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Medical Video: Early identification essential to treat postpartum depression | Vital Signs
There are a number of things you can do to help a wife who is depressed after giving birth. You may find it difficult to understand the feelings and reasons for your wife's depression, but her feelings will change with your support and understanding.
Find out about his feelings and how to help him. Once you understand how to help, you may also feel better.
You can do some of the following:
- Take your wife to the doctor to get a prescription for a suitable medication. Try recording your wife's response to the drug, and notify any problems at the next doctor's visit.
- Squeeze the milk into the bottle, and take over the task of breastfeeding the baby at night, so that your wife can sleep better.
- Accompany your wife, or find someone who can accompany her if she doesn't want or can't be left alone.
- Help prioritize important work and decide what can be waited for.
- Help care for babies, and enjoy time interacting with your little one. However, you cannot take over everything. Encourage your wife to do some work and take care of the baby as best she can.
- Help find time to exercise, visit friends, or take a break.
- Make sure that your wife eats well.
- Help him care for and care for the baby's sister (if any).
Your wife will also need emotional support from you in the following ways:
- Don't ask him to "don't stress," because this is not something your wife can control. It's better to say that he did his best as a mother.
- Encourage him to express his feelings and whether he will be interested in venturing out with other mothers who experience similar things.
- Explain the problem to his family and friends with his permission, and so that they can help him.
- Her sex drive may be low, but she might like to be hugged or massaged.
- Remind him that he is your wife, and your child's mother.
- Listen and be sensitive to their needs. Reassure your wife that she will improve, and don't take heart if she is easily angry with you.
- Remind that postpartum depression is indeed a common condition, and he is not alone.
Supporting someone with postpartum depression can overwhelm you, so you should try to take care of yourself. About 1 in 10 men experience postpartum depression, and caring for their wives with depression also puts you at risk of suffering.
Try eating healthy and balanced foods, including fruits and vegetables, and exercising regularly, such as walking. Visit a general practitioner if you feel:
- Unable to enjoy things that you could previously enjoy
- Weak and often tired
- Anxious and angry
