5 o'clock to make
breakfast and lunch for the children.
children left me with no time to sleep. The second is that
Before 7am I'm
out the door to go to work. At 7pm when I get off work, I
will start by walking around the neighbourhood with a few
of my friends. I'd get home around 8:30pm and I'd start
another reading session with my son. I'll have time to
myself when he's asleep.
Do you feel negative emotions?
I don't get angry as often now as I did before my son was
2 years old. Now most of my reasons for being angry are
that my son doesn’t behaving and that there's no one to
share my household chores.
So, before your son was 2 years old, did you have
negative emotions for the same reasons as you do
now?
The reasons for my negative emotions then may be
different from now. I may have suffered from postnatal
depression at the time. After my second child was born,
my mother-in-law stayed at my home to look after me and
the children. But the two of us didn't get on well and we
had completely different living habits, which led to me
being extremely unstable for a long time and even
thinking about suicide.
Have you tried to resolve this problem?
There's nothing I can do to fix it, I can't get her to change
and at one point I wanted to get a divorce. Also, it affected
my eldest daughter badly and I was afraid that she would
be shadowed by my negative emotions. My son was too
young at the time, but he certainly sensed my emotions
because he was also very tearful during that time.
What role does your partner play after you give birth?
At that time, he was busy working every day, probably his
role was to earn money to support the family. On
weekends, he would go out with our children to play.
So after your son was 2 years old, what factors have
eased these negative emotions？
I sent my son to nursery just after he turned 2 and then
sent my mother-in-law back home.
My mood was
significantly better after she left. My eldest daughter
and youngest son go to school every day, and this
gives me time for myself, sometimes going out for a
meeting with friends.
Did you experience similar emotions after having
your first child?
Emmm… I didn't really feel negative emotions at the
time. Maybe I was young and energetic at that time,
and I didn't feel that raising a babe was a tiring thing.
Also, I lived very close to my dad and my relatives at
the time, they would help me with the kid, and there
was no conflict between us. I also hired a babysitter at
the time, but I dismissed her later because I felt that
she is irresponsible. By the way, it suddenly occurred
to me that when I was pregnant with my second child,
I had some emotional problems, because I was
already an older mother at the time, and I was very
worried about my baby's health and other issues.
Fortunately, he is very healthy.
Would you like to share a small thing that your
partner has made you feel negative about since
becoming a mother?
My husband and I have been together for almost 30
years. I'm a very romantic person, but he's actually
very boring and hardly surprises me. The other thing is
that he won't handle the relationship between me and
his mother. What else, I think about it, maybe if he does
more housework and spends more time with the
children, I might be happier.
Thank you so much for sharing! Prays for heavenly
blessing you every day happy.
Thanks, you too!
o
h
rk
are
40
Appendix 6 - Thematic Analysis
Interviews Analysis
1. Interviews analysis
Information
Pain
quote
delight
pain
Biggest
Surprise
Driver
Delight
driver
已知哪些可以帮助
basically
don't have
negative
emotions
Surprise
希望需要什么，想要什么
总结三个，或者无法归类的
Questions:
Questions:
Questions:
Answers:
33, works full time
as a compliance
officer, one child
at 2 yrs
Introduction
Only him and his
wife taking of the
baby since born,
no extra help
Questions:
Answers:
35, works part
time as a event
specialist, 1
child at 3 yrs
Introduction
Had a nanny
help before
2 years old
Surprise
Surprise
Mental status
changed after
birth
Parenting
means playing
multiple roles at
the same time
Parenting
means more
responsibilities
Surprise
Mental status
changed after
birth
Many things have
to give way to the
priority of taking
care the babies.
pain
pain
I simply do
not have time
for any
personal
feelings
I no longer
have time for
myself
There are
less time for
intimate
interactions
They have shifted
their focus to
their child instead
of each other
Handling
parenting
and work is
challenging
pain
It is easy to have
negative feeling
when people are
packed and
overwhelmed
pain
pain
pain
pain
pain
And reason
behind it
Lack of sleep
impacts
peoples' daily
life significantly
A situation when
experienced
negative feeling
it was easy to feel
frustrated when
your child rebels
against your
repeatedly every
single day.
Have tried
everything but no
effect when
communicating
with the child
pain
Have tried
everything but no
effect when
communicating
with the child
no rewards and
acknowledgement
of your efforts
pain
pain
When people can
not change the
situation in
anyways, they feel
helpless
Simple things that
happen every day
annoyed me the most
as I am always the one
clears up the mess by
the end.
pain
pain
my own
time and
space.
Rewards and
acknowledgement
of their efforts of
being a parent
driver
Lack of sleep is
the key pain
point that most
parent facing
pain
The older
pregnant woman
is more worried
about the health
of their baby
It is difficult to
hide one's
feelings when
under the same
roof
New parents
might be fighting
more often than
before over minor
issues
And reason
behind it
don’t think the
sacrifice is necessary
for women to give in
her career and time
Some do not
bother to look for
solution as they
think it is
inevitable.
Many new parents
do not have time
and energy for
things others than
parenting and work
pain
driver
Only
think, no
action
When in a bad
mood, people tend
to take a swing at
others to relieve
their feelings
Child is sensitive
to other's
emotions and
facial expression
My son might
feel scared and
overwhelmed
when I lost my
temper
pain
pain
To find the
way
communicate
with others
Take course to learn
how human mind
and understand
their child and
partner better
Effort to improve
the situation
delight
New mothers
rarely have
time to
themselves
do not have
time to
empathy with
each other.
pain
pain
Role of your
partner
Easy to
quit once
too busy
Fear of situation
can not be
changed in near
future
pain
Support from
partner can be
physical or
emotional, both
important
Stand on the
same ground as
me when
parenting our
son
delight
The
importance of
education in
motherhood
delight
have some of my
favourite food or
watch a drama
show to take my
mind off it.
Empathy with
your child
matters
delight
delight
While frustrated,
it is effective to do
something else to
take your mind off
it.
delight
Awareness,
reflection would
effectively help
people find a way
out of the dead end.
delight
to not projecting
your negative
feelings to others
The couple's
relationship
is affected
Surprise
when I was emotional
he would be the one
who stays calm.. he
would also try to calm
me down afterwards.
going out
and
socializing
Compliments
from the
partner on
the maternity
Example of when it
impacts your
relationship with your
partners
Happy to
welcome new
member to
the family
Have time
for
themselves
Yanjia
37, 2
Gen
st
anxiety for
first time
being a
mother
Mental status
changed after
birth
The only negative emotion
may be feeling that the
personal space has been
drastically reduced.
I didn't feel this
way before, but
for a month after
giving birth, I
would think a
lot and doubt.
pain
Some m
after givi
lose hop
their b
stand in f
their ch
they wa
this
It’s not venting,
but sometimes I
don’t want to take
care of the baby, I
just want to stay
alone
Example of
negative feelings
A situation when
experienced
negative feeling
have no
time for
themself
pain
Feeling tired,
not enough
sleep
pain
Partner does not
have the ability to
elicit positive
emotions
pain
And reason
behind it
Differenc
attitudes be
childbirt
women are
But after gi
child
Worry about being
separated from children.
Especially when the child is
not feeling well. Although it
is the person closest to me
who helps take care of the
child, I still feel uneasy
pain
And reason
behind it
Although it is the
person closest to
me who helps
take care of the
child, I still feel
uneasy
Emotio
to triv
of lif
estr
impact on other
family member?
impact on other
family member?
Keep your
distance from
people who affect
your emotions
Partner doesn't
understand
maternal needs
awareness
of becoming
a mum
feel
ready to
be a mum
acceptance
of fact
Surprise
Surprise
Surprise
The
responsibilities
and sacrifices
are enormous
It takes time
and a lot of
frustrations
along the way.
Effort to improve
the situation
give myself a
chance to
relax
Role of your
partner
husband
will shared
responsibility
eat
dessert
has baby
sister's
help
go back
to work
The
confinement
center relieve
the anxiety of
being a mom for
the first time
distraction
delight
delight
Learned useful
knowledge from
the Confinement
Center
Role of your
partner
we do everything
together
Don't pile up
negativity
inside, let it
out
Tips for other
new parents
Quality
companionship
by husband
driver
He's more
responsible
after having
kids
Even if he
will be unh
he will no
pressures
he will
respo
delight
Learning about the
postnatal period during
pregnancy, how to deal
with emotional
problems and
psychological building
delight
People need a
way to relieve
their negative
feelings.
Work
Obstacles
Don't sacrifice your time
just because you have
kids
pain
Example of when it
impacts your
relationship with your
partners
Example of when it
impacts your
relationship with your
partners
driver
You can fi
to ad
cultivati
own hob
what kin
ge spen
also
ad
When I am unhappy, I
will drop everything and
go out to play or go
shopping, do nothing,
divert my attention, and
mediate by myself
delight
pain
Obstacles
Tips for other
new parents
pain
Surprise
driver
New mum c
easily influen
the emotion
status of pe
close to h
Surprise
delight
Partner rarely
shares
household
tasks
In the process of taking care of
the baby, the family has the
biggest influence. After giving
birth, because my mother helped
me take care of the child,
sometimes the concept was
different, or she was very tired,
she would get angry at me. When
she was emotional, it would affect
me.
Effort to improve
the situation
delight
pain
Balancing
life and
child care
pain
被影响
driver
Partner doesn't
know how to deal
with old woman
daughter-in-law
contradiction
impact on
daily life?
impact on
daily life?
Baby can feel
negative emotions
and become
prone to crying
The role of
being a parent
The role of
being a parent
Have time to
be with their
partner
driver
pain
Example of when it
impacts your
relationship with your
partners
delight
find a way to balance
and manage your time
so that you could
handle your different
roles at the same time.
No one to
help with
housework
and childcare
pain
Partner
sharing
childcare
responsibilities
delight
Obstacles
Obstacles
pain
driver
Mental status
changed after
birth
pain
delight
pain
pain
pain
pain
Grandparents
help with baby
(but don't live
together)
Role of your
partner
delight
pain
Do not
communicate
with partner
in time
Failure of
delivering
their promise
be full of life
pressures
and work
pressures
Lack of
sleep
Pregnancy
makes them
gain weight and
out of shape
pain
Leave a shadow
on the eldest
daughter's
psychology
Effort to improve
the situation
The ability to
empathy
with my son
greatly
helped me
delight
pain
Prioritise work
than handling
relationship and
self-mental status
pain
Tips for other
new parents
Answers:
Lihua Guo, 36,
Second child,
10yrs & 10 mons,
Early EducationLecturer
Introduction
has a
good
partern
delight
A situation when
experienced
negative feeling
impact on
daily life?
driver
pain
Some do not
take actions as
they think it is
no big deal.
pain
After the child goes
to nursery, she has
her own time and
socialization
(emotional
stabilization)
delight
pain
pain
impact on other
family member?
impact on other
family member?
