Case Study, continued
Felicia gained 24 lb during her pregnancy and gave birth to a healthy full term, 6 lb 2 oz baby girl. At first she felt overwhelming joy and her maternal instincts blossomed. Her newborn daughter, Kate, breastfed without difficulty and Felicia was thrilled. After about 2 week, however, Felicia began to examine herself in the mirror, stating that she felt like a deflated balloon. She became obsessed with her weight and had a difficult time coping with her new body shape. These issues coupled with sleep deprivation, hormonal changes, and adjusting to a new baby, caused her to become depressed. Fortunately, she had the strength to call the NPP that she had been seeing and began treatment that week. Those issues, coupled with sleep deprivation, hormonal changes, and adjusting to a new baby, caused her to begin to plummet into depression.