Rachel Louise Moran's "Blue" meticulously chronicles the evolution of understanding and treatment of postpartum depression in America. The book traces the journey from a time when women's emotional distress after childbirth was dismissed to the present day, where advocacy and research have brought about significant changes. Moran highlights the pivotal roles of activists, psychiatrists, and support groups in shaping the narrative and advocating for better care. The work also examines the complexities of medicalization, the impact of social and cultural factors, and the disparities in experiences across different racial and socioeconomic groups. Ultimately, "Blue" offers a comprehensive and nuanced history of postpartum depression, illuminating the ongoing struggle for recognition, treatment, and support.
First published in 1970, 'Our Bodies, Ourselves' is a groundbreaking book that addresses various aspects of women's health and sexuality, including sexual health, birth control, abortion, pregnancy, childbirth, menopause, and violence against women. The book was created by the Boston Women's Health Book Collective and has undergone several revisions and updates. It emphasizes the importance of women's active participation in their healthcare, challenges medical dogmas, and provides a platform for women to share their personal experiences and insights. The book has been translated into over 30 languages and has sold more than four million copies, significantly influencing the women's health movement globally.
First published in 1946, this book has been a cornerstone of parenting advice for generations. It covers a wide range of topics including preparing for the baby, toilet training, school, illnesses, and special problems. The book is arranged by age and includes advice on modern issues such as immunizations, screen-time, childhood obesity, and environmental health. Dr. Spock's approach emphasizes the importance of parents' natural loving care and trusting their instincts, while Dr. Needlman's updates ensure the book remains relevant to contemporary parenting challenges.
Published in 1963, 'The Feminine Mystique' by Betty Friedan critiques the societal expectations that confined women to roles as housewives and mothers, arguing that these roles denied women their basic human need to grow and achieve personal fulfillment. Friedan coined the term 'feminine mystique' to describe the belief that women could find complete fulfillment in domestic duties alone. Through extensive research, including interviews with housewives, college students, and experts in psychology and education, Friedan exposed the widespread unhappiness among women and the detrimental effects of these societal norms on their mental and physical health. The book played a pivotal role in sparking the second-wave feminist movement, encouraging women to seek careers and personal achievements outside the home[1][3][5].
New motherhood is often seen as a joyful moment in a woman’s life; for some women, it is also their lowest moment. For much of the twentieth century, popular and medical voices blamed women who had emotional and mental distress after childbirth for their own suffering. By the end of the century, though, women with postpartum mental illnesses sought to take charge of this narrative.
In Blue: A History of Postpartum Depression in America (U Chicago Press, 2024), Rachel Louise Moran explores the history of the naming and mainstreaming of postpartum depression. Coalitions of maverick psychiatrists, psychologists, and women who themselves had survived substantial postpartum distress fought to legitimize and normalize women’s experiences. They argued that postpartum depression is an objective and real illness and fought to avoid it being politicized alongside other fraught medical and political battles over women’s health.
Based on insightful oral histories and in-depth archival research, Blue reveals a secret history of American motherhood, women’s political activism, and the rise of postpartum depression advocacy amid an often-censorious conservative culture. By breaking new ground with the first book-length history of postpartum mental illness in the twentieth century, Moran brings mothers’ battles with postpartum depression out of the shadows and into the light.
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