Effect of the 'Mother and Baby' Program on New Mothers' Psychological and Physical Well-Being.

Background

The benefits of exercise, in particular group exercise, for women in early motherhood include improved body image, decreased anxiety, improved energy and building of social networks. Exercise has also been shown to be beneficial in the management of mood disorders such as depression and more specifically, postnatal depression. However there has been no suggestion that exercise may reduce symptoms of psychotic disorders that require medication, psychiatric therapy and possible hospitalisation. The number of women experiencing postnatal depression (PND) has increased to one in five women following childbirth. Some of the risks of development of PND include lack of social support during the childbearing year and lack of involvement in the community. new mothers have identified that reasons for inactivity include no child care, limited opportunity to exercise with their baby, reduced self-esteem, poor body image, or they are too busy. Research to date is limited and qualitative in nature, with no standardised measurement tools used to assess quality of life in postnatal women.

The 'Mother and Baby' (M&B) program is an 8-week program involving one hour of group exercise with mothers and their babies conducted by a physiotherapist and a 30-minute education session provided by various health professionals (physiotherapist, nutritionist, speech pathologist, psychologists and midwives). Education topics include baby massage, nutrition for mothers, introducing solids, adjusting to a new lifestyle, communicating with the baby, sun care for the baby and play development. The aim of the study is to explore the benefits of the M&B program on new mothers' psychological and physical well-being as well as the social benefits of exercise.

Research Plan

The design of the study is a comprehensive cohort design incorporating a randomised controlled trial (RCT)of the effects of the M&B program on the health of health women 6-10 weeks following the birth of their baby. The cohort design will complement the results of a classic RCT by allowing the investigation of outcomes in a setting that simulates the 'real-world' treatment process.