Treating Your Postpartum Depression: How to Take the First Step
Nov 16, 2018
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Once a mother gives birth, she may go through a period filled with ranging emotions. New mothers typically feel anything from joy to depression, as well as fear. When these feelings become more serious, even interfering with day to day life, this represents what we call severe postpartum depression.
A new mother may notice symptoms within a few weeks after delivery. However, they can develop even six months after childbirth. Common indicators include mood swings, difficulties bonding with the new baby, in addition to difficulty with cognitive thinking and decision making.
If you recently had a baby and are feeling a bit depressed, you are not alone. Approximately 1 in 7 women develop postpartum and severe postpartum depression in the United States. The best first step you can take to treating severe postpartum depression is visiting a specialist that wields familiarity and experience with the condition.
Nevertheless, several steps exist that you can take to help you cope during everyday life. Your friends from Trusted Women’s Health Center want to share some ideas to help you best tackle severe postpartum depression.
New mothers frequently feel overwhelmed by work and household responsibilities. You might even discover that you begin to feel stress or anxiety by simply remaining stuck on the couch breastfeeding. As opposed to combating these stressors alone, it is important that you reach out for help.
Reach out to a trusted friend or family member if they offer to babysit, or lean on your partner to take care of the baby for an hour or two. It may additionally prove beneficial to develop a schedule for some “me time.”
Even if you can only manage to get away from the home between nursing sessions once or twice a week, it is important to focus on this time for decompression. Some good ideas include walking, napping, yoga, or meditation.
You friends or family probably tell you to “sleep when the baby sleeps.” Unfortunately, not all babies sleep much, and this isn’t always a realistic proposition. Nevertheless, you should take the time to try and sleep whenever possible. Women who obtain the most sleep typically experience less depressive symptoms of severe postpartum depression.
Even without babies likely to remain asleep through the night during the early days, you might find it helpful to take a nap or go to bed a bit earlier. For breastfeeding moms, consider pumping into a bottle or bags. This will help your partner take care of some of the late night feedings.
Many women may experience what we call the “baby blues” for a few weeks after delivery. However, severe postpartum depression manifests as longer-lasting, deeper feelings of depression and anxiety. These feelings may grow worse over time, evolving into chronic depression with the intervention from a medical professional.
Make an appointment with a specialist like Dr. Aldabbagh, MD from Trusted Women’s Health Center, especially if feelings of depression don’t subside after a few weeks. This is also an ideal solution if these symptoms get worse over time. Our team can help you get the support you need.
For more information on severe postpartum depression and what Trusted Women’s Health Center can do to help, contact our caring and concerned team today!