Today, I will talk about two situations that people who have just given birth frequently experience: Maternity Blues and Postpartum Depression. Although these two conditions are similar in terms of symptoms, they are actually quite different from each other.
Motherhood Blues
Let's think about it: You have just given birth or you are pregnant. You have many question marks and perhaps concerns that you are reluctant to reveal even to your closest people. You are afraid of making mistakes. What if they call you a bad mother? What happens if you fail in your motherhood adventure? First of all, just as a newborn baby gradually learns about life, you should think of motherhood as a learning process that you go through with your baby. You are as alien to this new role as he is to this world. A concept like "failure" has nothing to do with being a mother, and feeling stressed, afraid and sometimes hesitating will not make you a "bad mother", on the contrary, it will make you someone who learns with her baby, gets stronger and bravely copes with the stress of this new experience.
Having a baby is a beautiful yet stressful experience. It's normal and expected for your emotions to be chaotic after sleep disturbances, new responsibilities, and restrictions on personal time and self-care. You may feel like this for the first few weeks after birth. Having crying spells, feeling like you are suffocating, and being more emotional and sensitive than before are called "motherhood blues", which many of your peers also experience. Maternity blues have a shorter and milder transition compared to postpartum depression.
What about Postpartum Depression?
Postpartum Depression is a risky condition compared to maternal blues and should never be delayed. Although they have similar symptoms, things to look for in order to distinguish these two different conditions: duration of symptoms and changes in desire to live.
If;
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If you have harmful behaviors, attitudes and thoughts towards yourself, your partner and/or the newborn (suicide attempts and/or thoughts, etc.)
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If you feel that you cannot bond with your baby,
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If you have suicidal thoughts, If you are hip,
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If you feel worthless and oppressed,
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If you have intense regret about becoming a mother, there is a high probability that you are suffering from postpartum depression. .
It is very important for both you and your family to seek expert help without wasting time.
Does every woman who has just given birth experience this problem? No. However, there are certain risk factors that contribute to this situation. After birth, all of the woman's physiological stabilization dissolves. Physical, physiological and of course emotional changes during pregnancy trigger this situation. The person's past life experiences, motherhood schema, psychological and psychiatric history are among other factors that contribute to risk.
What can be done?
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Don't keep your feelings to yourself! Share, tell and don't be afraid of being judged.
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Be a participant! Stay in touch with other new mothers. Know that you are not alone.
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Skip the housework! Skip the housework for a while and devote this time to yourself. Take a walk, meditate, read a book, do whatever you want.
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Take advantage of the daylight! Everyone now knows how good sunlight is for depression. Vitamin D is perfect for fighting negative moods.
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Get expert support! Seeing a psychologist or psychiatrist will make you feel better. Stay in touch with your gynecologist, too. He can recommend hormone support for hormonal change and help the process.
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Do simple exercises! Make time for exercises that won't strain you. Sports is one of the factors that improves depressive moods.
Get support! Get support from your family, spouse or a professional babysitter.
You should feel good first. Don't forget; A happy mother means happy children.
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