This describes me to a T. I was a perfectionist and suffered with an extreme form of PPD. My own mother didn't even know and she saw me every single day. It was years before I got help, and now I talk to women about this all the time. It's amazing how prevalent this complication is.

I agree Stacey. This article hits the nail on the head! It really descibes my first birth and baby to a T.

Great. So those of us who actually are doing well after our first child will be suspected of having PPD just because we have no complaints?

And when I insist that I am doing fine some comedian of a doctor will be quoting Shakespeare to me (Methinks the lady doth protest...). :-)

Hopefully this study identified some corelating factors besides putting a nice face on things. Otherwise, Type-A (albeit, recovering) perfectionists like me will be told how inadequate we are for not admitting our "true" feelings.

That's what I always tell anyone who is having a baby.....perfectionism and children do not mix. Once you have kids things are messy, life can be good, but it will probably never be perfect again. You need to start letting that part of your life go once you become pregnant.

More abortions = less PPD.

There's a lot of social pressure among women not to say anything negative about pregnancy, childbirth, or nursing. I hated all 3 experiences but I love my son very dearly - he is such a joy! However, I didn't realize how much pressure I'd be under to say that it was all just fluffy - I didn't realize that I'd be expected say that I loved being nauseated for 9 months, that I was expected to enjoy having 15 minute contractions 30 seconds apart, and that it was supposed to be some kind of spiritual experience having my chest become public property.... Not to mention I was expected to float smiling through my depression for a full year afterwards. I hated it all, but thankfully I had a good family & friend support group that accepted my feelings, my complaints, and helped me through those challenges to raise a beautiful son.

My hope is that every woman can have a family and community support group like mine - that can accept that most of us really don't feel very fluffy about it, and then give us the help we need instead of condemnation.

Exactly what I have been saying for years. This crap they've been handing out that PPD is caused by fluctuating hormones never rang true. IF that was the case, why wouldn't all women suffer from it? The truth is, if you have mental problems and you get pregnant, your going to be a mother with mental problems. They missed one key component. There is also the matter of "narcissism". These women love the attention that being pregnant brings and then they get jealous once that attention moves from them to the child. That's why women, who claim to have PPD, will murder their child and yet, go on get pregnant again. It's all about them.

I was one of thirteen children. The girls in the family were expected to help care for the younger siblings, do housework and grocery shop since my mom needed all the help she could get.

This life's experience did not make it any easier when I had my 1st baby. I felt just as inadequate and overwhelmed at times knowing I was responsible to care for my baby 24/7. My husband, a good guy, was clueless.

My mom was my support, advising me that my feelings of inadequacy were quite normal.

40 years later I am my daughters coach and cheering section.

I think a lot of this comes from the fact that somehow over the years raising children has morphed from a community wide bonding exercise to a competitive sport! We are all expected to just know how to raise perfectly well rounded, extremely intelligent, ahead of the curve kids. And in admitting our faults or short comings we acknowledge that we are not perfect.

I've never had a problem admitting that I am far from perfect - and I like me that way. But after I had my first kid I was surprised at how my questions about raising kids were answered by some people. My husbands brother and sister in law are a perfect example of this. When either of us would ask them a question they answer would be: "What? You don't know?!?" No, I don't! This is my first time being a parent and I need some help. You didn't know either when this was new to you! Stop being so pompous and smug.

I think this study shows how very important communicating and being honest is. We all need a little help every now and then!

If society were more honest about pregnancies, childdbirth, child raising and dealing with teenagers, world population would simply stop growing so fast! Having babies has been hailed as such a beautiful and loving experience that blindsides everyone who's not been a mother yet.

I'd rather put the blame on the social hullaballoo on having babies, than on a woman's perfectionist personality. My sisters and cousins all had babies about the same time, and they all had PPD. None of them was a perfectionist, but they all had been told over and over that motherhood was "the most beautiful experience ever." Boy, were they b**llsh**tted! No one, except me, told them about the mess, the lack of sleep, the frustrations, the pain and the realisation that none of it resembled what we were told... I guess that's the only way to convince women to have babies, by lying to them.

I was the oldest of 8 and saw my mother have what amounted to a nervous breakdown just about every day.

When I had my first child, I expected more of the same, but I was on cloud nine. Sure, he was a real handful, but, in my mind, if there was such a thing as angels, this was what they looked like. By the time son #3 came along (3 under 4) it was.....if it's good enough, it's good enough.

Now that they're all in their 20's, they're happy, well adjusted people in their own right (not perfect by a long shot), and I'm looking forward to seeing them as fathers, but only when they're ready.