Motherhood is a status of universal significance, but childbirth, which is a prerequisite for attaining this status, is a stressful process which affects the mind, the body or both. Evidence for the development of major mental illness following childbirth has been recognized since ancient times. Hippocrates reported psychiatry disorders among his maternity patients in the pre Christian era and theories have been put forward to explain psychiatric disorder in puerperium. The hormonal theory sought to explain non psychotic depression in the puerperium on the falling levels of...