Relationship with
their partners
may get worse
after the baby
was born
Breast feeding
has caused a
lot of stress for
new mum
pain
Old woman
daughter-in-law
contradiction
(mental
breakdown)
pain
Breastfeeding leaves
new mothers
physically and
emotionally
devastated
pain
pain
could be
myself
instead of his
mum.
impact on
daily life?
pain
pain
The role of
being a parent
has baby
sister at
home
delight
Example of
negative feelings
delight
Example of when it
impacts your
relationship with your
partners
has two
kids
(twins)
pain
often get
fidgety or
irritable.
Negative
emotions affect
others and create
a vicious circle
Obstacles
Answers:
33, work
as sales
executive
pain
pain
pain
pain
Example of
negative feelings
pain
Effort to improve
the situation
Questions:
Introduction
pain
pain
Difficult to
stay
focused,
pain
out of
shape
(painful)
Exhaustion and
lack of sleep after
the birth of a child
(helplessness,
despair)
Worried about
her baby's health
while pregnant
(anxiety)
Mental status
changed after
birth
Feeling of failure as
a mother as could
not effectively
communicate and
educate their child
There are always
different things
that trigger
negative emotions
pain
New parents can
not be fully
relaxed as have to
stay alert over
night
Taking care of
young child
require constant
attention
impact on other
family member?
Min Liu, 29, 2
yrs,
Unemployed
Surprise
pain
A situation when
experienced
negative feeling
pain
impact on
daily life?
Serious old
woman
daughter-in-law
contradiction
pain
Surprise
Mother guilt
from fear of
being a good
mum at all time
Example of
negative feelings
I felt helpless
in similar
situations, I
don’t know
what I can do.
You have to feed the
baby every 3-4 hours,
change her diaper when
she needed, and other
unknow reason that she
wakes up in the middle
of the night.
And reason
behind it
Often feel
helpless
while raising
the child
pain
pain
A situation when
experienced
negative feeling
There are less
time for the
couple to be
together since the
child born
I felt
overwhelmed as
there are so
much to learn as
being a parent for
the first time.
Surprise
New parents feel
anxious and often
find themselves
running out of
time
Example of
negative feelings
Answers:
Yanfang Wang, 42,
two kids (5 yrs +
17yrs), An employee
of a state-owned
enterprise
Introduction
delight
pain
The role of
being a parent
acceptance
of fact
Tips for other
new parents
leave more
time for
yourself
When
empathizing
with/interacting
with children
The role of
being a parent
I was away from home
and need to check the
situation of my children
delight
Tips for other
new parents
Ch
rela
expe
pain
After giving birth, if the
mother focuses all her
attention on the child
and ignores her
husband, it will lead to
estrangement, which is
not good.
If the couple c
the feeling of
having child
still cares ab
much, and h
responsibility
he does not do
mother will be
Can't
some q
about n
pain
Selfregulation
delight
Let your mo
of you and
with your m
(Let someon
comfortable
of
delight
driver
Surprise
cause
Stopped
look forward
to tomorrow
Feel life is
meaningless
pain
pain
pain
Refuse to
make contact
in any way
Being isolated
and stay in the
same room at
all times
pain
solution
pain
pain
Taking low
doses of
medication
Poor quality of
sleep impact
women's mental
and physical
health
Overwhelming
sense of loss
and sadness
pain
pain
The role of
being a mother
impacts women
significantly in
both ways
Breast feeding may
cause negative
impact on women's
daily life: sleep,
meal, women health
pain
pain
Because they
feel responsive
to the new born
and therefore
tend to play safe
The awareness
of depression
is the first step
of recovering
Partners actively
participated in
parenting and
housework
treatment plan
mixed with
hormone injection
and Talk therapy is
quite effective
delight
delight
pain point
delight
Relationship
with partner
Mental health
professional
services are
often pricy
Women experienced
depression can not
pick up themselves
to make change
pain
pain
Easy to ignore
the serious
impact to life
until it is too
late
Low level of
Progesterone is
the most common
reason for
postpartum
depression
doing
yoga
delight
Social
misconceptions
about postnatal
depression
delight
Men do not
understand
postnatal
depression
Unable to detect
emotional
problems after
giving birth
Surprise
Obstacles
delight
talking to a
psychologist
pain
Caring for a
child alone,
without help
pain
Watch
comedy
films
delight
use
magnesium
spray or
lotion
delight
Effort to improve
the situation
pain
Conducting
psychological
therapy
delight
New mums are
less comfortable
stepping outside
of their comfort
zone
Limitations of
being a mum
Old woman
daughter-inlaw
contradiction
Lack of
companionship
pain
"Mum guilt" makes
women difficult to
focus on their own
development and
push them to
sacrifice more
Negative
feelings
Sleep
deprivation
pain
New mums often
put their
children's needs
and feeling before
their own
workout at
gym with
daycare
delight
taking
exercise
delight
Unable to
adapt to
motherhood
pain
lack of
sleep
pain
Throughout
the night, the
baby cried
uncontrollably
pain
taking
naps
find a MOPS
group or a
mommy
group
delight
Make friends with
other people who
have just given
birth as a
distraction
delight
Partner doesn't
know how to help
wife who is
experiencing
postnatal emotional
problems
pain
delight
(Let
that
comfo
take ca
The
husband's
indifference
delight
pain
drinking
more
water
delight
physical
pain after
giving birth
difficult or painful
since the beginning
of your pregnancy
Partner's
inability to
balance work
and life
pain
No one cares
about
maternal
mental health
pain
Symptoms
triggers of
preeclampsia
and postpartum
hemorrhage
I’m at a point
now where I’m
rationalizing the
reasons why I
should do it
pain
Challenge
nervous
I know I’m in the
right place for my
health but I can’t
help but feel so
nervous
think it's
too late to
seek help
pain
reason
behind
I also don’t
want to be
ridiculed
pain
basically
don't have
negative
emotions
Questions:
Questions:
Answers:
Introduction
33, work
as sales
executive
Mental status
changed after
birth
anxiety for
first time
being a
mother
has two
kids
(twins)
has baby
sister at
home
delight
Answers:
Lihua Guo, 36,
Second child,
10yrs & 10 mons,
Early EducationLecturer
Introduction
has a
good
partern
Surprise
Yanjia Wang,
37, 2.5yrs,
General
staff
delight
Mental status
changed after
birth
The only negative emotion
may be feeling that the
personal space has been
drastically reduced.
I didn't feel this
way before, but
for a month after
giving birth, I
would think a
lot and doubt.
pain
A situation when
experienced
negative feeling
A situation when
experienced
negative feeling
Some mothers are depressed
after giving birth to their babies,
lose hope in life, do not talk to
their babies, and even often
stand in front of the window with
their children in their arms. If
they want to commit suicide,
this is a more serious
manifestation.
It’s not venting,
but sometimes I
don’t want to take
care of the baby, I
just want to stay
alone
Example of
negative feelings
Example of
negative feelings
Differences in family
attitudes before and after
childbirth. Pregnant
women are like queens.
But after giving birth, the
child is king.
Worry about being
separated from children.
Especially when the child is
not feeling well. Although it
is the person closest to me
who helps take care of the
child, I still feel uneasy
pain
I will be very
broken down,
and I even regret
why I gave birth
to this child and
caused so much
trouble for
When faced
with a newborn
problem but
cannot handle it
Leave work
and stay
home with
children
At the midnight, the
child sometimes has
flatulence, and cries
for half an hour, I
can't coax him.
pain
pain
Become a
housewife
pain
After giving birth to a baby,
I am like a feeding
machine/a cow. All I have
to do every day is to feed
and change diapers and
these repetitive things, I
will feel irritable.
Unkempt
at home
Desire to restore
pain
the image of
independence
and selfconfidence before
pain
pain
driver
have no
time for
themself
pain
Feeling tired,
not enough
sleep
pain
Partner does not
have the ability to
elicit positive
emotions
pain
And reason
behind it
And reason
behind it
Although it is the
person closest to
me who helps
take care of the
child, I still feel
uneasy
impact on
daily life?
impact on
daily life?
Emotions due
to trivialities
of life, not
estrogen
Taking care of the
second child is
relatively easy, so
there are fewer
negative emotions
Hormones such as
estrogen and
progesterone are very
high before giving birth.
After giving birth, it will drop
again quickly. This together
can easily affect the mood
of the mother.
delight
As a parenting instructor, I can
anticipate many postpartum changes,
such as depression and hormonal
changes. I will also not panic or
nervousness when faced with some
difficult newborn problems. These
problems are easy for me, so raising
the baby will be smooth, and naturally,
there will be less irritability,
disappointment, vulnerability, and other
emotions.
Surprise
Being aware of the
possible changes to
women postpartum
can effectively prepare
them for potential
emotional challenges
delight
Balancing
life and
child care
pain
被影响
impact on other
family member?
impact on other
family member?
In the process of taking care of
the baby, the family has the
biggest influence. After giving
birth, because my mother helped
me take care of the child,
sometimes the concept was
different, or she was very tired,
she would get angry at me. When
she was emotional, it would affect
me.
New mum can be
easily influenced by
the emotions and
status of people
close to her
Surprise
Effort to improve
the situation
give myself a
chance to
relax
eat
dessert
has baby
sister's
help
Role of your
partner
husband
will shared
responsibility
go back
to work
The
confinement
center relieve
the anxiety of
being a mom for
the first time
delight
distraction
delight
delight
You can find various ways
to adjust, such as
cultivating some of your
own hobbies, no matter
what kind of hobby, even
ge spending can be, it is
also a method of
adjustment.
When I am unhappy, I
will drop everything and
go out to play or go
shopping, do nothing,
divert my attention, and
mediate by myself
Effort to improve
the situation
Learned useful
knowledge from
the Confinement
Center
Relatively mild symptoms,
mothers can be relieved by
sleeping, listening to music,
chatting with others,
complaining to other
mothers, etc. This will not
affect the family and the
baby.
After two weeks, the child got
used to it, and I got used to it
too. The connection was relatively
good in all aspects, and the
emotion gradually subsided. This
also has a lot to do with
postpartum hormone levels
plummeting.
After the maternity leave is
over, I come back to work,
I have more contact with
people, and my mood will
gradually improve.
