How to deal with postpartum depression: 5 ways

A woman in the period of postpartum depression is in a depressed uncontrolled state, due to which all family members suffer. The husband does not withstand the load, and the child does not receive the due attention that he needs so much. There are frequent cases when, due to the depressive state of the newly minted mother, the baby lags behind in development. For these and other reasons, it is important to eradicate postpartum depression at the very beginning of its development. Consider the important aspects in order.

Who is prone to postpartum depression

• mothers having many children;
• women experiencing divorce;
• girls in conflict with her husband because of pregnancy;
• single women who ended up with a baby in their arms due to an unplanned pregnancy;
• girls with premenstrual dysphoric disorder;
• girls who have previously experienced postpartum depression;
• ladies who have had a pregnancy without the support of loved ones.

Symptoms of Postpartum Depression

• gloomy thoughts, low self-esteem;
• dejected condition for a week;
• regular constipation;
• distracted attention;
• exacerbation of chronic diseases;
• frequent occurrence of suicidal tendencies;
• constant guilt;
• apathy, insomnia, complete lack of appetite;
• a sharp change in mood, where the peak of depression and own worthlessness occurs in the morning and decreases significantly in the evening;
• dreary and lethargic mood, a sense of anxiety does not let go;
• removal from relatives, friends, spouse and even a child.

Causes of Postpartum Depression

1. There is no getting away from physiology. During pregnancy, the woman was in high spirits, nothing bothered her, the future mother was looking forward to the baby and a happy life. Immediately after childbirth, a sharp hormonal failure occurs, the menstrual cycle resumes and chronic sleep deprivation begins. Especially often, these symptoms appear after the termination of breastfeeding. A woman is not satisfied with her own appearance, a huge lack of time begins and the soil is created for the occurrence of postpartum depression.
2. There are frequent cases when a girl throughout her pregnancy makes predictions that she will be a bad mother. As a rule, similar situations arise in those who were born in a dysfunctional or incomplete family. Constant anxiety and a feeling of helplessness only exacerbate the situation. The newly minted mother does not believe in herself, due to which she slowly falls into depression.
3. A woman believes that after the birth of a baby she becomes useless to anyone. Childless friends and acquaintances continue to have fun, losing interest in her. The husband, in turn, moves away greatly, because constant lack of sleep exhausts him, and his wife’s nervousness feeds the negative. As for relatives and parents, they do not always give practical advice. For the most part, the older generation criticizes the young mother, undermining her psyche. Against the background of all these situations, a woman begins to fall into frequent tantrums, and soon a full depression occurs.

Effective Ways to Eliminate Postpartum Depression

Set priorities. Now in the first place should be a baby. To provide the child with a sound sleep every night, bathe him, feed him on time, change the diaper. After the basic duties are fulfilled, go to rest too.A good sleep is the dream of all mothers, rest will give energy, due to which the well-being will improve significantly. You can sleep with your baby, and leave the dirty dishes for later.

Take help. No need to build a mother-heroine from yourself, shift part of the housework to relatives, husband or older children. Do not refuse help if you are offered it, otherwise ask for the service yourself. Help consists in cooking, doing laundry, and being with a child temporarily. Feel free to ask relatives to go to the store or pay for utilities.

Many women before childbirth do an excellent job of everything on their own, but it’s important to understand that now you cannot afford this. The lack of rest for several days has a bad effect not only on your well-being, but also on others. It will take some time to return to the previous combat readiness. Sit down and think about who and what you can ask for, then act. No need to exhaust yourself, at first it will be extremely difficult to be both a good wife, mom and housewife. In this way, you exude the nervous system, mired in depression for a long time.

Adjust your daily routine. Start a notebook and write down the primary and secondary matters. Try to fulfill them to the maximum. No need to write a routine length of a kilometer, sketch only the most important. Keep in mind that children are extremely unpredictable, your schedule should be flexible. Cross out one field from the list as you complete. Do not try to keep up with everything at once, it is quite possible that for the first few days you will not be able to cope with everything. In this case, you need to review the tasks and adjust them taking into account free time.

Balance your diet. A nursing woman needs to eat right. Include fresh vegetables on the menu; always have fruits on hand. Buy groceries a week in advance. If possible, purchase kitchen utensils that greatly simplify cooking. It can be a blender, an electric meat grinder, a dishwasher and, of course, a slow cooker. Cook only those dishes that do not require time-consuming. Eat porridge in the morning, eat soup or stewed vegetables for lunch, and restrict yourself to salad in the evening. Follow a diet, but do not starve. Do not forget to eat, this is a common problem of newly minted mothers.

Take time for yourself. Plan your day so that you can cut out an hour or two for personal care. Dirty hair and unpainted nails are constantly driven into longing. The first six months after the birth of the baby can be safely called "Groundhog Day", so look for joyful moments in this period. Take a fragrant bath, do manicure and pedicure. Ask the parents or husband to sit with the child, and go to the hairdresser yourself to cut off the cut hair or radically change the hairstyle. Make a face mask, peeling for hands and feet, do light physical exercises in the form of a charge or stretch. Just sit and read a book, watch a series. It will take only 1 hour, after which you will feel like a full woman.

Important recommendations for new mothers

1. Do not try to keep up with everything at once. Perform one case based on the total amount of free time. Do not exhaust yourself.
2. Cut out at least 1 day a week to do physical exercises. Sign up for Pilates, stretching, yoga, or take a half-hour walk around the house.
3. To avoid a constant gloomy mood, hang light curtains in the apartment. Do not close the blinds, the sun's rays raise morale.
4. When it seems to you that everything is bad and the problems are covered with your head, speak out loud. Talk with the baby, tell him about what is bothering you. For the most part, the difficulties are not as global as they might seem at first glance.
5. Do not break on your spouse.Instead of shouting and blaming him for all mortal sins, honestly admit what happened. The man is exhausted no less than you, he will support and cheer up. As practice shows, it is husbands who help wives overcome depression.
6. Master the psychological trick: sit in a comfortable chair, close your eyes and focus on breathing. Spend in this position for 5 minutes several times a day. The method helps to relax and put your thoughts in order.
7. Do not accumulate emotions. When you feel that a nervous breakdown is ahead, go to the shower to turn on the water and beat your hands with a rib on the stream. After that, close yourself in a room and speak out into a pillow, scream, cry, hit a mattress, but do not keep everything in yourself.
8. In the first few months after the birth of the baby, do not allow a large crowd of people in the apartment. Communicate only with family and friends, no strangers or relatives whom you have not seen for many years.
9. If you feel that you can’t cope with depression on your own, consult a psychologist or sign up for a training for young mothers. Do not be shy, for such purposes, and there are graduates.
10. Walking in the fresh air is useful not only for you, but also for the baby. Go outside several times a day, visit the park, and are in comfortable and beautiful places.
11. Share fears, worries, and doubts with your husband or loved ones. They will evaluate the situation objectively and will be able to give practical advice.
12. No need to get angry or lose your temper when the baby cries. He is your child, bloodsucker, sun and angel. Check diapers, feed and put to bed, pronouncing tender words.

To cope with postpartum depression, you need to prioritize. The baby must be fed, dry and clean. Cut out 1 hour a day for conversations with your spouse, support marriage. It is important to understand that men also need advice in certain situations. Do not plan for the next year of global changes in life, the appearance of the baby is already such.

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