“Postpartum depression is the
most common complication of
childbirth, and it has long-
lasting repercussions for the
mother and children.”
To avoid the social media blues, Lawton,
who runs her own digital marketing, strat-
egy and consulting business, recommends
unplugging from the pages and profiles
that don’t make you feel happy and instead
looking for local community groups with
people who have gone through similar
struggles. Now, Lawton and her husband have
welcomed their third child from a
healthier place.

“I loved being a mom after she was born.

She came out in four pushes,” Lawton
says, recalling the birth. “I was medi-
tating, taking the right meds. I was able
to embrace motherhood in a completely
different way.”
Her other advice for mothers who find
themselves on similar journeys is to be
extra aware if you’re at risk or have experi-
enced PPD. It’s “knowing what to look for
when you’re starting to spiral,” she says.

Thanks to the research by Payne
and others, there might be a day
where mothers would be able to address
PPD earlier, and therefore lessen its
intensity. One of the benefits of Payne’s findings
could be a screening tool to detect PPD
risk early so physicians can help patients
get support before becoming seriously
ill, Payne says.

“We’re getting closer to understanding
at least some of the pathophysiology of
PPD,” she says. “It is my hope that my
research will eventually eliminate most
cases of PPD by establishing ways to
prevent the onset.” ■
View Payne and her colleagues’
research online at nature.com/articles/
s41380-022-01794-2. Learn more
about Yip’s work at dryip.com and
follow Lawton’s journey at
annelieselawton.com. FOLLOW
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