Now you may be wondering, ‘Huh, how is there going to be a part two to this?’ Well dear reader let me tell you. Not only is there a whole lot physically going on in your body, BUT emotionally as well. Hormones do some crazy things, let me tell you.
Remember when I spoke about Calm Magnesium Powder and Bach Rescue Pastilles lozenges? Yeah, those were helpful for me the first month because emotionally…..I was a disaster! I couldn’t sleep, even though I was exhausted, but the anxiety and worry about my baby was overwhelming.
Here is a story for you, indulge me for a moment: The day after I gave birth, I woke up so early my husband was concerned. He had no cause for concern….so I thought and I informed him I was going to shower. I needed to have a shower and feel like a human being, so I hopped in. What I didn’t expect is to have a full out bawling session for no apparent reason. I just started crying, and I’m not talking soft girly cries….no, no….BAWLING. I couldn’t understand it. I had this beautiful little girl now, my birth went incredible, so why?
It’s a big life change to have a child and I feel like people don’t talk about the after effects quite enough. My hormones were all over the place (still are might I add, but slowly balancing themselves out) and my emotions were on high, in every way. I mean from extremely happy, to crying to agitated and EVERYTHING in-between. I’m sure my husband would gladly attest to that!
I didn’t know how to handle it at first and my only solution was to run to the bathroom when I felt like I was about to have a crying session. It was so bizarre! Who knew this was going to happen? I had heard of Postpartum Depression, a good friend of mine went through it after both her children, but you never think it will happen to you.
Now, I’m not a medical professional and I am only informing you of what worked for me; so please take what I have to say with a very open mind and a grain of salt. Plus after reading this you might think ‘Wow, she’s not okay..’ and that could very well be true, however it’s just my journey. However right or wrong it is.
The Calm Magnesium Powder and Bach Rescue Pastilles lozenges helped with my mood and sleep, but only for a short while. I than began taking my usual supplements again: Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Fish oil, and Beef Liver. It seemed to help, but not entirely. When I was able to walk outside again, that really helped my moods. The fresh air, the activity and just the pure silence I got to have on the walks was immensely helpful. Baby sleeping in her stroller as I just….Walked.
Talking to my husband, friends and family about how I was feeling and asking for advice was major. I tend to hold my feelings inside, bottling them up until I blow like a hot kettle. However, I was navigating this blind and I needed to talk. I needed information and knowledge from people who’ve been through this.
My Midwife and Doula would constantly ask me at my follow-up appointments how I was doing, not just my daughter, but me. I was always honest, informing them that it was tough. They always made great suggestions: being active, talking to people, getting out of the house, but also to seek medical attention if I really needed it. Great advice by the way.
I do highly recommend if you are having severe Postpartum Depression to seek medical attention from a professional. It’s not a joke and everyone is affected differently.
My body is working to balance it’s self out in many ways, both hormonally and emotionally. There are days when I’m happy and energetic and others when I’m blah and tired. The tired also stems from my Iron deficiency, so double whammy! But I’ll be completely honest, for me personally, I prefer natural methods of treatment over pharmaceuticals. But that doesn’t always work for everyone.
Now, what feels like a billion years ago after having birth was only 10 months ago and I’ve finally got a game plan and working on myself emotionally and physically. Taking my supplements, eating better, and getting physically active. The little one keeps me on the go now that she’s crawling.
Not sure if the imbalance is normal for this long and in hindsight I probably should speak to my family doctor about it, however we all have our processes.
Just remember: you gave birth to a little one and so much is happening all at once, physically and emotionally. Never forget, you need to take care of yourself as much as your newborn. They need you more than anything and you can get through this. And again, seek medical attention if your way isn’t working the way you hoped.
It’s okay to ask for help.
Ciao!
Mama on the Move 