Up one minute, down the next. The birth of your baby is supposed to be one of the happiest moments of your life. But you feel exhausted and teary-eyed. There simply are no feelings of euphoria. These feelings are normal and known as the third day blues. What can be done to beat these baby blues? We asked a Clinical Psychologist (and mother of three)...
Baby blues may occur for a number of reasons. Your hormone levels are fluctuating, your body has been pushed to the limit and is sore. You may have had to endure a traumatic birth or some unforeseen complication may have occurred that was not part of your birth plan. Perhaps you did not have an immediate bond with your baby or you struggling to perfect breastfeeding. Added to that family and friends keep streaming in, offering unwanted advice and all you want to do is scream.
There are ways to survive the baby blues and all you have to remember is that this will soon pass:
- Eat small, nutritious meals regularly and drink plenty of water to boost energy levels and maintain your strength. It is also essential that breastfeeding moms do not skip meals as eating regularly helps the body to produce breast milk.
- Rest as much as you can. Newborn babies sleep alot, so take the opportunity to put your feet up and relax.
- Accept help. Don’t try to be superwoman, you will not be able to cope. In those first few days after the birth, allow your mom or a friend to come and stay, and help out.
- Delegate household chores and cooking. If you can afford it, hire a char to help out with the cooking and cleaning. Let your partner or if you have older children, help out with the chores.
- Speak to your partner, a friend or your mom. Share your feelings with your partner so that he can be more understanding and supportive. Call your mom or a friend to unload all those crazy emotions and most times, you’ll feel a little bit better afterwards.
- Allow baby to spend one on one time with dad. It is important that your partner bonds with the baby so that you can also have some alone time.
- Get out of the house. Sometimes being cooped at home can be depressing. Bundle your baby up warmly and go for a walk, or drive to the mall. Fresh air or different surroundings can help to put things into perspective and lift the spirit.
- Don’t beat yourself up. Try not to be too hard yourself and remember that you need time to adjust all these physical and emotional changes.
Babynature offers a range of natural remedies that are safe to use during breastfeeding to help improve your emotional wellbeing:
Triple Complex Mood Tonic to promote balanced mood and feelings of wellbeing. Safe for all ages including pregnancy and breastfeeding!
Triple Complex Nerve Tonic helps to prevent anxiety and stress while promoting ongoing nervous system health. Safe for all ages including pregnancy and breastfeeding!
Melancholy Lift is 100% homeopathic that helps to lift sadness and depression, increases energy levels and restores optimism in life naturally without the need for synthetic drugs. Safe for all ages including pregnancy and breastfeeding!
Baby blues usually pass after the first two weeks but if symptoms persist, consult your doctor.
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