I will chat with some friends
and classmates whose
children are about the same
age as my baby, or practice
yoga and postpartum
recovery exercises to divert
my attention.
delight
Role of your
partner
we do everything
together
He's more
responsible
after having
kids
After giving birth, he did
all the housework and
cooking. He
accompanied me. He
fulfilled his
responsibilities as a
husband and a father.
Even if he is tired, there
will be unhappiness, but
he will not put these
pressures on me again,
he will share the
responsibility
Your partner will help
you share some of the
childcare concerns. This
should be the happiest
for mothers, and this
joy is stronger than
giving gifts
At this time, if the husband
can give more care, cook
more delicious food during
paternity leave, ask your
thoughts, and take care of
the baby with you. If he can
help like this, then the
mother's mood will
definitely be much better.
delight
Obstacles
Work
Obstacles
Don't sacrifice your time
just because you have
kids
pain
Example of when it
impacts your
relationship with your
partners
Example of when it
impacts your
relationship with your
partners
Childrelated
expenses
pain
After giving birth, if the
mother focuses all her
attention on the child
and ignores her
husband, it will lead to
estrangement, which is
not good.
If the couple can still maintain
the feeling of being in love after
having children, the husband
still cares about his wife very
much, and he can take on the
responsibility as a father, even if
he does not do many things, the
mother will be in a good mood.
Large
weight
Irritable
when
tired
pain
pain
acceptance
of fact
Tips for other
new parents
leave more
time for
yourself
When
empathizing
with/interacting
with children
The role of
being a parent
I was away from home
and need to check the
situation of my children
delight
Tips for other
new parents
Let your mother take care
of you and avoid friction
with your mother-in-law
(Let someone that you feel
comfortable with take care
of you)
delight
Do
something
you like
delight
Sing
delight
(Let someone
that you feel
comfortable with
take care of you)
Distract
attention from
negative
things
delight
physical
pain after
giving birth
difficult or painful
since the beginning
of your pregnancy
Impact on
baby
but it's fine, it will
get better after
some time
pain
triggers of
preeclampsia
and postpartum
hemorrhage
I’m at a point
now where I’m
rationalizing the
reasons why I
should do it
pain
unbelievable
I know I’m in the
right place for my
health but I can’t
help but feel so
nervous
I also don’t
want to be
ridiculed
pain
hate
herself
I pray multiple times a
day that this is just a
phase and that one
day i will wake up and
be happy again
pain
nervous
think it's
too late to
seek help
pain
reason
behind
孕吐
pain
pain
Selfregulation
delight
delight
Challenge
Morning
sickness
Body
changes
pain
Can't solve
some questions
about newborns
driver
Emotions
Can't solve
some questions
about newborns
pain
Putting each other
before their
newborn is the key
to successful couple
relationship
delight
The role of
being a parent
Symptoms
angry
with
child
I even
opened my
incision
feeling down
and anxious
about every
little thing
started scratching my
scalp uncontrollably
till I was bleeding, and
next thing I know I cut
my ponytail off
I want to
shoot myself
in the head
upset
love her
baby but
feel sad
feel a lot of guilt
for feeling so
free when i’m not
around her
exhausted
having a child is
the worst
decision i have
ever made
horrible
irritating
annoyed
get frustrated
with her
bothering me
slowly lost
herself
don’t
have any
help
Partner loses
patience with
her negativity
sleep deprived
after
pregnancy and
caring baby
feel distant and
disconnected
Every day it
gets even
worse than the
day before it
I can’t tell if
how I’m feeling
is normal mom
stuff or ppd
don't want
to take
medicine
I don’t like
this shell of a
person I’ve
become
don't want to
emotionally scar
everyone in the
household
Worrying
about
going crazy.
hate
herself
I pray multiple times a
day that this is just a
phase and that one
day i will wake up and
be happy again
pain
unbelievable
i am constantly
crying my heart
out every time i
have to wake up
at night with
him
feeling
unwell, loss
of appetite
pain
Relationship
between new
parents are
vulnerable after
child born
pain
want to
be a good
mom
driver
upset
slowly lost
herself
pain
love her
baby but
feel sad
don’t
have any
help
pain
I am sacrificing finding
myself and doing
something for myself so
that when my daughter is
older she can have
options can have options
My children
are the only
reason i am
still around
pain
angry
with
child
I even
opened my
incision
exhausted
having a child is
the worst
decision i have
ever made
i am constantly
crying my heart
out every time i
have to wake up
at night with
him
feel a lot of guilt
for feeling so
free when i’m not
around her
Partner loses
patience with
her negativity
pain
all i
want is
to sleep
sleep deprived
after
pregnancy and
caring baby
pain
too tired
to go out
pain
feeling down
and anxious
about every
little thing
started scratching my
scalp uncontrollably
till I was bleeding, and
next thing I know I cut
my ponytail off
I want to
shoot myself
in the head
But my sister-in-law's
symptoms are very serious.
She didn't talk to her child
and treated the baby with
cold violence. Later, the
child spoke very late, he
couldn't speak clearly at
the age of two.
feeling
unwell, loss
of appetite
pain
don't know
why there is
impulsive
behavior.
horrible
irritating
annoyed
get frustrated
with her
bothering me
feel distant and
disconnected
Every day it
gets even
worse than the
day before it
I can’t tell if
how I’m feeling
is normal mom
stuff or ppd
don't want
to take
medicine
pain
partner wants
her to take the
kids out on daily
adventures
driver
I don’t like
this shell of a
person I’ve
become
don't want to
emotionally scar
everyone in the
household
driver
Worrying
about
going crazy.
driver
anxiety
and
disconnect
feelings of
inadequacy,
guilt, sadness,
and
hopelessness
Do some
exercise or go
out to get
some fresh air
delight
Take some professional guidance
courses during pregnancy, so
that you will have some
confidence in your heart. Dads
also need to go to class and study
together, so that he can better
understand his wife and
participate in the care of the
baby.
A professional babysitter
can be hired to take care of
you and your child. If your
mother-in-law takes care of
you, you should
communicate in advance to
ensure the same concept
and avoid unnecessary
quarrels.
But my sister-in-law's
symptoms are very serious.
She didn't talk to her child
and treated the baby with
cold violence. Later, the
child spoke very late, he
couldn't speak clearly at
the age of two.
delight
Emotions
driver
Impact on
baby
but it's fine, it will
get better after
some time
pain
Communicate
with partner in
time
want to
be a good
mom
driver
pain
pain
I am sacrificing finding
myself and doing
something for myself so
that when my daughter is
older she can have
options can have options
My children
are the only
reason i am
still around
pain
pain
all i
want is
to sleep
pain
too tired
to go out
pain
don't know
why there is
impulsive
behavior.
pain
partner wants
her to take the
kids out on daily
adventures
driver
driver
driver
anxiety
and
disconnect
feelings of
inadequacy,
guilt, sadness,
and
hopelessness
Appendix 6 - Thematic Analysis
Questionnaire Analysis
Information
quote
Questionnaire analysis
Pain
pain
Delight
delight
Driver
driver
Biggest
Surprise
Surprise
Demograpgics
68%
26-35
12%
with a high
school
diploma or
less
I was bleeding profusely when I gave
birth. When I came out of the operating
room, I had a lot of testing instruAments
on my body, and at the same time, I
needed to infuse fluids. In this case, I
could not breastfeed the child. My
mother-in-law said I didn't have breast
milk. It sounded like they were
complaining and accusing me of not
breastfeeding my baby. I was devastated
when I heard it and cried for a long time.
27%
36-45
88%
with a college
degree
Antonia
12%
Male
88%
Female
work
70%
30% not
working at
the
moment
pregnancy
15%
has given
birth 85%
plan come
back to
work
27%
plan come
back to
work
27%
don't have
plan to
work
73%
All participants
have accepted
regular checking
during
pregnancy
During pregnancy
satisfaction
during
pregnancy
over 7 is 64%
satisfaction
during
pregnancy
under 7 is 36%
-4 people
reason:
unwell
physical
health 50%
reason:
worry about
personal career
development
25%
reason:
lack of
company
50%
reason:
relationship with
families - lack of
understanding
25%
average
is 8
Have you ever experienced below negative
emotions during your pregnancy?What
emotions have you experienced during your
(or your partner’s) pregnancy (click all that
apply)
Anxious
Frustrated
Vulnerable
Scared
Confused
Unprepared
Lonely
Sad
Angry
Hopeful
Enjoy
Unconcerned
Female
-When will you feel your mood swings
most often:
Caring for children 62% + 29% when
separated from children
Female —— After birth:
reason:
financial
stress 50%
- The Most Effective Way: Talk to Others
Most common
negative
feelings Angry
Most common
negative
feelings Anxiety
62% one
child
38% two
children
Other
common
negative
feelings Frustrated
Lack of sleep
is the biggest
challenge of
parenthood
Poor
physical
health
Most common
negative
feelings Anxiety
Reason:
People often
feel emotional
challenging
when taking
care of the child
Other
common
negative
feelings
- Unprepared
Other
common
negative
feelings - Sad
Female —— During pregnancy:
- have undergone regular obstetric
examinations
two
children
under 7
21%
first child
under 7
23%
After birth:
Other
common
negative
feelings
- Vulnerable
Taking care
of multiple
kids at
home
Taking
care of
new born
other common
negative
feelings Unprepared
other common
negative
feelings Confused
Separating from
their child may
produce
negative
feelings
Being alone
may produce
negative
feelings
- Relationship between
companionship and pregnancy
satisfaction
(73% have a partner to accompany the
obstetrics)
Stress
from
work
unhappy
with their
current
status
Household
Chores take
up almost
all the time
The stress from
financially
support the family
impact people's
mental health
Harmed
relationship
with families
and parter
other common
negative
feelings Helpless
other common
negative
feelings Angry
Other
common
negative
feelings Frustrated
Other
common
negative
feelings - Sad
Over 40% of
participant
experienced
negative feelings
(daily or weekly)
90% think
those
solutions
are effective
Feeling that
psychotherapy
can't solve the
problem
Effective method to improve:
poor out to
others-53%
lack of willings
to communicate
with others.
refuse
psychotherapy
through
their
interest-42%
don't have
impact to
their life
Difficulty
finding
trusted
doctor
improve
themselves-42.5%
extra help with
housework and
parenting-31.82%
Sufficient
sleep
time
delight
Reason of less effective :
Male:
Most common
negative
feelings Anxiety 70%
Many of the
existing
solutions only
work for very
short term
Most common
negative
feelings Unprepared
50%
Running
out of time
trying extra
effort
Other
common
negative
feelings Angry 20%
Lack of
good
example in
their life
Other
common
negative
feelings - Fear
20%
Other
common
negative
feelings Confused 20%
Male —— After birth:
-The most negative emotions men
experience during their partner's
pregnancy: anxiety
70% of male
rarely feel
negative feelings
during their
partners
pregnancy
Men often
feel Negative
Emotions when
accompanying their
partner on Routine
pregnancy check-up
，
Men tend not to
value the
importance of
mental health as
they think it is no
big deal
Effective method to improve:
Being alone
may produce
negative
feelings (male
50%)
lack of willings
to communicate
with others.
