A human infant needs an enormous amount of support to reach the stage of independence, more than any other species on earth. Taking on that commitment, ahead of all other possibilities, is the greatest demand there is. If we just look raising a child to “breeding age” (puberty) we are looking at 12-15 years. Brain maturity is reached around 25 years.

A mother bonds with her infant during the postnatal period. Bonding probably begins in pregnancy but it is during during the immediate skin-to-skin period after birth when it really kicks in. It is a process which develops over the following days and weeks.

Bonding is a two-way process. The baby needs to bond with their mother just as much as she does with them

Humans are social beings designed to live cooperatively in groups. Unlike the solitary orang-utan who raises one child to adulthood before breeding again - a cycle of around 8 years - humans average around 3-4 years between babies and rely on the support of others in their community to keep them alive. The intense care required by the relatively immature human infant leaves little time for much else so grandmothers, aunts, cousins, sisters and daughters step in. Traditional hunter-gatherer communities understand that keeping the next generation alive supports their own future well-being. When not caring for the very young, these women are caring for the very old. The continuity of care across the ages is part of what makes humans such a unique species.

What do we know about breastfeeding and PND?

Women who are breastfeeding and experiencing symptoms of PND might wonder if breastfeeding is having an impact on their mental health.

Women who have symptoms of PND and are breastfeeding might wonder if their mental health is having an impact on the breastfeeding.

Researchers in recent years have explored both these scenarios and results show some interesting data.