After the birth of my third child I battled postpartum depression. I was anxious, cried all the time for no reason, was exhausted, and not taking care of myself. After some caring words from my husband, I spoke with my obstetrician and got some help. I attended a postpartum support group and went on antidepressant medication. Postpartum depression strikes about 10-15% of women, according to the CDC. There is support out there for PPD, talk to a friend, talk to your doctor, get the support and help you
Simple baby blues, or sadness after childbirth, however, strikes up to 80% of women. It can be thought of as mild depression or emotionality, that doesn’t significantly interfere with functioning or daily activities. While I dealt with PPD after the birth of my third child, I had sadness after childbirth with my first two children.
The baby blues, for me, was weepiness and feeling tired. I literally would sit and cry for no reason at all, but the crying didn’t get in the way. I was emotional, but not wrung out or spent. Here’s what I learned and what got me through.
How to Overcome Postpartum Depression
Get out of the house twice a day Even if it was only to the mailbox, I left the house in the morning and in the afternoon. When my husband would come home from work, I’d leave to go to the store or get a decaf coffee at Starbucks. Most days I managed to take walks around the neighborhood, although those walks got harder with each child!
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| Photo Courtesy of BellyItch blog |
SLEEP As simple as it sounds, sleep IS VITAL. While it can be hard, when breastfeeding or waking to a crying baby every two hours, it’s still important. I enlisted help in the form of friends and my husband; they’d watch my kids during the day so I could take a nap, or my husband would take a nighttime shift so I could sleep six hours straight instead of having to wake up every two hours!
Eat healthy I’m a total hypocrite on this, but eating healthy is important for emotional health and strength. Surviving on coffee and oatmeal cookies isn’t a recipe for feeling good, even though it’s something that got me through a few rough weeks. Include some protein with breakfast and eat fresh fruit and vegetables every day, when possible.
Talk about it After the birth of my oldest, I joined a mom’s group. I know those women got me through that first year. Today, I’m in another mother’s group and I don’t know how I’d get by without them. My sister has a strong group of women from a baby’s birth month message board; other friends of mine have old friends from high school that got them through. However it happens, having a social support network is vital. Its even more important than coffee!
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