refuse
psychotherapy
Through
hobbies and
interests-75%
poor out
to others
- 50%
sharing the
housework
-90%
Stay patient
with your
partner 70%
Did not take any
action as do not
know how to help
their partners
relieve from the
negative feelings
Fear of
exacerbating
your partner's
anxiety
Communicate
effectively with
wife
-When you feel most emotionally
unstable: Accompanying your partner
for an obstetric check-up
selfimprovement
-37.5%
psychot
herapy12.5%
Pick up your
partner's
emotional
changes and
comfort her in
time - 70%
Be a
good
listener
Constantly
praise your
partner and
reward her
efforts
Encourage they
partner to seek
professional help
for emotional
problems
- 30%
Find ways to
help their
partner online
- 30%
41
42
Appendix 6 - Thematic Analysis
Insights Extraction
2. Insights extraction
satisfaction
during
pregnancy
under 7 is 36%
-4 people
satisfaction
during
pregnancy
over 7 is 64%
The role of
being a parent
average
is 8
awareness
of becoming
a mum
feel
ready to
be a mum
acceptance
of fact
Surprise
Surprise
The
responsibilities
and sacrifices
are enormous
It takes time
and a lot of
frustrations
along the way.
Surprise
pain
Surprise
Playing different roles in life
Demographics
Many people do not have
the necessary skill sets or
mentally prepared for their
new role as a parent
Over 40% of
participant
experienced
negative feelings
(daily or weekly)
DEMOGRAPHICS
can't adapt to
the new role
of being a
mother
Parenting
means playing
multiple roles at
the same time
值得解决
Surprise
pain
Male emotions need to go through
a role change,
Anxiety about the
unknown state of
life and about
upcoming
changes
becoming a father
can be very
stressful
pain
68%
26-35
88%
with a college
degree
27%
36-45
When dealing with
situations unknown or
unfamiliar, it's easy to
feel nervous and anxious
Limitation
New mums are
less comfortable
stepping outside
of their comfort
zone
pain
Age group
Education background
12%
with a high
school
diploma or
less
questionnaire
Many new mums put limits
on themselves which make
them less confident and
independent on others
Change of role
Handling negative feelings
Desire to restore
the image of
independence
and selfconfidence before
pain
driver
Because they
feel responsive
to the new born
and therefore
tend to play safe
The role of
being a mother
impacts women
significantly in
both ways
The repeated dilemmas
of caring for children
make new parents
feeling helpless.
Being a parent for the first time
I felt overwhelmed
as there are so
much to learn as
being a parent for
the first time.
I’m at a point now
where I’m
rationalizing the
reasons why I
should do it
anxiety for
first time
being a
mother
pain
I know I’m in the
right place for my
health but I can’t
help but feel so
nervous
I didn't feel this
way before, but
for a month after
giving birth, I
would think a lot
and doubt.
Can't solve
some questions
about
newborns
33, work
as sales
executive
35, works part
time as a event
specialist, 1
child at 3 yrs
Surprise
88%
Female
30% not
working at
the
moment
work
70%
Yanfang Wang, 42,
two kids (5 yrs +
17yrs), An employee
of a state-owned
enterprise
Handling
parenting
and work is
challenging
Prioritise work
than handling
relationship and
self-mental status
pain
All participants
have accepted
regular checking
during
pregnancy
be full of life
pressures
and work
pressures
pain
do not have
time to
empathy with
each other.
Feel
trapped
Many new parents
do not have time
and energy for
things others than
parenting and work
pain
pain
Parenting
means more
responsibilities
New mums often
put their
children's needs
and feeling before
their own
Because they
feel responsive
to the new born
and therefore
tend to play safe
Surprise
driver
Breastfeeding
leaves new
mothers
physically and
emotionally
devastated
After giving birth to a baby,
I am like a feeding
machine/a cow. All I have
to do every day is to feed
and change diapers and
these repetitive things, I
will feel irritable.
don't have a
freedom to
choose
Stress
from
work
Breast feeding may
cause negative
impact on women's
daily life: sleep,
meal, women health
Women want to have
more self in addition to
the identity of
"mother".
Stop caring about self-image
Impact of breast feeding
pain
pain
Balancing
life and
child care
Partner's
inability to
balance work
and life
pain
don't have
plan to
work
73%
Frequent, repetitive breastfeeding
leaves many women feeling
"tethered" to their children, not
getting enough rest, even lose the
freedom to eat
Balancing work and parenting
Breast feeding
has caused a
lot of stress for
new mum
Unkempt
at home
Many women lost
who they are except
the title of a "mum"
pain
pain
Many women lose
themselves after
becoming mother
You have to feed the
baby every 3-4 hours,
change her diaper when
she needed, and other
unknow reason that she
wakes up in the middle of
the night.
Taking care the baby
become the first priority of
many women, that they
give of their every moment
它只是意味着作为父母做得不够、做事不正确或做出可能会“搞砸”孩子的决定的普遍感觉。
Good mom
Responsibility
My children
are the only
reason i am
still around
It's not always
best to be with
your child
pain
How to get mom to
acknowledge herself. New
mothers need extra help to
recognize and affirm
themselves.
Mum guilt
Mother guilt
from fear of
being a good
mum at all time
pain
Worry about being
separated from children.
Especially when the child is
not feeling well. Although it is
the person closest to me who
helps take care of the child, I
still feel uneasy
Feeling of failure as
a mother as could
not effectively
communicate and
educate their child
want to
be a good
mom
Feel less about her self
Relationship with
their partners
may get worse
after the baby
was born
pain
There are less
time for the
couple to be
together since
the child born
pain
Relationship
between new
parents are
vulnerable after
child born
pain
Negative influence from people close to you
pain
could be
myself
instead of his
mum.
delight
Surprise
Many mothers deny
themselves after giving birth
because of dissatisfaction
with the status quo
pain
driver
pain
unhappy
with their
current
status
feel a lot of guilt for
feeling so free
when i’m not
around her
With your child
pain
Depression
caused by family
members and the
environment
pain
The stress from
financially
support the family
impact people's
mental health
The price of being a "mum"
driver
pain
Many things have
to give way to the
priority of taking
care the babies.
pain
not
interested in
anything
self-loathing
pain
"Mum guilt" makes
women difficult to
focus on their own
development and
push them to
sacrifice more
New mothers
rarely have
time to
themselves
pain
Become a
housewife
don’t think the
sacrifice is necessary
for women to give in
her career and time
pain
pain
I am sacrificing finding
myself and doing
something for myself so
that when my daughter
is older she can have
options.
partner wants
her to take the
kids out on daily
adventures
driver
pain
Recover
No personal time - emotional
breakdown - more desire to
escape (personal time)
I no longer
have time for
myself
Poor
physical
health
low satisfaction
during pregnancy
reason:
unwell physical
health 50%
don't have personal time
My son might
feel scared and
overwhelmed
when I lost my
temper
pain
Can't solve
some questions
about newborns
reason:
during pregnancy
worry about
personal career
development 25%
slowly lost
herself
Leave work
and stay
home with
children
hate
herself
need a certain amount
of time and space to
adjust mood while
tiring
Maternal need
personal time to buffer
and regulate emotions
Child is sensitive
to other's
emotions and
facial expression
pain
pain
Being in a state of
high stress for a
long time is more
prone to mental
depression
pain
Financial
reason:
financial
stress 50%
driver
driver
Differences in family
attitudes before and after
childbirth. Pregnant
women are like queens.
But after giving birth, the
child is king.
Hormones such as estrogen
and progesterone are very
high before giving birth.
After giving birth, it will drop
again quickly. This together
can easily affect the mood of
the mother.
At the midnight, the
child sometimes has
flatulence, and cries
for half an hour, I
can't coax him.
pain
pain
Family financial stress due to
a newborn affects the
emotional/mental health of
the parents of the newborn
my own
time and
space.
I don’t like this
shell of a
person I’ve
become
Time
Children are able to
identify and respond to
parental emotional
changes
Serious old
woman
daughter-in-law
contradiction
New mum can be
easily influenced by
the emotions and
status of people
close to her
New parents
might be fighting
more often than
before over minor
issues
When faced
with a newborn
problem but
cannot handle it
Awareness,
reflection would
effectively help
people find a way
out of the dead end.
I can’t tell if how
I’m feeling is
normal mom stuff
or ppd
Taking care of child is time consuming
Moms are easily influenced by those
close to them and experience
negative emotions. Conversely,
positive emotions can also be
obtained through close people
The awareness
of depression
is the first step
of recovering
delight
Low level of
Progesterone is
the most common
reason for
postpartum
depression
lost the original self
自我认同感低
Rewards and
acknowledgement
of their efforts of
being a parent
don’t want
to be
ridiculed
Impact to your relationship with others
After the couple has children,
it is easy to focus on the
children, ignoring the
emotional needs of their
partners
Unable to detect
emotional
problems after
giving birth
pain
Cause of postpartum depression
pain
pain
mom guilt:
Newborn parents worry
about all aspects of their
child because they think
it's a heavy responsibility
has given
birth 85%
Others
Postpartum depression
influenced by hormones,
newborns, changes in
parental attitudes
Awareness
Recognizing the
existence of negative
emotions can find a
way to relieve them.
When people can
not change the
situation in
anyways, they
feel helpless
pain
delight
The increased life burden from
child care or the work pressure
from supporting the family
makes it harder to restore
balance between life and work
Yanjia Wang,
37, 2.5yrs,
General
staff
Surprise
plan come
back to
work
27%
Status
pregnancy
15%
Lihua Guo, 36,
Second child,
10yrs & 10 mons,
Early EducationLecturer
Surprise
has two
kids
(twins)
33, works full time
as a compliance
officer, one child
at 2 yrs
Surprise
Career plan
Min Liu, 29, 2
yrs,
Unemployed
Surprise
Doesn't have the
energy and doesn't
know how to deal with
her own negative
feelings. The failed
attempt made her
more depressed
pain
it was easy to feel
frustrated when
your child rebels
against your
repeatedly every
single day.
