Did you know that 80% of women go through “baby blues?”
So, what exactly are baby blues?
The best way to describe it is, “An empty or sad feeling that stops you from developing any emotional attachment to your kid.”
Many women experience “baby blues” in the days following childbirth. This involves brief crying spells, irritability, nervousness, poor sleep, and emotional reactivity. In most cases, the ‘Baby blues’ does not rise to the level of postpartum depression and usually resolves on its own, in about one week or so with a little bit of self-care & awareness.
However, if the ‘baby blues’ last for more than 2 weeks, it’s crucial to seek medical help. Postpartum depression involves sadness, despair, loss of interest in activities, and several other physical and emotional symptoms. These symptoms can be debilitating, making it difficult to perform everyday tasks.
Since postpartum depression affects your mental health, you will find your physical health and behavior changing as days go by. This is why it is important to pay attention to yourself first.
Let’s take a look at some coping tips to bring back your mommy instincts:
- Seek medical help: Reaching out for help is the first & most important step towards your recovery. Medication, therapy, or a combination of both will help you understand, deal with & cope with your post-partum depression.
- Join a Support Network: You are not alone in this! You will find plenty of support groups (online & offline) where new mothers meet and discuss their issues. This allows them to seek advice in a non-judgmental, safe environment.
- Self-Care: Take care of yourself as you would take care of a loved one. Give yourself some slack and don’t take on more responsibilities than you can handle. Seek support from your partner, friends or family in managing the ‘baby duties so that you can get a break. During your “me time,” simply rest or indulge in soul-soothing activities such as a massage.
- Meditation: This allows you to release all that stress you have been feeling since you gave birth. While childbirth is a miraculous thing, the entire experience can be quite exhausting. Breathing exercises and meditation will help you fix your internal clock, which will put you back on track.
- Exercise: You also need to target your physical health to feel good when you look at yourself in the mirror. Start small by walking for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Eat Balanced Meals: A healthy diet will flush your body of all those toxins that are making you feel lethargic and down. Make a meal plan and store some of the snacks in Tupperware so that you can eat them whenever the mood strikes.
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