Postpartum depression is a form of depression that occurs a few days after giving birth. People who have Howell postpartum depression experience mood swings, anxiety, sadness, guilt, fatigue, and they may find it difficult to care for their infant.
There are different ways to treat postpartum depression depending on the intensity of your symptoms. Here are tips to overcome postpartum depression;
1. Physical exercise
Exercising is an excellent way to improve your mental health during the postpartum period. For example, walking with a baby in a stroller might be a simple way to exercise and breathe fresh air. Studies have found walking to be a significant way to ease depression. In addition, exercise helps to strengthen the abdominal muscles, relieves stress, promotes better sleep, and boosts energy.
2. Maintaining a healthy diet
Getting into the habit of eating nutritious foods can help one feel better and give the body the nutrients it needs. Consuming a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in oily fish during pregnancy, may lower the risk of postpartum depression and be a potential alternative treatment for postpartum depression. Also, Prepare healthy snacks like chopped carrots, cubed cheese, or apple slices to reduce postpartum depression.
3. Create time for yourself
Instead of dealing with stresses alone, reach out for help. Don’t hesitate to accept your mother-in-law’s offer of free babysitting. Also, let your partner take care of the baby for an hour or two. It may be easier to forget that you need time for yourself when you have a baby. Make a habit of getting dressed, leaving the house, running an errand, or visiting a friend on your own. Go on a walk, take a nap, go to a movie or do some yoga.
4. Make time to rest
“Sleep when the baby sleeps” is a phrase used by those giving new baby parents advice. Women who get the least sleep experience the most depressive symptoms. Take naps and go to bed early. If you are breastfeeding, consider pumping a bottle so your partner can take care of an overnight feeding.
5. Examine your breastfeeding
Breastfeeding can significantly reduce your chances of getting postpartum depression. If you enjoy breastfeeding, keep doing it. However, there are also instances when women experience signs of depression while nursing. Dysphoric milk ejection reflex, or D-MER, is the medical term for this disorder. When you have D-MER, it is possible to have abrupt sensations of despair, anxiety, or fury that last for a while after your milk lets down.
6. Resist isolation
Being a new mother sometimes makes a woman feel alone and overburdened. Research has shown that loneliness leads to painful feelings of isolation, disconnecting from others, and feeling like you do not belong. Receiving social and emotional support from others can enable you to cope with problems by boosting your self-esteem and sense of independence. Talking about your feelings with others can help shift your mood significantly.
If you are experiencing postpartum depression, seek professional help so that your doctor can establish the right treatment plan. Call ReYou Ketamine Treatments to book your appointment and be on the path to recovery from depression.