Antonia
Gender
12%
Male
Often feel
helpless
while raising
the child
I felt helpless in
similar
situations, I
don’t know
what I can do.
pain
Happy to
welcome new
member to
the family
New parents
can't tell if they
need help
The sense of helpless
Being inseparable is a big
reason why many people
feel bad and have difficulty
making changes
New parents feel
anxious and often
find themselves
running out of
time
New mothers
rarely have
time to
themselves
I simply do
not have time
for any
personal
feelings
pain
The chores associated with
caring for a newborn or
multiple children consume
most of the time
Influence
It is easy to have
negative feeling
when people are
packed and
overwhelmed
pain
Easy to
quit once
too busy
Child rearing and housework are time consuming
Household
Chores take
up almost
all the time
Pregnancy and childbirth
can easily make women
out of shape,
dissatisfaction with herself.
It is difficult for new parents to
have complete and continuous
high-quality sleep at night due to
breastfeeding, diaper changes,
sleep disturbances, etc.
Body change
Taking
care of
new born
out of
shape
(painful)
Body
changes
pain
pain
Because newborns require
constant parental attention
and care, people are often
unable to truly relax and rest,
resulting in chronic fatigue
Sleeping issue
Sleep
deprivation
pain
Lack of
sleep
pain
You have to feed the
baby every 3-4 hours,
change her diaper when
she needed, and other
unknow reason that she
wakes up in the middle
of the night.
all i want
is to
sleep
Lack of sleep
impacts
peoples' daily
life significantly
Poor quality of
sleep impact
women's mental
and physical
health
Hard to relax
Taking care of
young child
require constant
attention
pain
New parents can
not be fully
relaxed as have to
stay alert over
night
pain
It's a vicious circle
The couple's
relationship
is affected
Partner loses
patience with
her negativity
pain
Putting each other
before their
newborn is the key
to successful couple
relationship
delight
Indifference
of the
husband
pain
Family disputes/
Problems in
couples'
relationships
The partner's
failure to act on
the conflict
between motherin-law and
daughter-in-law
After giving birth, if the
mother focuses all her
attention on the child
and ignores her
husband, it will lead to
estrangement, which is
not good.
They have shifted
their focus to
their child instead
of each other
There are
less time for
intimate
interactions
pain
Personal negative emotions
can have a knock-on effect on
the people around you who
live together and end up
making yourself feel worse
Leave a
shadow on the
eldest
daughter's
psychology
Influence to others
Negative
emotions affect
others and create
a vicious circle
pain
pain
Harmed
relationship
with families
and parter
driver
leave more
time for
yourself
driver
Many new parents
do not have time
and energy for
things others than
parenting and work
But my sister-in-law's
symptoms are very serious.
She didn't talk to her child
and treated the baby with
cold violence. Later, the
child spoke very late, he
couldn't speak clearly at
the age of two.
pain
don't want to
emotionally scare
everyone in the
household
Partner doesn't
know how to deal
with old woman
daughter-in-law
contradiction
It is difficult to
hide one's
feelings when
under the same
roof
Baby can feel
negative
emotions and
become prone
to crying
pain
have no
time for
themself
The only negative
emotion may be feeling
that the personal space
has been drastically
reduced.
give myself a
chance to
relax
do not have
time to
empathy with
each other.
Running
out of time
trying extra
effort
Grandparents
help with baby
(but don't live
together)
delight
After the child
goes to nursery,
she has her own
time and
socialization
delight
pain
Taking care
of multiple
kids at
home
Large
weight
pain
Feeling
tired, not
enough
sleep
Pregnancy
makes them
gain weight and
out of shape
pain
Exhaustion
and lack of
sleep after the
birth of a child
pain
to not projecting
your negative
feelings to others
Mothers should have their
own time, balancing
different roles (self,
partner, family, friends)
Importance of relieving your feelings
People need a
way to relieve
their negative
feelings.
to not projecting
your negative
feelings to others
delight
When in a bad
mood, people tend
to take a swing at
others to relieve
their feelings
Better time management
find a way to balance
and manage your time
so that you could
handle your different
roles at the same time.
pain
Lack of rest can lead to physical
and mental discomfort in
mothers and even impulsive
behaviors that endanger their
children and themselves
driver
Have time
for
themselves
Have time to
be with their
partner
driver
driver
Don't sacrifice
your time just
because you
have kids
Difficult to
stay
focused,
pain
often get
fidgety or
irritable.
pain
don't know
why there is
impulsive
behavior.
angry
with
child
I even opened
my incision
pain
too tired
to go out
pain
Bad sleep
leads to very
poor mental
state
Female
Effective praise and
affirmation can help
moms improve their
self-esteem
listen and comfort
Be a
good
listener
Pick up your
partner's
emotional
changes and
comfort her in
time - 70%
When moms are agitated,
irritable, or irritable, it's
important to find a way to
calm them down
esteem and affirmation
Compliments
from the
partner on
the maternity
no rewards and
acknowledgement
of your efforts
pain
Emotional
emotional complementarity
It is important for moms to
feel that they are not alone
in the fight (accompanying,
sharing responsibility
united front
has responsiblility
Stand on the
same ground as
me when
parenting our
son
when I was emotional
he would be the one
who stays calm.. he
would also try to calm
me down afterwards.
delight
Emotional burden
comes from physical
fatigue caused by
chores
accompany
Quality
companionship
by husband
pain
Communicate
effectively with
wife
He
accompanied
me
Support from
partner can be
physical or
emotional, both
important
Timely two-way
communication with those
people around, empathy is
the cornerstone of a
harmonious relationship
Male —— After birth:
Problem - physical discomfort/lack of
companionship/financial stress
Negative emotions men experience the
most during their partner's pregnancy:
Anxiety (personal life, work/economic
impact)
Negative emotions with the most
Importance of communication/empathy
To find the
way
communicate
with others
Partner
sharing
childcare
responsibilities
we do everything
together
delight
husband
will shared
responsibility
delight
Communicate
with partner in
time
You should
communicate in
advance to ensure the
same concept and avoid
unnecessary quarrels.
delight
Don't pile up
negativity
inside, let it
out
through
their
interest-42%
poor out to
others-53%
When in a bad
mood, people tend
to take a swing at
others to relieve
their feelings
Reason:
relationship with
families - lack of
understanding
25%
pain
pain
Serious old
woman
daughter-in-law
contradiction
pain
Partners actively
participated in
parenting and
housework
delight
Easy to ignore
the serious
impact to life
until it is too
late
Partner doesn't
know how to help
wife who is
experiencing
postnatal emotional
problems
pain
No one cares
about
maternal
mental health
The ignorance
from mum-self
and others make
it difficult to find
the treatment in
time
More than half of women think talking to
others can effectively relieve negative
emotions
75% of male respondents believe that
hobbies can ease their negative emotions
Female
Male —— After birth:
When you feel your mood swings most
often:
Taking care of children - 62% + 29% when separated from children
When you most often feel mood swings:
Accompanying partner for maternity
check-up -60%
When alone -50 %
Men do not
understand
postnatal
depression
pain
Partner doesn't
understand
maternal needs
pain
delight
Sing
delight
Watch
comedy
films
While frustrated,
it is effective to do
something else to
take your mind off
it.
Partner doesn't
know how to deal
with old woman
daughter-in-law
contradiction
Learning/ education
Severe postpartum
depression, taking drugs can
directly relieve the negative
emotions of new parents
Distraction
have some of my
favourite food or
watch a drama
show to take my
mind off it.
Social
misconceptions
about postnatal
depression
Surprise
delight
delight
selfimprovement
-37.5%
Male - lack of
willings to
communicate
with others.
refuse
psychotherapy
Overcome negative emotions
Ignorance
poor out
to others
- 50%
Male —— After birth
delight
When your attention is no longer on
children and housework, the
negative emotions that come with it
will also be effectively reduced
(hobbies, work, rest, food)
Through
hobbies and
interests-75%
Female
Support from
partner can be
physical or
emotional, both
important
sharing the
housework
-90%
He did all the
housework and
cooking.
Do not
communicate
with partner
in time
He fulfilled his
responsibilities as a
husband and a father.
share the role of "mom"
Your partner will help
you share some of the
childcare concerns. This
should be the happiest
for mothers, and this
joy is stronger than
giving gifts
At this time, if the husband
can give more care, cook
more delicious food during
paternity leave, ask your
thoughts, and take care of
the baby with you. If he can
help like this, then the
mother's mood will
definitely be much better.
improve
themselves-42.5%
driver
delight
He's more
responsible
after having
kids
Even if he is tired, there
will be unhappiness, but
he will not put these
pressures on me again,
he will share the
responsibility
delight
The child is not born only for
mom alone, the dad bears
the same responsibility
(shares the pressure)
Physical
Partner rarely
shares
household
tasks
Lack of
companionship
driver
Stay patient
with your
partner 70%
Constantly
praise your
partner and
reward her
efforts
feeling down
and anxious
about every
little thing
I want to
shoot myself
in the head
Male
Female —— During pregnancy:
driver
Partner does
not have the
ability to elicit
positive
emotions
having a child is
the worst decision
i have ever made
Different nature of negative feelings for female and male
How can partner help
low satisfaction
during pregnancy
reason:
lack of company
50%
pain
pain
taking
naps
delight
Influence from lack of sleep and recover when needed
workout at
gym the
provide baby
care service
started scratching my
scalp uncontrollably till I
was bleeding, and next
thing I know I cut my
ponytail off
Mothers will also ignore their
physical and mental health
because they do not understand
the knowledge and severity of
postpartum depression
pain
delight
get frustrated
with her
bothering me
Many people are unaware of the
existence and severity of
postpartum depression and
neglect the physical and mental
health of their partner/family
Lack of sleep is
the key pain
point that most
parent facing
pain
pain
Surprise
Companionship
is important for
mothers
pain
sleep deprived
after
pregnancy and
caring baby
Throughout
the night, the
baby cried
uncontrollably
pain
Mothers need appropriate
methods to ease their emotions,
to avoid negative emotions from
affecting themselves, others and
even the baby
It is very important to
detect the change of
partner's mood in time and
learn to listen and comfort
pain
pain
Lack of sleep
is the biggest
challenge of
parenthood
delight
Throughout
the night, the
baby cried
uncontrollably
listening
to music
delight
Sleeping
Do
something
you like
delight
Medication
Taking low
doses of
medication
When I am unhappy, I
will drop everything and
go out to play or go
shopping, do nothing,
divert my attention, and
mediate by myself
delight
You can find various ways
to adjust, such as
cultivating some of your
own hobbies, no matter
what kind of hobby, even go
spending can be, it is also a
method of adjustment.
