Beyond Baby Blues: Coping with Postpartum Depression

Being a mother is a blissful feeling. However one cannot deny that the birthing process is very exhaustive in all aspects be it physically, emotionally, or mentally. It takes a toll on the well-being of the mother. The route to complete recovery takes a lot of time, effort, and care from those around us. In today’s fast-paced life-giving birth has relatively become easy with all the available medical facilities. However, the recuperation of the mother has become more complex. In such a scenario, postpartum depression is a common phenomenon that new mothers often experience but hardly acknowledge. Coping with postpartum depression is a challenge and probably starts with recognizing the symptoms and acknowledging the condition.

Postpartum Depression Vs. Baby Blues

In the initial days after childbirth, the mother goes through a myriad of emotions. They either go through a feeling of ecstasy, awe, joy or might feel sad, hopeless, and overwhelmed. At times, a mother may experience sudden bursts of crying and sadness in the first few days after childbirth. This is commonly known as the ‘baby blues’ which usually fades within a week or two. The occurrence of ‘baby blues or postpartum blues’ is attributed to the hormonal changes that occur in the body after childbirth. However, if this condition persists in a more acute form for a longer period of time it can eventually affect the normal functioning of the individual. This is when it can be said that one is suffering from Postpartum Depression and no longer just baby blues.

Postpartum Depression can be defined as a serious mental illness that involves the brain and affects one’s behavior and physical health. In such a situation, the sad, flat, or empty feelings don’t go away and can interfere with day-to-day life. One might feel unconnected to the baby as if one is not the baby’s mother, or one might not love or care for the baby.

The common signs and symptoms of Postpartum Depression are:

• Feeling restless or moody
• Feeling sad, hopeless, or overwhelmed
• Bouts of crying
• Having thoughts of hurting yourself or the baby
• Feeling disconnected from the baby
• Lack of energy or motivation
• Loss of appetite
• Insomnia or excessive sleeping
• Having trouble focusing or making decisions
• Having memory problems
• A feeling of worthless, guilt, and embarrassment
• Withdrawing from friends and family
• Having persistent headaches, aches, and pains, or stomach problems.
• Irritability
• Feeling of inability to cope with the situation and persistent fatigue

Every new mother goes through one or more of these symptoms ranging from a mild to severe form. Post-pregnancy depression is not uncommon. But often we tend to hide our condition with the fear of being judged. Motherhood is completely a new phase of life that one embarks upon. So adjusting to it can be overwhelming, exhaustive, and stressful. In severe cases of postpartum depression which are not very common, immediate medical attention would be required. In milder cases of postpartum depression, we can and should take to avoid further aggravation so that you can cope without much difficulty. If it remains unattended, the chances of it turning into chronic depressive disorder become higher.

Measures for coping with Postpartum Depression

Acknowledge the problem

The first and foremost step to deal with any problem is to acknowledge it and accept it. We should not shy away from what we are feeling.  Sometimes we do not express our true feelings out of fear of being judged as a bad mother. Suppression of our emotions would only complicate the situation. Hence it is very important to accept and acknowledge our condition to our own self first.

Seek help from trusted ones

There is no harm in asking for help emotionally or physically from our partner or other family members who understand. It is, in fact, essential to let those around us be acquainted with the condition that we are going through. Having a strong support system can prove to be a blessing in such distressing times. Isolating ourselves will shove us deeper into the pit hole. A little help from others can help us in dealing with postpartum depression in a far better way than doing it alone.

Set realistic expectations

One has to be realistic in terms of the expectations one has from one’s own self. In an attempt to do everything on our own, we end up overburdening our self.  We have to realize that taking care of a baby is a full-time job and hence we should not be too harsh on ourselves. If we are not able to cope up with certain other aspects of our life it is perfectly okay. We have to learn to resist the temptation to do everything ourselves and take it easy. We need to realize that it is of utmost importance for us to first recover ourselves after childbirth. Once that happens, rest will automatically fall in place with time.

Having a little ‘Me Time’

We often tend to neglect this aspect when it comes to ourselves.  Having a little ‘me time’ can work wonders in rejuvenating our minds and soul. After childbirth, usually, we tend to completely ignore ourselves in the process of taking care of the baby. Pampering our self once in a while can make us feel a lot better. Eating food that we like, meeting up with a friend, taking a walk or for that matter, anything that we like to do can help us unwind from the daily routine. These tiny breaks can help us deal with the exhaustion and soothe our wrecking nerves thus recuperating better from baby blues or even from postpartum depression.

Assistance from support groups

Support Groups prove to be very helpful when in doubt. Especially as a new mother who is trying to wade through unknown territory, it is, however, inevitable for us to be anxious, doubtful, and confused. To add to this, we are often flooded with advice that blurs our path further ahead. In these times support groups can come to our rescue. We can share here our concerns and discuss them with people who are going through the same turmoil as we are. Sharing our feelings and concerns will help us gain a perspective and consequently equip us to deal with the situation aptly.

As new mothers, we are bound to go through bouts of anxiety, depression, confusion, etc. A little faith in ourselves and a little awareness and compassion from those around us can help us go through difficult times and emerge from them.

Tell us in the comment section if you too have gone through postpartum depression. How did you overcome it and what strategies did you take to heal yourself. Share your stories so that other moms can take inspiration from it. Share if you have liked this article.