Women’s Experiences of Postpartum Psychosis During the Onset and Early Days

Although research has identified some clear risk indicators for the onset of postpartum psychosis (PP), little is known about the experiences of women for whom onset appears to come “out of the blue.” Semi-structured interviews focused on seven women’s “out of the blue” experiences of PP during the onset and transcripts were analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Four superordinate themes: “What’s happening?”, “Lack of recognition of the seriousness,” “Breast is best?” and “Trauma” were identified depicting various anxieties, difficulties, distress and reflections on possible precipitating and perpetuating factors. An interpretive account provides insight into how PP might be experienced, barriers to identifying the presence of PP and possible contributing factors.