Having a child is a great privilege, but childbirth’s enormous responsibility can sometimes trigger postpartum depression in new mothers. Statistically, about one in seven women experience baby blues yearly. Also, from a scientific standpoint, there is no specific cause for postpartum depression.
However, there is a valuable strategy for treating women with the disorder. So in this blog post, we will go over several methods to help you cope with postpartum depression. Let’s get started!
What is postpartum depression?
Essentially, postpartum depression is a psychological disorder affecting women after childbirth. It is characterized by severe mood swings and unhappiness with the new state of motherhood, where the mother experiences difficulty bonding with her baby. Depressed new mothers may experience a strong urge to kill their babies and require critical psychological and medical attention in extreme cases.
Fortunately, the psychological disorder is treatable. One of the first steps is caring for your psychological wellness during pregnancy to forestal postpartum depression. Most people refer to postpartum depression as baby blues. While both terms loosely mean the unhappiness and mood swings new mothers experience after childbirth, there is a slight difference.
Baby blues are easily treatable and do not last long, while postpartum depression requires compulsory treatment and attention. However, several women do not report their episodes of unhappiness after childbirth and remain untreated.
Three Tips for managing postpartum depression
Postnatal depression does not make you a bad parent and does not require you to struggle in secret with it. Here are effective strategies to help you cope with the disorder.
Endeavor to establish a strong bond with your baby
Establishing a secure bond with your baby is vital for preventing postpartum depression. Some mothers immediately form this bond with their babies, while others require some time to build the bond slowly.
Sometimes, it can take several weeks to even months to make a significant attachment to your baby. A secure mother-baby bond is beneficial for both mother and child. You can stimulate this bonding by cuddling, kissing, and responding to your baby’s emotional cues. This way, you reassure yourself of your child’s dependability while reassuring your child of your undeniable love and attention.
Take the time to care for yourself.
Taking care of yourself does more for your mental well-being than you realize. Essentially, most negative emotional responses after childbirth stem from the pressure new mothers feel about having to sacrifice everything continuously. As a result, the new mother subconsciously feels cheated or at a disadvantage, thus triggering a negative emotional response towards her baby.
Taking a nap while your baby is asleep is one way to begin. Also, you can steal a few hours of sleep to compensate for the lack of sleep every time your baby demands your attention.
Additionally, you should nourish your body with high-quality foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, proteins, vitamins, and minerals. Alternatively, you can engage in light exercise, pamper yourself, go for a makeover, dress shopping, etc. The idea is to give yourself enough attention to avoid feeling drained emotionally, mentally, physically, and otherwise.
Get professional help
Postpartum depression is not a disorder to manage alone and in isolation. You can get professional help by signing up for psychotherapy and counseling sessions. Also, your therapist might add some prescription antidepressants to your sessions to help ease your stress.
Bottom Line
Postnatal depression is normal and doesn’t require much worry. Taking care of your mental health before and during pregnancy will put you ahead of the situation. Furthermore, you get to condition your mind before your baby comes to help you bond better.