You can survive postpartum depression
When my fourth child was born, I was blindsided by postpartum depression. Intellectually I knew what it was, but I had never had it before so I didn’t KNOW what it was. I had fallen into the trap that so many women do, thinking that it wasn’t something that could ever happen to me. And like many other women before me, I found out firsthand just how bad postpartum depression could be.
I was so blindsided by postpartum depression with my fourth child that I didn’t even know I had it; I honestly thought I was simply homesick and ready for winter to be over. Every time I looked out the window, all I saw was a sea of dirty, white snow and it would make me feel so hopeless. However, I just kind of chalked it up to the fact that I was born and raised in California where it didn’t snow, but having lived in UT where it snows every winter for the last 5 years that should have told me something was up. However, it wasn’t until I had my fifth child that I knew what I had suffered from with my fourth child was postpartum depression, as I was suddenly going through it again.
Here are few things that truly helped me cope with my postpartum depression.
Getting A Good Night’s Sleep
One thing that every mom is lacking, especially in the first few months, is a good night sleep. However, in order for us to be healthy, which includes the mind and body, a good night sleep is necessary. I am sure you are asking yourself how you are supposed to get enough rest with a newborn baby in the house who is on their own crazy sleeping schedule, and the answer is relatively simple. One thing many moms will tell you is to sleep when the baby sleeps, you might not be getting a full night’s sleep but your body and mind will get the rest that it needs. You should also enlist the help of your significant other. Have them get up with the baby in the middle of the night at least twice a week. For breastfeeding moms this means you need to pump enough milk beforehand or you can choose to supplement with formula.
Keep In Touch With Friends And Family
I know from firsthand experience how much postpartum depression makes you want to isolate yourself. In looking back on my experience with my fourth child, I literally quit talking to everybody, unless they called me and even then, I simply went through the motions of having a normal conversation. One thing that I learned is how important it is to stay in contact with your friends and family, as they know you best. Be honest with your friends and family with what you are going through, sure it might scare some of them off, but your true friends and family will not let you slip through the cracks, they will never give up on you, even if you have partially given up on yourself.
Power Of Positive Thinking
While it might be easy to blow this one off it is a very important tool when it comes to coping with postpartum depression. I discovered firsthand how easy it is to go through all of the what ifs and second guess everything that you are doing when it comes to your kids. What is harder to do is to focus on the things that you are doing right, as well as the good qualities that you possess. One thing I found helpful was telling myself that I was a good mom and that everything was going to be fine. After my fifth child was born and I knew that I was coping with postpartum depression it was easier to acknowledge that even though I couldn’t stop the feelings from happening I knew what they were and I also knew that in the end I would get through it just fine.
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