When Yvonne Wambui gave birth to her baby, she expected joy.
Instead, she felt numb.
“I felt like a robot,” she says.
“Everyone around me
had said the pain would disappear once I held my child. But after childbirth, I
just felt... nothing.”
Yvonne, a young mother from Nairobi, is among many Kenyan
women who have silently battled postpartum depression, a condition that affects
mothers after childbirth, often leaving them feeling disconnected, overwhelmed,
and emotionally drained.
Her experience wasn’t isolated.
Grace Chelangat, another mother, recalls being gripped by
confusion and fear in the early weeks after giving birth.
One week, she found herself forgetting where her baby was, even
moments after seeing him.
“I remember running through the house in a panic, searching
for my child,” she says. “Even after finding him safe, minutes later, I’d
forget again. It became a vicious cycle.”
For six months, Grace avoided people. Even her own mother,
who visited daily to help, felt like too much.
“I would lock myself in my room and sleep. I didn’t want to
talk to anyone,” she adds.
These stories reflect the emotional weight many mothers
carry, largely in silence.
Postpartum depression, or PPD, is a mood disorder that
occurs within the first year after childbirth. It affects a mother’s ability to
function and care for her baby.
According to the National Institute of Health, between 10%
and 20% of mothers globally suffer from PPD.
In Africa, the rate ranges from 10% to 32%. In Kenya,
studies show 11–18.7% of women experience it, with rural women more affected, up
to 25%.
Dr. Nancy Muchomba, an obstetrician at Marie Stopes Kenya,
explains that there is no single cause for postpartum depression. Instead, it’s
often a mix of factors.
“After childbirth, hormone levels—especially estrogen and
progesterone—drop drastically. This can trigger depression. Some women also
experience a dip in thyroid hormones, causing fatigue and low mood,” she says.
She adds that genetics can also play a role.
“Women with a family history of depression are at higher
risk. Certain genes that regulate mood and bonding hormones like serotonin and
oxytocin are often involved,” says Dr. Muchomba.
Beyond biology, social and environmental stressors can
worsen a mother’s mental health.
A lack of support, relationship strain, and abandonment by
friends or partners are major triggers.
“Some mothers are left alone with a newborn despite promises
of support,” Dr. Muchomba notes.
“That isolation becomes a breeding ground for depression.”
Symptoms of postpartum depression vary. Emotionally, mothers
may feel sadness, anxiety, or guilt. Cognitively, they struggle to focus or
make decisions.
Physically, many individuals report experiencing fatigue,
headaches, or body aches. Even basic tasks, like showering, can feel
exhausting.
Dr. Jim Mutisa, an obstetrician at Binticare Maternity
Hospital, urges mothers to seek help early.
“If symptoms persist for more than two weeks, it’s time to
speak to a doctor or mental health professional,” he says.
“Support from family
and friends is equally important.”
Both Dr. Mutisa and Dr. Muchomba stress that postpartum
depression is not a sign of failure. It is a medical condition, and with the
right support, recovery is possible.
For Yvonne, it took nearly a year to feel a genuine
connection to her child. Today, she speaks up to let other mothers know they’re
not alone.
“I didn’t love my baby the way I expected to. But it didn’t
make me a bad mother—it just meant I needed help,” she says.
Her story, and Grace’s, shine a light on a topic rarely
discussed.
As more women speak
out, the hope is that postpartum depression will be understood not as weakness,
but as a real and treatable condition facing many Kenyan mothers.
