The Transition From Pregnancy to Postpartum in Previously Infertile Women: A Focus on Depression

Women with previous infertility may be at risk for developing depression during pregnancy (Olshansky, E. (2003). A theoretical explanation for previously infertile mothers' vulnerability to depression. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 35(3), 23-268) and postpartum, a possibility often overlooked in this population. There is a dearth of research about depression in women during the transition from pregnancy to postpartum. This pilot longitudinal, cohort design study examined this transition, focusing on potential predictors of postpartum depression (PPD) in previously infertile women. Two significant variables, marital satisfaction and the “divided self,” a condition in which women present an outer compliant self while experiencing internal anger, may be predictors of the development of PPD in new mothers with a history of infertility. Additional research is needed to confirm these preliminary findings.