Professional courses and
advance
understanding/preparation can
help new parents accept/adapt
to their new identity faster
Empathy with
children/family/partners
requires active learning and
understanding of each
other's needs
delight
delight
Learn to empathy
Empathy with
your child
matters
delight
Low empathy due to
lack of understanding
will lead to many
conflicts
use
magnesium
spray or
lotion
Express
emotions by
writing or
graffiti
Learning and fully
understanding the importance
of negative emotional issues can
enable new parents to better
cope with emotional shifts
The ability to
empathy with
my son greatly
helped me
delight
Take course to learn
how human mind
and understand
their child and
partner better
delight
The
importance of
education in
motherhood
Obstacles of solving the problem
Learn about the negative feelings
Learning about the
postnatal period during
pregnancy, how to deal
with emotional
problems and
psychological building
delight
The confinement
center relieve the
anxiety of being
a mom for the
first time
Being aware of the
possible changes to
women postpartum
can effectively prepare
them for potential
emotional challenges
。
Accept the
presence of
negative
emotions
Men: Feeling powerless
to change the status
quo is a reason for
inaction
Not paying attention to negative postpartum emotional problems
don't have
impact to
their life
delight
delight
As a parenting instructor, I can
anticipate many postpartum changes,
such as depression and hormonal
changes. I will also not panic or
nervousness when faced with some
difficult newborn problems. These
problems are easy for me, so raising
the baby will be smooth, and naturally,
there will be less irritability,
disappointment, vulnerability, and other
emotions.
Some people think that many
negative postpartum
emotions are inevitable and
normal, so they ignore the
seriousness of it.
Men tend not to
value the
importance of
mental health as
they think it is no
big deal
Some do not
bother to look for
solution as they
think it is
inevitable.
pain
Only
think, no
action
Some do not
take actions as
they think it is
no big deal.
pain
Helpless with solutions
Fear of situation
can not be
changed in near
future
pain
pain
think it's
too late to
seek help
pain
Doesn't have the
energy and doesn't
know how to deal with
her own negative
feelings. The failed
attempt made her
more depressed
delight
Surprise
pain
go back
to work
Men tend not to
value the
importance of
mental health as
they think it is no
big deal
delight
eat
dessert
delight
doing
yoga
delight
taking
exercise
delight
Do some
exercise or go
out to get
some fresh air
delight
delight
The modulating
effect of sunlight
is comparable to
that produced by
antidepressants
delight
Encourage they
partner to seek
professional help
for emotional
problems
- 30%
talking to a
psychologist
delight
Find ways to
help their
partner online
- 30%
treatment plan
mixed with
hormone injection
and Talk therapy is
quite effective
delight
Reduce negative
emotions by seeking
help from experienced
people to share stress
Learn to take care of the baby
Seeking professional help
Conducting
psychological
therapy
Stay healthy
drinking
more
water
Through course study or firstborn experience, moms can
solve problems of newborns
better and faster, thereby
avoiding anxiety
delight
New parents can use
psychotherapy, the
Internet, seek expert help
to ease negative emotions
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle
and developing good living
habits are effective ways to
fight postpartum depression
(close to nature)
Take some professional guidance
courses during pregnancy, so
that you will have some
confidence in your heart. Dads
also need to go to class and study
together, so that he can better
understand his wife and
participate in the care of the
baby.
Learned useful
knowledge from
the Confinement
Center
delight
The older
pregnant woman
is more worried
about the health
of their baby
pain
Taking care of the
second child is
relatively easy, so
there are fewer
negative emotions
delight
Reluctance to communicate
with people, believing that
psychotherapy cannot solve
the problem
Extra help with child caring
has a
good
partener
delight
has baby
sister at
home
delight
Had a nanny
help before
2 years old
Resistance if psychotherapy
Feeling that
psychotherapy
can't solve the
problem
Many short-term
"placebo" solutions
can't solve the root
problem
cure the symptoms, not the disease - temporary relief
female:
Active contact with the outside
world and pouring out their own
emotions is the most effective
way to improve mood
pain
Only him and his
wife taking of the
baby since born,
no extra help
going out
and
socializing
delight
By finding a community that
works for you, finding common
topic with other moms, and
helping each other can ease
negative emotions
Knowing that you are not an
exception, find people who have
the same experience as you,
who can give moms a sense of
belonging and security
Refuse to
make contact
in any way
pain
Being isolated
and stay in the
same room at
all times
pain
chatting
with
others
delight
Find your community
find a MOPS
group or a
mommy
group
delight
Make friends with
other people who
have just given
birth as a
distraction
I will chat with some friends
and classmates whose
children are about the same
age as my baby, or practice
yoga and postpartum
recovery exercises to divert
my attention.
complaining
to other
mothers
delight
delight
Difficulty
finding
trusted
doctor
Mental health
professional
services are
often pricy
pain
pain
Positive influence from
those around leads to
improvement
Stay connect with others
How to find the right mental health professionals
Affordance
Worried about
her baby's health
while pregnant
(anxiety)
Female —— After birth:
- The Most Effective Way: Talk to others
Professional psychotherapy
help is often expensive and
difficult to find the right
doctor
Many of the
existing
solutions only
work for very
short term
lack of willings
to communicate
with others.
refuse
psychotherapy
delight
Power of good examples
Lack of
good
example in
their life
Lack of knowledge about
negative postpartum
emotions leads to don't
know how to help partner
Don't know how to help
Did not take any
action as do not
know how to help
their partners
relieve from the
negative feelings
Fear of
exacerbating
your partner's
anxiety
i am constantly
crying my heart
out every time i
have to wake up
at night with him
43
Appendix 6 - Thematic Analysis
Insights Highlights
3. Highlights
Newborn parents worry
about all aspects of their
child because they think
it's a heavy responsibility
Moms are easily influenced by those
close to them and experience
negative emotions. Conversely,
positive emotions can also be
obtained through close people
Men: Feeling powerless
to change the status
quo is a reason for
inaction.
New parents
can't tell if they
need help
The definition of a
good mother: not
always beside the child
is the best for the child
Timely two-way
communication with those
people around, empathy is
the cornerstone of a
harmonious relationship
How to get moms to
recognize and affirm
themselves. New moms need
extra help to recognize and
affirm themselves.
need a certain amount
of time and space to
adjust mood while
tiring
The repeated dilemmas
of caring for children
make new parents
feeling helpless.
Many short-term
"placebo" solutions
can't solve the root
problem
Learning and fully
understanding the importance
of negative emotional issues can
enable new parents to better
cope with emotional shifts
Effective praise and
affirmation can help
moms improve their
self-esteem
Maternal need
personal time to buffer
and regulate emotions
Children are able to
identify and respond to
parental emotional
changes
When dealing with
situations unknown or
unfamiliar, it's easy to
feel nervous and anxious
Professional psychotherapy
help is often expensive and
difficult to find the right
doctor
Reduce negative
emotions by seeking
help from experienced
people to share stress
Knowing that you are not an
exception, find people who have
the same experience as you,
who can give moms a sense of
belonging and security
Positive influence from
those around leads to
improvement
Mothers need appropriate
methods to ease their emotions,
to avoid negative emotions from
affecting themselves, others and
even the baby
Lack of knowledge about
negative postpartum
emotions leads to don't
know how to help partner
Many women lost
who they are except
the title of a "mum"
Through course study or firstborn experience, moms can
solve problems of newborns
better and faster, thereby
avoiding anxiety
New parents can use
psychotherapy, the
Internet, seek expert help
to ease negative emotions
Mothers should have their
own time, balancing
different roles (self,
partner, family, friends)
女性希望在”妈妈“这个身份之外，
更要有自我。
Taking care the baby
become the first priority of
many women, that they
give of their every moment
Reluctance to communicate
with people, believing that
psychotherapy cannot solve
the problem
Postpartum depression
influenced by hormones,
newborns, changes in
parental attitudes
By finding a community that
works for you, finding common
topic with other moms, and
helping each other can ease
negative emotions
Many new mums put limits
on themselves which make
them less confident and
independent on others
Some people think that many
negative postpartum
emotions are inevitable and
normal, so they ignore the
seriousness of it.
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle
and developing good living
habits are effective ways to
fight postpartum depression
(close to nature)
Moms are easily influenced by those
close to them and experience
negative emotions. Conversely,
positive emotions can also be
obtained through close people
Frequent, repetitive breastfeeding
leaves many women feeling
"tethered" to their children, not
getting enough rest, not getting
enough rest, and losing the freedom
to eat
Many people do not have
the necessary skill sets or
mentally prepared for their
new role as a parent
female:
Active contact with the outside
world and pouring out their own
emotions is the most effective
way to improve mood
It is important for moms to
feel that they are not alone
in the fight (accompanying,
sharing responsibility
No personal time - emotional
breakdown - more desire to
escape (personal time)
It's a vicious circle
After the couple has children,
it is easy to focus on the
children, ignoring the
emotional needs of their
partners
For moms, the
company of partner
is very important
The child is not born only for
mom alone, the dad bears
the same responsibility
(shares the pressure)
Because newborns require
constant parental attention
and care, people are often
unable to truly relax and rest,
resulting in chronic fatigue
Many people are unaware of the
existence and severity of
postpartum depression and
neglect the physical and mental
health of their partner/family
When your attention is no longer on
children and housework, the
negative emotions that come with it
will also be effectively reduced
(hobbies, work, rest, food)
Severe postpartum
depression, taking drugs can
directly relieve the negative
emotions of new parents
Family financial stress due to
a newborn affects the
emotional/mental health of
the parents of the newborn
Mothers will also ignore their
physical and mental health
because they do not understand
the knowledge and severity of
postpartum depression
Emotional burden
comes from physical
fatigue caused by
chores
It is very important to
detect the change of
partner's mood in time and
learn to listen and comfort
The increased life burden from
child care or the work pressure
from supporting the family
makes it harder to restore
balance between life and work
Pregnancy and childbirth
can easily make women
out of shape,
dissatisfaction with herself.
Professional courses and
advance
understanding/preparation can
help new parents accept/adapt
to their new identity faster
When moms are agitated,
irritable, or irritable, it's
important to find a way to
calm them down
It is difficult for new parents to
have complete and continuous
high-quality sleep at night due to
breastfeeding, diaper changes,
sleep disturbances, etc.
Lack of rest can lead to physical
and mental discomfort in
mothers and even impulsive
behaviors that endanger their
children and themselves
Empathy with
children/family/partners
requires active learning and
understanding of each
other's needs
Only by being aware of
the existence of negative
emotions can find ways
to relieve them.
