CBC Doc Zone recently aired a documentary called The Motherload. While it doesn’t deal directly with postpartum depression and anxiety, it does take a long hard look at the context within which North American women are working as mothers. It focuses on mothers who are also working outside the home and shines a light on the intense pressures that come from juggling family and career. Watching the documentary is extremely enlightening when it comes to pinpointing the environmental factors that can contribute to PPD/A. For instance, it’s obvious that the women in the documentary are suffering from an extreme lack of self-care, sleep deprivation, and the negative effects of the Good Mother Myth (what the documentary makers call the Mommy Mystique). The documentary is well worth a watch for those wanting to learn more about where things need to change in order for parents to be healthy and maintain balance in their lives.
If you’re in Canada you can view the entire documentary here:
http://www.cbc.ca/doczone/episodes/motherload
