Giving birth is an exciting time, but what many new moms encounter is postpartum depression symptoms. While it goes away after time, you’re probably wondering if you have it now, or maybe you just want to know what to expect, just in case something does happen.
Listed below are 10 symptoms that you may come across. Keep in mind that everyone is different, and what you will find out is that while you may encounter some of these symptoms, it doesn’t necessarily mean you have it. It’s always best to consult with your Doctor to discuss your options.
- You feel hopeless, as if you’re worthless in life. You just feel like you’re not yourself.
- You feel stressed, and it feels as if there will never be a solution in the future to solve it.
- You just can’t find yourself to be happy with anything. Things that have made you happy in the past just don’t make you happy anymore.
- You have lost your appetite, and you’re noticing some weight loss.
- You don’t feel like doing anything, and you find yourself just wanting to sit around in the house.
- You’re having a hard time sleeping at night, when you didn’t have problems before.
- You just don’t have the energy like you did before. Even if you get a good nights rest, you still find yourself tired.
- You can’t focus on things such as school, or work. You find it really hard to concentrate on items.
- Your moods tend to change more often than usual.
- You’re thinking about dangerous things that you haven’t thought about before.
While the list goes on, there are some things that you can do to help yourself. For starters, you can go to classes, as well as consult with your doctor. This is very common in women after giving birth. You will find that while it will generally last 4-6 weeks after, it will go away after time. While the feeling stinks, try your best to get help, rather than feel worse day by day.
Having a baby is a beautiful, wonderful, magical thing… It is also scary, stressful, overwhelming, and traumatizing. Then you get home and they expect you to take care of the squalling infant that resulted from it all. Your clean house is suddenly messy, the quiet evenings you used to enjoy are very loud, you’re probably not sleeping much, and that annoying person in your house is the husband that you used to be crazy about! It’s no wonder new moms aren’t the most stable people!
These feelings are normal, and almost always go away with a little time and patience (you’ll remember what patience is someday…promise). Occasionally, a new mom gets overwhelmed by it all and experiences these stresses more deeply than most. That’s ok. It’s normal, too.
Postpartum depression can be scary, and is certainly a pain…but there are ways to battle it (and win). The very best tip there out is to try and give yourself a break. Remember that you are not alone, that this happens to a lot of other mommies, and that it will go away. If you experience PD, you might have moments (or days) where you don’t like your husband or even your baby much…and that’s okay. You’re not a bad mother, and there is nothing to feel guilty about.
Postpartum depression can be scary, and is certainly a pain…but there are ways to battle it (and win). The very best tip there out is to try and give yourself a break. Remember that you are not alone, that this happens to a lot of other mommies, and that it will go away. If you experience PD, you might have moments (or days) where you don’t like your husband or even your baby much…and that’s okay. You’re not a bad mother, and there is nothing to feel guilty about.
If you’re feeling the “baby blues” try and get some you-time. Even though it seems a chore just to brush your hair, get in that bathroom and pamper yourself a little. Take a bubble bath (or a hot shower if your doctor hasn’t okayed the tub yet, and listen to some music. Brush your hair and teeth, shave your legs, and put on some lotion. Sometimes it is amazing how much better you feel with freshly washed hair and smooth legs! Don’t know what to do with baby? Bring her in the bathroom with you! Let her hang out in a car seat or bouncy chair and watch you do your thing. Babies love watching grownups.
Is there a hobby you always wanted to try? Even if it doesn’t sound appealing at the moment, try it anyway, you might find something you love! Learn Spanish or French, make jewelry, paint a picture (hey, even paint-by-numbers!), pick up a cross-stitch kit, the possibilities are endless.
Have a soundtrack. Whether you make CDs or load up an MP3 player, keep some music going while you go about your day. Keep it upbeat, and choose songs you know so you can sing along. Music is great for the baby, and singing along will keep your mind off of your mood. Once you have the you-time covered it’s time to snag some couple-time, even if your husband is annoying you! Send him out for a few comedy movies and snuggle on the couch with a big bowl of popcorn. Let the baby enjoy some time on a blanket on the floor (or in a swing), and place bets on how long a stretch the little one will let you watch uninterrupted…that will make the interruptions a little less tragic.
Play games. Grab your man and dust off the board games in the hall closet. Every win racks up five minutes of massage from the other! On a more serious note, one thing a mother with postpartum depression should do is seek out people to talk to. Whether you chat with your husband about your feelings or join an online group for new moms, get those sad thoughts out there. Nothing good comes from bottling up a bad feeling. If these things don’t seem to help after a while, or the sadness gets worse, please chat with your doctor about it. There are a number of things they can do to help, and there is no shame in getting help. You deserve to be happy, and you can take better care of your new baby if you’re healthy.
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