Being inseparable is a big
reason why many people
feel bad and have difficulty
making changes
Low empathy due to
lack of understanding
will lead to many
conflicts
The chores associated with
caring for a newborn or
multiple children consume
most of the time
Personal negative emotions
can have a knock-on effect on
the people around you who
live together and end up
making yourself feel worse
Many mothers deny
themselves after giving birth
because of dissatisfaction
with the status quo
Children are able to
identify and respond to
negative emotional
changes in their parents
No personal time - emotional
breakdown - more desire to
escape (personal time)
It's a vicious circle
）
44
Appendix 6 - Thematic Analysis
4. Conclusion
Conclusion - Pain point
Delights
Pain point
Due to the lack of knowledge about common
postpartum negative emotions, family members and
partners are often unable to empathize well with
mothers, valuing and solving their problems. On the
other hand, mothers are also prone to neglect their
physical and mental state and fail to judge whether
they need help
Lack of understanding and
empathy for negative emotions
can lead to neglect of mothers’
psychological states, which can
lead to more conflicts
Ignore self/partner's negative
emotions, and inaction may
be because it feels
unchangeable or unavoidable
Some people think that many
negative postpartum
emotions are inevitable and
normal, so they ignore the
seriousness of it.
Lack of knowledge about
negative postpartum
emotions leads to don't
know how to help partner
Men: Feeling powerless
to change the status
quo is a reason for
inaction.
Many people are unaware of the
existence and severity of
postpartum depression and
neglect the physical and mental
health of their partner/family
Low empathy due to
lack of understanding
will lead to many
conflicts
Appropriate
can allow m
pressure an
security in
and talk
The lack of knowledge about
postpartum negative emotions is
the incentive for many new parents
to ignore their physical and mental
state and fail to judge whether they
need help or not.
Finding peers can give
mothers a sense of
security and ease
negative emotions
New parents
can't tell if they
need help
Knowing that you are not an
exception, find people who have
the same experience as you,
who can give moms a sense of
belonging and security
Mothers will also ignore their
physical and mental health
because they do not understand
the knowledge and severity of
postpartum depression
By finding a community that
works for you, finding common
topic with other moms, and
helping each other can ease
negative emotions
Negative emotions
affect each other,
and vice versa
觉得我们总结出的这个橘黄色可以是conclusion
引发的未来solution direction，
而不是直接作为conclusion说 。
因为写完conclusion
是要接着写对未来解决方案的启发的
Because they are too focused on
their children and often ignore their
partners, new parents often fail to
detect each other's negative
emotions and help each other.
After the couple has children,
it is easy to focus on the
children, ignoring the
emotional needs of their
partners
The state and mood of everyone in a
family will affect each other, creating a
chain reaction. New parents tend to
ignore each other by focusing too much
on their children, triggering negative
emotions. And the bad state of adults
also affects each other with babies.
Moms' emotions are easily
influenced by those around
them and have a chain
reaction that makes their
situation worse
Moms are easily influenced by those
close to them and experience
negative emotions. Conversely,
positive emotions can also be
obtained through close people
Personal negative emotions
can have a knock-on effect on
the people around you who
live together and end up
making yourself feel worse
心中有底才能不迷茫！！！
不迷茫才能不焦虑！！！
Through prof
receiving pr
confusion and
unknown (slig
effect
Parents' negative
emotions affect
their children
Through professional
help and education,
negative emotions can
be effectively relieved
Courses th
help new p
them relief
better tran
ne
Children are able to
identify and respond to
negative emotional
changes in their parents
Reduce negative
emotions by seeking
help from experienced
people to share stress
Professio
a
understandi
help new pa
to their ne
New parents can use
psychotherapy, the
Internet, seek expert help
to ease negative emotions
Through cou
born exper
solve probl
better and
avoid
Learning and fully
understanding the importance
of negative emotional issues can
enable new parents to better
cope with emotional shifts
Professional psychological counseling
often has a high threshold and a low
degree of matching, and the methods
that people use on a daily basis are
faced with the problem of short
timeliness and curing the symptoms
rather than the root causes.
Timely det
emotions an
positive emot
affirmation,
can effect
emotional p
Short-term solutions
can't solve the
underlying problem
Reasons for reluctance to
undergo psychotherapy may be
reluctance to communicate with
others, high price, and lack of
suitable doctors
When mothers have
negative emotions,
positive emotions from
close ones are important
Many short-term
"placebo" solutions
can't solve the root
problem
Professional psychotherapy
help is often expensive and
difficult to find the right
doctor
Moms are easily influenced by those
close to them and experience
negative emotions. Conversely,
positive emotions can also be
obtained through close people
Reluctance to communicate
with people, believing that
psychotherapy cannot solve
the problem
When moms are agitated,
irritable, or irritable, it's
important to find a way to
calm them down
Identifying
expressing
affirmation
listen can he
their se
Effectiv
affirmat
moms im
self
It is very
detect t
partner's m
learn to lis
The Power of Positive Emotions, Inner a
Outer
The power of positive
emotions
(made by myself, given
by others)
Keep
Healthy
Emotion
Physical fatigue from
chore can bring
negative emotions
Don't focus on your
negative emotions and
instead actively create
more positive emotions
Maintainin
habits and
close to
solution
de
The emotional burden also
comes from the physical
fatigue caused by the
complicated housework
When your attention is no longer on
children and housework, the
negative emotions that come with it
will also be effectively reduced
(hobbies, work, rest, food)
Maintaining
and develo
habits are
fight postpa
(close
Heavy life pressure (housework, work,
economy), long-term inability to relax
and have high-quality sleep make new
parents physically and mentally
exhausted, and have no time to adjust
their state and make changes
The new identity brings more
tedious life pressure (housework,
work, economy) to the new parents,
and the exhausted state is more
likely to cause emotional problems
Caring for a newborn and breastfeeding
requires constant attention and
uninterrupted effort, and the long-term
inability to truly relax and have quality
sleep makes new parents physically and
mentally exhausted
The lack of personal time
makes it difficult for new
parents to adjust their
state in time even if they
find emotional problems
Economic stress
brings emotional
problems
The chores associated with
caring for a newborn or
multiple children consume
most of the time
Emotional burden
comes from physical
fatigue caused by
chores
Frequent, repetitive
breastfeeding leaves many
women feeling "tethered" to their
children, not getting enough rest,
not getting enough rest, and
losing the freedom to eat
Because newborns require
constant parental attention
and care, people are often
unable to truly relax and rest,
resulting in chronic fatigue
No personal time - emotional
breakdown - more desire to
escape (personal time)
Family financial stress due to
a newborn affects the
emotional/mental health of
the parents of the newborn
The repeated dilemmas
of caring for children
make new parents
feeling helpless.
The increased life burden from
child care or the work pressure
from supporting the family
makes it harder to restore
balance between life and work
It is difficult for new parents to
have complete and continuous
high-quality sleep at night due to
breastfeeding, diaper changes,
sleep disturbances, etc.
Lack of rest can lead to physical
and mental discomfort in
mothers and even impulsive
behaviors that endanger their
children and themselves
Being inseparable is a big
reason why many people
feel bad and have difficulty
making changes
It's a vicious circle
Compan
suppo
partn
im
The identification of women's
self-worth and the cultivation
of self-awareness are the
keys to improving emotional
problems
Mothers must learn to be
themselves and learn to let go
(To make women realize that
"mom" is only one of her identities,
not all)
Taking care the baby
become the first priority of
many women, that they
give of their every moment
Many women lost
who they are except
the title of a "mum"
Many new mums put limits
on themselves which make
them less confident and
independent on others
The definition of a
good mother: not
always beside the child
is the best for the child
Women need to get
out of their ego and
find value other than
motherhood
Help a woman accept the
different selves at each stage
and realize that she is
beautiful, valuable, and
shining no matter what stage
It is important for moms to
feel that they are not alone
in the fight (accompanying,
sharing responsibility
Frequent, repetitive breastfeeding
leaves many women feeling
"tethered" to their children, not
getting enough rest, not getting
enough rest, and losing the freedom
to eat
Pregnancy and childbirth
can easily make women
out of shape,
dissatisfaction with herself.
The child is not born only for
mom alone, the dad bears
the same responsibility
(shares the pressure)
Many mothers deny
themselves after giving birth
because of dissatisfaction
with the status quo
Appendix 6 - Thematic Analysis
Conclusion - Delights
Drivers
Delights
about common
mily members and
pathize well with
r problems. On the
ne to neglect their
l to judge whether
ing and
emotions
mothers’
which can
nflicts
Low empathy due to
ack of understanding
will lead to many
conflicts
45
Appropriate social interaction
can allow mothers to release
pressure and gain a sense of
security in communicating
and talking with peers
Time
The lack of knowledge about
postpartum negative emotions is
the incentive for many new parents
to ignore their physical and mental
state and fail to judge whether they
need help or not.
Finding peers can give
mothers a sense of
security and ease
negative emotions
Actively communicating
and talking to others is
the most effective way to
improve mood
need a certain amount
of time and space to
adjust mood while
tiring
New parents
can't tell if they
need help
Knowing that you are not an
exception, find people who have
the same experience as you,
who can give moms a sense of
belonging and security
female:
Active contact with the outside
world and pouring out their own
emotions is the most effective
way to improve mood
Maternal need
personal time to buffer
and regulate emotions
Mothers will also ignore their
physical and mental health
because they do not understand
the knowledge and severity of
postpartum depression
By finding a community that
works for you, finding common
topic with other moms, and
helping each other can ease
negative emotions
eryone in a
r, creating a
nts tend to
ng too much
ng negative
ate of adults
ith babies.
心中有底才能不迷茫！！！
不迷茫才能不焦虑！！！
Pain point
Through professional learning and
receiving professional help, the
confusion and anxiety caused by the
unknown (slight knowledge) can be
effectively relieved
Parents' negative
emotions affect
their children
Through professional
help and education,
negative emotions can
be effectively relieved
Courses that dedicated to
help new parents could help
them relief from anxiety and
better transiting into their
new roles.
New parents without the
necessary skill sets often
feel anxious when dealing
with unfamiliar situation
Personal negative emotions
an have a knock-on effect on
he people around you who
live together and end up
making yourself feel worse
Children are able to
identify and respond to
negative emotional
changes in their parents
Reduce negative
emotions by seeking
help from experienced
people to share stress
Professional courses and
advance
understanding/preparation can
help new parents accept/adapt
to their new identity faster
When dealing with
situations unknown or
unfamiliar, it's easy to
feel nervous and anxious
New parents can use
psychotherapy, the
Internet, seek expert help
to ease negative emotions
Through course study or firstborn experience, moms can
solve problems of newborns
better and faster, thereby
avoiding anxiety
Many people do not have
the necessary skill sets or
mentally prepared for their
new role as a parent
Learning and fully
understanding the importance
of negative emotional issues can
enable new parents to better
cope with emotional shifts
counseling
d and a low
he methods
y basis are
of short
symptoms
causes.
