Most new mothers feel at least a little depressed after giving birth, a new survey has revealed.
Midwives said the findings revealed the extent of undiagnosed post-natal depression and the lack of preparation to deal with it.
According to the Royal College of Midwives, many student midwives are not learning enough about how to deal with maternal mental health issues.
The survey of mothers, carried out in collaboration with mothers’ network Netmums, found that three quarters of those who reported feeling depressed following birth did not seek help.
Some 59% out of 486 of women reported feeling low after giving birth.
A separate survey of more than 2,000 midwives and 950 students found that most midwives believe post-natal care should focus on emotional support. Just 40% said they had the time and resources to do this.
And a similar proportion said they had trouble referring women to other health professionals when they had concerns about a mother’s mental health.
Among the students, some 29% said they would not feel confident in recognising mental health issues among new mothers.
College chief executive Cathy Warwick said post-natal care was becoming a "lottery."
She said: "We have serious, longstanding concerns about the levels of care for women with mental health problems. It is clear this is a high priority for maternity staff and it is clear they want to deliver a high quality service.
"However, they are often prevented by doing this either by the system itself or a simple lack of resources."
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