Crippling Baby Blues: How to Cope With Extreme Postpartum Depression
It’s common to expect yourself to feel joyous after you have a baby. However, if you’re like many women, you may be experiencing a bout of the blues instead. An article on BabyCenter says that up to 80% of new moms experience postpartum depression. If you struggle with the baby blues, here are four tips that may help you find your feelings of joy again.
1. It’s Temporary
Barring a bout of bona fide depression, most cases of the baby blues will disappear within a couple of weeks. Keep this in mind when you are exhibiting the symptoms of depression like loss of appetites, bouts of tears, and lingering sadness.
It may also be beneficial to get out for a stroll with your baby if possible. However, sometimes it’s difficult to keep going even if you know that your challenges won’t last forever. In this case, doing something as simple as getting out of the house helps you change your scenery, which also elevates your mood.
2. Get Advice
You can get some good advice on postpartum depression before you give birth from your various doctors and nurses. For example, according to the Adventist University of Health Sciences website, people with a sonography bachelor’s degree are trained to deal with patient engagement and communication. This professional will be in the position to chat with you about what to expect after giving birth or may even know a counselor that you can talk to about potential postpartum challenges.
3. Get Counseling
Professional counseling counts as a common treatment for the baby blues, and indeed, talking to a counselor who has been trained to deal with depression and its causes can help. Counseling, along with antidepressants, can get your emotional states back on track. As a side note, antidepressants may be important to get your brain chemistry back on track. Postpartum depression is caused, in part, by your changing hormones as well as environmental and genetic factors.
Other Issues
You may be challenged with some body-image issues after your baby is born, due to the physical changes that accompany pregnancy. These issues can be exacerbated if you have been bullied in the past about your body shape. According to the Bradley University website, 37% of people who have been bullied were bullied due to their body shape. If you believe that past issues such as this are interfering with your current challenges with postpartum depression, be sure to mention it to your counselor.
Postpartum depression arises from a number of causes, including a change in your hormones, genetics, and other factors. Simple activities like walking or even reminding yourself that this condition is usually temporary can help. However, if you’re finding that your depression lingers longer than two weeks, you may want to talk to a professional to get the support you need.
