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Abstract
Existing knowledge on the patterns of postpartum maternal blues has come primarily from studies conducted in the 1970s on English women, who typically were hospitalized for 10 days following delivery. English studies show that symptoms of postpartum blues peak on days 3 through 7 following delivery. Studies on African women have shown a pattern similar to the one described for English women. However, the incidence of the blues has not been systematically studied in American women who are discharged from the hospital 24-72 hours postpartum.
The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine maternal mood patterns for the first 14 days after delivery. Fifty-nine American primiparas completed three questionnaires on postpartum days 1,3,5,7,10 and 14. Depressive scores increased from day 1 to day 3, remained elevated between days 3 and 7, and then declined. The three questionnaires revealed similar mood patterns.