Maternal mental health is of vital importance. Many mothers caring for infants and small children suffer from depression and other forms of mental illness. It is essential that they are understood, since a great deal can be done to help them and to promote their mental health.This book analyzes the variety of mental disorders that often occur during pregnancy, birth and the postpartum period, thus making childbearing the most complex psychological event in human experience. Brockington provides a summary of our current knowledge on the subject, set in a historical context, as a foundation for research. There are chapters on infertility, mental health during pregnancy, postpartum disorders, infant loss, the mother-infant relationship, child abuse, infanticide, the effects on the family, and services for mentally ill mothers. The volume features 300 case descriptions and personal accounts. It will interest all professionals in the medical, nursing and social professions.