Reasons for reluctance to
undergo psychotherapy may be
reluctance to communicate with
others, high price, and lack of
suitable doctors
When mothers have
negative emotions,
positive emotions from
close ones are important
Identifying partner emotions,
expressing compliments and
affirmations, and learning to
listen can help moms increase
their self-recognition
A harmonious
relationship is based on
empathy and timely twoway communication
Professional psychotherapy
help is often expensive and
difficult to find the right
doctor
Moms are easily influenced by those
close to them and experience
negative emotions. Conversely,
positive emotions can also be
obtained through close people
Effective praise and
affirmation can help
moms improve their
self-esteem
Timely two-way
communication with those
people around, empathy is
the cornerstone of a
harmonious relationship
Reluctance to communicate
with people, believing that
psychotherapy cannot solve
the problem
When moms are agitated,
irritable, or irritable, it's
important to find a way to
calm them down
It is very important to
detect the change of
partner's mood in time and
learn to listen and comfort
Low empathy due to
lack of understanding
will lead to many
conflicts
The Power of Positive Emotions, Inner and
Outer
The lack of personal time
makes it difficult for new
parents to adjust their
state in time even if they
find emotional problems
Because newborns require
constant parental attention
and care, people are often
nable to truly relax and rest,
resulting in chronic fatigue
No personal time - emotional
breakdown - more desire to
escape (personal time)
ack of rest can lead to physical
and mental discomfort in
mothers and even impulsive
behaviors that endanger their
children and themselves
Being inseparable is a big
reason why many people
feel bad and have difficulty
making changes
It's a vicious circle
The power of positive
emotions
(made by myself, given
by others)
Keeping Body
Healthy Can Reduce
Emotional Problems
Physiological factors
are also responsible
for emotional
problems
Physical fatigue from
chore can bring
negative emotions
Don't focus on your
negative emotions and
instead actively create
more positive emotions
Maintaining healthy living
habits and ways and being
close to nature is the
solution to postpartum
depression
Hormone-influenced or
severe postpartum
depression can be relieved
by taking medication
The emotional burden also
comes from the physical
fatigue caused by the
complicated housework
When your attention is no longer on
children and housework, the
negative emotions that come with it
will also be effectively reduced
(hobbies, work, rest, food)
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle
and developing good living
habits are effective ways to
fight postpartum depression
(close to nature)
Severe postpartum
depression, taking drugs can
directly relieve the negative
emotions of new parents
产后抑郁受激素转变所影响
Companionship and
support from the
partner is very
important
women's
ultivation
are the
motional
astfeeding
feeling
dren, not
ot getting
he freedom
Understanding each other
and communicating in a
timely manner with those
around is the key to relieving
emotional problems
Timely detection of negative
emotions and active provision of
positive emotions (comfort, listen,
affirmation, praise, support, etc.)
can effectively alleviate the
emotional problems of mothers
work, work,
ility to relax
p make new
mentally
me to adjust
hanges
to get
o and
er than
od
Mothers need appropriate
methods to ease their emotions,
to avoid negative emotions from
affecting themselves, others and
even the baby
How to ge
recognize a
themselves. Ne
extra help to r
affirm the
女性希望在”妈妈
更要有
Delight
May Li
re easily
e around
chain
es their
se
reastfeeding
ntion and
he long-term
have quality
hysically and
ed
Mothers should have their
own time, balancing
different roles (self,
partner, family, friends)
Sense of
self-approval
Help a woman accept the
different selves at each stage
and realize that she is
beautiful, valuable, and
shining no matter what stage
It is important for moms to
feel that they are not alone
in the fight (accompanying,
sharing responsibility
the company of
partner is very
important for moms
Pregnancy and childbirth
can easily make women
out of shape,
dissatisfaction with herself.
The child is not born only for
mom alone, the dad bears
the same responsibility
(shares the pressure)
Empathy with
children/family/partners
requires active learning and
understanding of each
other's needs
Many mothers deny
themselves after giving birth
because of dissatisfaction
with the status quo
Due to the lack of knowledge about common
postpartum negative emotions, family members and
partners are often unable to empathize well with
mothers, valuing and solving their problems. On the
other hand, mothers are also prone to neglect their
physical and mental state and fail to judge whether
they need help
Appropriate social inter
can allow mothers to re
pressure and gain a se
security in communica
and talking with pee
Professional psychological counseling
often has a high threshold and a low
degree of matching, and the methods
that people use on a daily basis are
faced with the problem of short
timeliness and curing the symptoms
rather than the root causes.
Through professional learni
receiving professional help
confusion and anxiety cause
unknown (slight knowledge)
effectively relieved
The state and mood of everyone in a
family will affect each other, creating a
chain reaction. New parents tend to
ignore each other by focusing too much
on their children, triggering negative
emotions. And the bad state of adults
also affects each other with babies.
Timely detection of nega
emotions and active provis
positive emotions (comfort,
affirmation, praise, suppor
can effectively alleviate
emotional problems of mo
Heavy life pressure (housework, work,
economy), long-term inability to relax
and have high-quality sleep make new
parents physically and mentally
exhausted, and have no time to adjust
their state and make changes
The power of pos
emotions
(made by myself, g
by others)
Physiological fact
are also respons
for emotional
problems
Keeping Bod
Healthy Can Red
Emotional Probl
Understanding each o
and communicating
timely manner with th
around is the key to rel
emotional problem
Companionship a
support from th
partner is very
important
46
Appendix 6 - Thematic Analysis
Conclusion - Drivers
Drivers
Appropriate social interaction
can allow mothers to release
pressure and gain a sense of
security in communicating
and talking with peers
！！！
！！！
Time
Actively communicating
and talking to others is
the most effective way to
improve mood
need a certain amount
of time and space to
adjust mood while
tiring
female:
Active contact with the outside
world and pouring out their own
emotions is the most effective
way to improve mood
Maternal need
personal time to buffer
and regulate emotions
Through professional learning and
receiving professional help, the
confusion and anxiety caused by the
unknown (slight knowledge) can be
effectively relieved
Courses that dedicated to
help new parents could help
them relief from anxiety and
better transiting into their
new roles.
New parents without the
necessary skill sets often
feel anxious when dealing
with unfamiliar situation
Professional courses and
advance
understanding/preparation can
help new parents accept/adapt
to their new identity faster
When dealing with
situations unknown or
unfamiliar, it's easy to
feel nervous and anxious
Through course study or firstborn experience, moms can
solve problems of newborns
better and faster, thereby
avoiding anxiety
Many people do not have
the necessary skill sets or
mentally prepared for their
new role as a parent
Understanding each other
and communicating in a
timely manner with those
around is the key to relieving
emotional problems
Timely detection of negative
emotions and active provision of
positive emotions (comfort, listen,
affirmation, praise, support, etc.)
can effectively alleviate the
emotional problems of mothers
Identifying partner emotions,
expressing compliments and
affirmations, and learning to
listen can help moms increase
their self-recognition
A harmonious
relationship is based on
empathy and timely twoway communication
Effective praise and
affirmation can help
moms improve their
self-esteem
Timely two-way
communication with those
people around, empathy is
the cornerstone of a
harmonious relationship
It is very important to
detect the change of
partner's mood in time and
learn to listen and comfort
Low empathy due to
lack of understanding
will lead to many
conflicts
Emotions, Inner and
Keeping Body
Healthy Can Reduce
Emotional Problems
Physiological factors
are also responsible
for emotional
problems
Maintaining healthy living
habits and ways and being
close to nature is the
solution to postpartum
depression
Hormone-influenced or
severe postpartum
depression can be relieved
by taking medication
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle
and developing good living
habits are effective ways to
fight postpartum depression
(close to nature)
Severe postpartum
depression, taking drugs can
directly relieve the negative
emotions of new parents
产后抑郁受激素转变所影响
Companionship and
support from the
partner is very
important
ortant for moms to
they are not alone
ht (accompanying,
g responsibility
the company of
partner is very
important for moms
is not born only for
one, the dad bears
me responsibility
es the pressure)
Empathy with
children/family/partners
requires active learning and
understanding of each
other's needs
Mothers should have their
own time, balancing
different roles (self,
partner, family, friends)
Sense of
self-approval
Mothers need appropriate
methods to ease their emotions,
to avoid negative emotions from
affecting themselves, others and
even the baby
Losing selfidentify - find
their self
How to get moms to
recognize and affirm
themselves. New moms need
extra help to recognize and
affirm themselves.
Power of positive
emotions ( from
others, self-provide
Positive influence from
those around leads to
improvement
Children are able to
identify and respond to
parental emotional
changes
Newborn parents worry
about all aspects of their
child because they think
it's a heavy responsibility
女性希望在”妈妈“这个身份之外，
更要有自我。
Pain point
Delights
Due to the lack of knowledge about common
postpartum negative emotions, family members and
partners are often unable to empathize well with
mothers, valuing and solving their problems. On the
other hand, mothers are also prone to neglect their
physical and mental state and fail to judge whether
they need help
Appropriate social interaction
can allow mothers to release
pressure and gain a sense of
security in communicating
and talking with peers
Professional psychological counseling
often has a high threshold and a low
degree of matching, and the methods
that people use on a daily basis are
faced with the problem of short
timeliness and curing the symptoms
rather than the root causes.
Through professional learning and
receiving professional help, the
confusion and anxiety caused by the
unknown (slight knowledge) can be
effectively relieved
The state and mood of everyone in a
family will affect each other, creating a
chain reaction. New parents tend to
ignore each other by focusing too much
on their children, triggering negative
emotions. And the bad state of adults
also affects each other with babies.
Timely detection of negative
emotions and active provision of
positive emotions (comfort, listen,
affirmation, praise, support, etc.)
can effectively alleviate the
emotional problems of mothers
Heavy life pressure (housework, work,
economy), long-term inability to relax
and have high-quality sleep make new
parents physically and mentally
exhausted, and have no time to adjust
their state and make changes
The power of positive
emotions
(made by myself, given
by others)
Physiological factors
are also responsible
for emotional
problems
Keeping Body
Healthy Can Reduce
Emotional Problems
Understanding each other
and communicating in a
timely manner with those
around is the key to relieving
emotional problems
Companionship and
support from the
partner is very
important
Drivers
Time
Sense of
self-approval
Losing selfidentify - find
their self
Power of positive
emotions ( from
others, self-provide