I wish I had read this article 16 years ago when I was giving birth. It talks about the importance of Rest and Repair (which we learn in Somatic Experiencing as well). I believe that if the significance of this rest was well known post natal depression could be prevented in a lot of cases. It would have made such a difference to me, I definitely rushed too much and didn’t give myself enough time for this massive transition to motherhood. Whenever the body works hard, especially after an accident or an operation (and also after giving birth) rest is detrimental for recovery and healing. Rushing into the next phase without having completed this important stage means paying a dear price in the end. Here some words of the article: “There is no rush to get the baby onto the mother’s chest. The mother has a moment to take a breath, to come back from the work of birthing her baby. “This pause,” says Karen Strange, “allows the mother to integrate this moment of transition”. A woman will exhale from the work of birth before she begins to inhale the presence of her child and her new identity as a mother. There is no rush to initiate her as a mother. Most mothers’ first moments after giving birth include a stunned kind of relief, bewilderment, and shock. The mother is not there yet and needs to take a pause first. “ by MARY ESTHER MALLOY

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3209737/