10 ways to deal with postpartum depression
Having a baby can make you feel emotionally depressed and depressed. One minute the young mother is beside herself with joy and love for her baby, and the next one has eyes wet with tears. This is a woman’s common reaction to having a baby called postpartum depression, a disorder that affects one in seven mothers, according to a recent study in the JAMA Journal of Psychiatry.
Any woman may experience postpartum depression, but women who often experienced anxiety or depression during pregnancy are at greater risk.
Of course, with postpartum depression it is better to talk with a professional who can make an accurate diagnosis and offer medications and therapy. However, there are also things that any woman can do now to feel better. Here are 10 ways to deal with postpartum depression.
1. Trust your instincts
If you feel that something is wrong, then you should take your feelings seriously and share them with someone. “Finding the right place to give you support is the very first step,” said Karen Kleiman, a licensed clinical social worker and executive director of the Post-Birth Stress Center.
2. cry
Your hormones have full strength during the third trimester, and after giving birth, your body tries in every possible way to return them to normal life. “One of the ways your body makes hormones is through tears,” said Dr. Kimberly Sittel, an assistant professor at Buffalo and author of The Postpartum Mood Disorders.
3. Breastfeeding
But: only if you can or want to. According to a recent study, women who breast-feed for two to four months are less likely to suffer from the disorder.
4. Get enough sleep
With a newborn baby, this may sound like a dream, but sleep plays a very important role in the development of postpartum depression. At the very least, try to go to bed at the same time as your child and forgive sometimes help from loved ones.
5. Review your time
All the time of a young mother, up to every minute should be correctly divided. Treat time with more realism and do not take on yourself more than what you really can do.
6. Find friends
Join a group of local mothers to provide moral support, the general organization of games and events, as well as just for communication.
7. Eat healthy foods.
A balanced diet that will give you energy, as well as avoiding alcohol and caffeine, will help maintain a good mood.
8. Move and exercise
From movement and regular exercise, the level of endorphin rises, which can alleviate depression, so go to the gym or go for a walk with your child.
9. Lean on your partner
Tell your spouse how you feel and ask him to provide you with the support you need – this will help to cope with depression and improve your relationship.
10. Sign up for a massage
The key point in postpartum depression is the mom’s mood for screams and cries of the baby – anxiety appears, which also affects the baby. The result is a vicious circle. A course of professional massage will help get rid of anxiety and relax both mother and child.