الفهرس 
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Abstract
Maternity blues also called baby blues or postpartum blues is a common mild affective syndrome that could be experienced by women after delivery which involves fatigue, despondency, tearfulness and difficulty thinking clearly. The symptoms of the “baby blues” normally occur for a few minutes up to a few hours each day. The characteristic symptoms comprise emotional liability, weeping, anxiety, fatigue, insomnia, irritability, mood or elation and cognitive difficulty including poor attention, distractibility and poor recent memory. Emotional liability is the most prominent symptom of the maternity blues with mood swings that might take place several times a day (Quintero, 2018).
First time mothers don’t have experience in caring for babies, but full responsibility for anew born is more difficult, it is easy to get frustrated with a baby who cries often or who aren’t breastfed well, it is also very difficult to adjust to the new baby, sleeping and feeding schedule. Having first baby, put stress on the relationship between the new mother and her partner; it is important to reassure a first time mother to tell her that those feelings are normal and to educate her about what to expect and ways to take care of herself and her baby (Carlough, 2020).
Significance of the study:
“Maternity blues” is a phase of emotional liability following childbirth, postpartum blues is a very commonly observed puerperal mood disturbance, with estimates of prevalence universal ranged from 30-75%. The symptoms arise within the first 10days and peak around 3-7 days. Social support and reassurance from the family members is needed. It can be attributed to changes in hormone levels compounded by stress following delivery. However, if it persists for 2 weeks, it may make woman vulnerable to more severe forms of mood disorders (Journal of Reproductive, 2016).
In Egypt the rate of postpartum blues is approximately around 37%; the universal ranges of postpartum blues is approximately 30-75%. This wide range of variation can be attributed to cultural factors and the presence of high social and familial support after childbirth. The same percentage of postpartum blues in Egypt was reported by El Akabawi et al. (2011).
Aim of the study:
The aim of this study is to assess the effect of maternity blues on the mother’s health and her baby care.
Research Questions:
1. What’s the mother’s knowledge about maternity blues?
2. What’s the effect of maternity blues on mother’s health?
3. What’s the effect of maternity blues on the care of the baby.
Subject and methods
Research design:
A descriptive analytical design was utilized for the current study. It was used to observe, describe, and document the data as it naturally occurs.
Research Setting:
The study was carried out at antenatal outpatient clinic of Gynecology and Obstetrics hospital, Ain Shams University and then the cases detected was followed up through home visits after birth.
Sampling:
Type: A purposive sample was used.
Size: The study sample included one hundred (100) women selected through simple random sample and were assessed for being at risk to postpartum blue and then the (100) babies delivered by these mothers during the first week after delivery.
Technical design
The following tools were used for data collection of study:
First tool: Structured interviewing questionnaire:
This tool consisted of seven parts;
• Part one: Demographic characteristics of the studied women. It assessed women’s demographic characteristics, such as: Age, weight, height, monthly income, residence, occupation, marital status, and educational level for women and their husbands. This section includes (Q1 –Q9).
• Part two: The history of previous pregnancy such as previous surgery and it’s type, abortion history and chronic diseases (type and duration). This section includes (Q10 –Q12).
• Part three: Physical changes during current pregnancy such as health problems in pregnancy and it’s type, food pattern, drinks, folic acid, sleep pattern, and negative feeling toward weight during pregnancy, change at relationship with husband, clothes, ability of recovering weight. This section includes (Q13 –Q21).
• Part four: Financial changes during current pregnancy such as managing the expenses and delivery requirement and their effect on psychological status (thoughts of increasing financial load after birth and feeling depressed). This section includes (Q22 –Q25).
• Part five: Social changes during current pregnancy such as relationship with husband, husband family, mother and sister and friends. This section includes (Q26 –Q29).
• Part six: Psychological changes during current pregnancy such as feeling toward current pregnancy, psychological changes, method of getting rid of troubles, and ideas about getting rid of life. This section includes (Q30 –Q33).
• Part seven: Knowledge of women regarding maternity blues as (definitions, causes, symptoms, factors leading to PB, action after feeling symptoms of PB, and effect of postpartum blues on both women and their babies. This section include (Q34 –Q41).
II- The Edinburgh postnatal depression scale:
It consists of 10-questions. Self-rating scale has been proven to be an efficient and effective way of identifying patients at risk for postpartum blues and postpartum depression. While this test was specifically designed for women who are pregnant or have just had a baby, it has also been shown to be an effective measure for general depression in the larger population.
III- Health Assessment during Postpartum Period:
It was given to each woman who participates in the study, aiming to assess the health status of the women participating in the sample after birth
IV-New born assessment checklist scale:
It will be developed by the researcher to assess the effect of maternity blues on the care of her baby.
Pilot study:
Pilot study was carried out on (10) women under thy study and they were excluded from the sample.
Results & findings:
Findings of the current study can be summarized as:
• There were more than three quarters of mothers have poor knowledge and awareness of postpartum blues (90%) of the studied sample
• There were (69%) of the women, their age are between 20-30 years. As regard maximum women weight there were (110) and (49%) of them overweight and regarding maximum women height, there were (173) woman regarding monthly income, 67% of women under study say that their monthly income were not sufficient
• There were about more than one quarter of mothers have post-partum blues after giving birth.
• There were significant relations between developing postpartum blues & knowledge and awareness 0f postpartum blues
• There was a significant relation between maternity blues and mother health.
• There was a significant relation between maternity blues and care of the baby.
Recommendations
In the light of the study findings, the following recommendations were suggested:
• Planning and developing a health educational program for pregnant women who should be informed of all aspects regarding postpartum blues, symptoms, prevention and care of their babies through family medical counseling Centers.
• An Arabic self-learning package, as a part of educational program is needed to be developed for raising awareness of pregnant women and correct their knowledge and practice toward postpartum blues and their babies’ health condition.
• Improving the mothers’ knowledge and awareness toward postpartum blues and caring their babies through mass media such as posters, booklet, out patient clinics of gynecological & obstetric hospital and newspapers.
• Further studies should be conducted to improve the mother’s knowledge and awareness for proper caring their babies.
• Further studies should be conducted to study quality of life of women with maternity blues.