POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION
- Jan 13
- 2 min read
Updated: Jan 29
It is normal to feel a bit out of sorts and sad for the first couple of weeks after giving birth. Your body is going through some major physical changes after the birth of your baby. Your hormones will be changing and you likely will be feeling a lack of sleep. It is important to remember that this is natural and to allow yourself a good amount of time to recover from this. If you find yourself feeling more and more depressed it is advised that you should discuss it with your doctor to see if you are suffering from “postpartum depression”. Symptoms of postpartum depression include:
Overwhelming feelings of sadness and depression accompanied by crying.
Having little or no energy.
Feelings of guilt and worthlessness.
Having no interest in your baby or being overly concerned and worried about your baby.
Weight gain accompanied with overeating or Weight loss accompanied by not eating.
Insomnia or oversleeping.
If you do have postpartum depression then there are a few ways that you can try to beat it:
Try and get as much rest and relaxation as possible. When the baby is asleep use this quiet time to get some rest yourself.
Be more understanding with yourself and do not put yourself under too much pressure to “get back to normal”. Ensure that your family is aware that you need help with housework and so on.
Try to limit the time that you spend just alone – keep your mind and body relatively active (for example by taking short pleasure walks).
Get professional help if the depression seems to be ongoing.
Discuss with other mothers their experience after birth. You may find that your friends and family members also went through the same issues as you.
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