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Medical Video: What's the difference between baby blues and postpartum depression?
The birth of the baby to the world is an event that invites millions of emotions. After a wonderful pregnancy, you may feel super excited to hold your beloved child. But for a number of women, the emotional turmoil felt after giving birth is not always a happy relief.
Changes in mood after the birth of a baby are natural. You may be impatient, irritable, always worried about your baby's health (even though he is fine), anxious, unable to concentrate, tired but unable to sleep, and continue to cry for no apparent reason. This is known as baby blues, the most common form of mild postpartum depression experienced by most pregnant women is considered normal. About 70-80 percent of new mothers around the world struggle with the baby blues after giving birth.
Baby blues may be the last thing you want to experience as a new mother after finally joining the baby. That is why, preventing baby blues is something every pregnant woman wants to do.
What can be done to prevent baby blues after giving birth?
Here are the steps you can take from now on to prevent baby blues in order to maintain your well-being after the baby is born into the world.
1. Talk about your concerns
Talk to your doctor about any worries and sadness you feel right now. This means, always keep your prenatal consultation appointment. Often, health professionals can detect signs of depression that you may never realize, so that they can help you control symptoms before they overflow.
Heart-to-heart discussions with your husband about what worries you about new parents, said Jane Israel Honikman, founder of Postpartum Support International, in Santa Barbara, California. Spilling all your worries about the future, can be an emotional worry - like losing time together as before - or anxiety around the baby, about colic or problems with breastfeeding.
2. Relieve stress
Many studies have shown that newborns can better establish inner-birth bonds with calm mothers. New mothers who spend at least 15 minutes every day to relieve stress can better cope with household stress than those who don't try to relax a little, said Diane Sanford, Ph.D., author of the Postpartum Survival Guide, reported by Parents.
Set aside regular spare time to focus on your own well-being before and after the baby arrives, whether by doing deep breathing, meditation, beautifying yourself at a salon, or coffee-drinking and exchanging stories with prospective moms and other mothers about your complaints . That way, you can find a little relief from knowing that you are not alone, and that being a parent is a unique experience for every mother.
3. Come to sleep when your baby sleeps
Everyone has heard this classic advice, "sleep when the baby sleeps". But too many mothers fail to really do it - use baby-free time instead to clean up the house or shop for baby gear before forgetfulness. There is nothing wrong with both, but you should not miss a golden opportunity to steal time to rest.
According to a study by Michael O’Hara, Ph.D., of the University of Iowa, new mothers who are able to make up for loss of sleep tend to feel more relaxed and immune to stress. "You might need friends, family members, or hire help to help with everything bullshit so that you can get a good night's sleep that you really deserve, "said Dr. O'Hara, author of the Postpartum Depression: Causes and Consequences.
Ask for help from another person (husband, mother, or household assistant) with baby care, homework, and other household arrangements that can create stress for the new mom.
4. Increase intake of Omega-3
A number of studies have proven that consumption of Omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) can reduce the risk of preterm birth and prevent baby blues in new mothers. Omega-3 is an essential fatty acid that cannot be produced naturally by the body, and therefore must be obtained from food. Women who eat enough high-Omega-3 fish during pregnancy or high-quality fish oil supplements tend to be more resistant to postpartum depression.
In addition, inadequate Omega-3 maternal intake has also been linked to risk factors for type 1 diabetes in children and delayed verbal development during growth and development. Studies show that the supply of Omega-3 to the fetus is specifically transported directly from the mother's personal supply during pregnancy, especially from the mother's brain, to the developing placenta of the fetus.
5. Take time to exercise
A study found that mothers who diligently exercise before and after the birth of a baby tend to feel more emotionally wealthy and younger socializing than those who don't exercise.
Even so, do not force yourself to do strenuous exercise. Just light exercise, focus on smoothing your flow of blood, not to burn hundreds of calories or tighten your abdominal muscles. "Walking in a city park, getting fresh air, and enjoying nature can refresh your perspective," said Karen Rosenthal, Ph.D., a psychologist in Westport, Connecticut.
6. Don't kekeuh want to be a perfect parent
You might plan to be the perfect parent for the baby, even having the ideal parent image that has been engraved in the mind. You might feel guilty if you can't do everything right and assume that other mothers do a much better job than you. As a result, you impose unrealistic expectations on yourself. Besides opening your heart, the best way to prevent the baby blues is to have realistic expectations.
Babies are unpredictable. Being a parent is a job that is not easy and difficult to predict. Maybe you often hear funny stories about mothers who rush out of the house in reverse clothes or forgetfulness to put diapers on their babies after bathing. Wrong or not wrong, no problem. Careless little does not mean you fail to be a good parent.
If you jump into the "becoming a parent" round filled with sky-high expectations that are unrealistic that you have to be perfect, when there is one thing that does not go as expected, it will stress you out. Instead of intermittently panicking to realize how chaotic your life is now, try to be a little more relaxed and appreciate each spontaneity.
Your goal is not to meet the guidelines for how to be the perfect mother for children, but to be a happy parent.
