POSTPARTUM DEPRESSED MOTHERS EXPERIENCES INTERACTING WITH THEIR CHILDREN

A phenomenological study was conducted to investigate the meaning of p ostpartum depressed mothers' interactions with their infants and older children. A purposive sample of 12 mothers participated. Nine theme c lusters emerged when the formulated meanings were organized into categ ories. Participants were overwhelmed by the responsibilities of caring for their children. Guilt, irrational thinking, loss, and anger fille d their day-to-day interactions with their children. Mothers went thro ugh the motions, acting like robots while caring for their infants. At times, to survive, they erected a wall to separate themselves emotion ally from their children and consequently failed to respond to their i nfants' cues. Detrimental relationships with their older children mate rialized as mothers were enveloped by postpartum depression.