When it comes to planning for a new addition to your family, or even the surprise of a new one to the household, most people think of the new arrangements such as lack of sleep or the joy of dressing your little one up in cute clothing. Often, another thing that comes after pregnancy is a time of postpartum depression, which can be slight or major.
Most often when people hear the term postpartum depression they think of women drowning their children and other worse and extreme situations. While this is true to some extent, many women go diagnosed with this type of depression, going along with their days and raise a happy and healthy child. Other women will go through a time of just not feeling like themselves anymore, yelling more, crying more, and not getting as much done as they planned for the day, week, or month at times. Being a parent is exhausting, and without a good support system depression can go to extremes.
Medication, exercise, and meditation.
Some women will swear by a morning walk with the stroller cures their blues, while others are able to find a moment to meditate and clear their minds and decrease worries, and another will be put on a prescription for their symptoms when they feel they aren't the "super mom with amazing coping skills". I put myself in this category: I was always a little more anxious, and to keep from becoming the mother who screams, I talked to my family physician and he put me on an anti-depressant, which has changed a few times through the last ten years, but I finally have relief along with an anti-anxiety that I take a couple of times a day. I grew up in a household where there was yelling by my father, and I don't want to be that parent - I didn't see where it got anyone but an evening on eggshells.
Early after my son was born, I had just gotten married after finding that I was pregnant, we were living with my grandmother-in-law, and my now ex-husband was as demanding as my newborn, wrecking vehicles like he owned State Farm. My son was born 18 days before 9/11/01, and I think that has tuned up the anxiety I have had as a child. After finding myself being the screamer, I talked with my doctor and he honestly listened. I also practiced deep breathing and learning to clear my head by having a moment to myself daily - depending on the amount of children you may need more of these.
No mother should be looked down upon because life gets too hectic and should not be looked down upon when seeking help for the changes in feelings that she may face after dealing with hormone changes in the body. Creating a child is a lot of work, and as long as we are there to help one another when we notice a mom has too much going on, she should be embraced!
