Having a child is one of the most exciting times of a woman’s life. We spend nearly a year of pregnancy preparing for the transition to becoming a mom. Baby registry? Check. What to pack in the hospital bag? Check. What about a plan for what happens after you bring the baby home? A plan to ensure both baby and mommy stay happy and healthy?
Postpartum depression is often one of the less prepared for parts of becoming a mother. It is not until it hits us personally or we experience it through someone we know that we really start to think about about it. Self care is a crucial component to life as a new mother and one we need to do a better job at preparing ourselves for. Today I am bringing you 3 things you can do to help prevent Postpartum Depression.
Ask for help
Let me repeat this. Ask for help or accept help when it is offered to you. As a new mom, your plate is going to be extremely full adjusting to life with a newborn. You will be sleep deprived, overwhelmed, and sometimes anxious. It is normal to want to do everything yourself when you are a new mom! However, allowing others to help you out time to time with things around the house, making a meal, or in whatever ways they offer assistance will take such a load off of you mentally so you can prevent going into burnout. A burnt out mom is no good for anyone and once you are in the burnout zone, the door for Postpartum Depression is opening.
Set aside some time for you
This is not easy. Especially when you are a mom of more than one child. Setting aside even 30 minutes during a week just for you will allow you to recharge your batteries after a day or week full of chaos. Personally, I take this time in the evening after I put the kids down for bed when I can with something as simple as an uninterpreted shower, glass of wine and a chapter of a good book. I often do this by working out. Staying physically fit will do great things for your mental state as a new mom.
Don’t be so hard on yourself
I read a quote recently that made me laugh out loud. It said- ” Don’t be so hard on yourself. The mom in E. T. had an alien living in her house for days and didn’t notice.” The perfectionist in us wants the house to be perfect at all times, the laundry to always be done, the children to be clean and well dressed just to name a few at ALL TIMES. This level of perfection is simply not attainable and the sooner we cut ourselves some slack here and there, the happier we will be. Once you are able to roll with the punches a bit more often, you will feel less overwhelmed . When we are not as hard on ourselves, we decrease the opening for PPD because depression begins with our state of mind.
Postpartum Depression is very real and something a lot of moms suffer with daily and many times in silence. As you prepare to welcome a sweet baby into the world, do not forget to plan out a way for you to stay sane as well. Motherhood is a beautiful journey and Postpartum Depression will rob you of one of the greatest joys and gifts in your life. Simply asking for help, setting aside some time for you, and not being so hard on yourself will give you the clear mind you need to enjoy your new life as a mom even on the days when it is incredibly difficult. Welcome to motherhood!
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1 comment
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