Insta hurting new mums

PICTURE-PERFECT Instagram mummies could be aggravating postnatal depression in new mothers, experts say.

Gold Coast-based University of Queensland psychology researcher Magen SeymourSmith said celebrity mum Instagram and Facebook profiles could be damaging for new mothers already struggling.

“In my opinion, presenting a perfect view of motherhood could potentially be damaging because mothers who are not doing so well may feel like a failure as a parent,” she said.

“As a parent myself, when you see those parental images (online), you do that social comparison and sometimes it can cause you to think you’re doing things wrong.

“There has to be other things already happening to cause postnatal depression but it may make a mother feel worse.

“I can imagine for a mother experiencing social isolation and postnatal depression, seeing these Insta-mums might cause them to question themselves.”

The comments come after the Bulletin this week reported the story of a young mum who was sentenced to nine months’ probation for locking her twomonth-old baby in the car for nearly an hour while she enjoyed a massage.

The 26-year-old’s lawyer said the mother was suffering from postnatal depression at the time, a claim questioned by the magistrate.

In March, the Gold Coast University Hospital opened Queensland’s first mother and baby inpatient mental health unit. The clinical lead for the unit, perinatal psychiatrist Dr Susan Roberts, said 34 mums from across the state had been admitted for treatment for serious mental health issues.

“This was a much-needed service for Queensland and the four-bed unit provides 24-hour care for mothers and their babies,” she said.

The unit, coined the Lavender Unit, treats seriously ill mothers diagnosed with postnatal disorders including depression and psychosis and allows them to be treated alongside their babies.

Later this year, Ms Seymour-Smith will travel to the UK to study the positive impacts online mothers groups can have on new mums.