Let’s start with- You’re not alone in this! We get you; you’re doing everything to the best of your capabilities.
Whatever it is that you’re feeling after giving birth to your little precious is- valid. Many mothers go through it, so it’s time that we talk about it. It’s quite normal to have ‘baby blues’ just right after the delivery, after all, it’s a major change in your life. Birthing a whole new human is no joke, it’s an overwhelming experience. But if the feeling of ‘baby blues’ doesn’t leave you even after a month, there are chances that you might be dealing with ‘postpartum depression’ also known as ‘maternal depression’.
No less than 10% of new moms go through this- all the anxieties, restlessness and feeling of sadness starts penetrating the mind and heart. Let us look at it from a different perspective- Imagine you’re offered a new, high-demanding job. Even when you’re fully prepared with all the theoretical knowledge and means it takes to fulfil the job requirement, you find out that you’ll never get enough sleep to be productive. You will be tired all the time and hopelessness might pierce through. Now, replace ‘new job’ with being a mom and organisation being the ‘baby’.
If you’re feeling anything close to this, it’s an early sign of postpartum depression. Consult your doctor/therapist right away. The sooner you seek treatment, the sooner you’ll feel better.
Other signs to look out for as an early sign of postpartum depression are:
- Constant feeling of sadness
- Urge to cry more than usual
- Misplaced frustrations and restlessness
- Loss of interest in little joys
- Loss of appetite
- Lack of energy and motivation to do things
- Difficulty in sleeping: trouble staying asleep or falling asleep
- Penetration of hopelessness in regular life
- Unexplained weight loss or gain
- Disinterest in the baby or their activities
- Not feeling attached to the baby or husband or both
How to deal with postpartum depression?
Postpartum depression cannot be prevented or avoided; however, you can always prepare in advance by talking to your doctor/counsellor. Other than that, you can follow stress reduction strategies like:
- Eat healthy during and after pregnancy
- Include some kind of exercise daily
- Stay away from alcohol and caffeine
- Continue making conscious healthy lifestyle decisions
- Start/continue with your therapy sessions
Living with Postpartum
Being depressed doesn’t make you a bad person. It doesn’t mean that you’re wrong or you’ve brought it upon yourself. And it definitely doesn’t mean that you do not love your baby. Always remember that if you’re feeling sad, depressed, anxious, restless, hopeless, tired or any similar symptom, many other women and some men are also experiencing the same emotions. You can follow the below-mentioned exercise to remain calm during your hard times and it’ll get better.
- Find someone to talk to about your feelings
- Get in touch with people with the same experience and who overcame it. They’ll let you know that it gets easier with time
- Find some time to do little something for yourself that doesn’t involve your child- like reading, dancing or anything that gives you immense satisfaction
- Maintain a daily diary and write down your emotions and feelings. This is a great way to let your frustration and anger out. Once you feel better, you can go back and re-read to figure out the improvement
- Celebrate all small achievements. Even if you’re able to get only one thing done in a day, just celebrate it rather than getting angry about the things you weren’t able to do
- It’s okay to be overwhelmed. Childbirth is a life-changing experience, don’t let your negative thoughts consume you
- Talk honestly to your doctor without the fear of being judged. The more you talk, the better it gets
