Activities To Help Relieve Postpartum Depression

Pregnancy is a huge milestone in a woman’s life and thus it brings forth a wide array of emotions: some of which she is prepared to handle and some that she might not be too well-equipped to deal with. Having a child can cause tremendous emotional and physical strain on the mother. Regardless of how much she loves her baby, the sleepless nights, hormonal changes and the huge amount of time this job requires can leave her feeling blue. This is perfectly normal.

 What isn’t normal, however, is if these baby blues do not go away after a couple of weeks. It might come off as a surprise but one out of every 7 women suffer from postpartum depression and this makes it way more common than we realized. If this is the case, visiting the doctor is the most important thing you should do. It is important for you as well as your child’s health. While you are being prescribed medications to overcome this postpartum depression,  you can certainly try out other things as well that would leave you feeling better.

So what are some of the activities that you can focus on to relieve postpartum depression? Let us find that out.

1. Bond with Your Baby

There is no denying the power of love and thus, no reason why you should be underestimating the bond that is created by nature between you and your baby. It will take some effort but you need to focus less on the stress this whole change has brought onto you and be more directed towards creating a stronger bond with the baby. Postpartum depression might have affected your ability to bond with your child in the most natural ways but this doesn’t mean that you don’t make use of the time now to rebuild the connection that seems feeble and lost now. It might take time but with patience and some effort, you will be able to achieve that.

2. Exercise

We cannot stress enough the importance of some good light physical activity when it comes to recovering from something as serious as postpartum depression. It works as an anti-depressant and keeps the stress levels in check too. The fact that you get to have some time of your own to enjoy and relax in, soothes your nerves down and helps you focus more on the motherly tasks that are awaiting you after you return back to your child. Start with a casual walk and gently ease your way into some light exercise routine that would not be too hard on you. Pilates and some light aerobic exercises help strengthen your muscles and regain the strength and energy that seems lost at the moment.

3. Yoga

It is light and an effective way of recovering from the physical impact of childbirth and baby blues. You can start with the simple breathing exercises and meditation and then move things up a notch once you feel that you are ready for it. Breathing exercises alone can help you extensively when you feel that your nerves are getting the worst out of you and will help you relax and maintain your grip on sanity. Meditation will help with focus and being mindful when you start feeling depressed and hopeless, all the while giving you the strength to accept things as they are and let go of all negative thoughts that are clouding up your judgment.

4. Diet

It is one of the most important aspects of recovery that we often tend to overlook. Maintaining a healthy diet that would rejuvenate your senses and heal you both mentally and physically is pivotal at this point.  Include loads of green and leafy vegetables in your diet, snack up on fruits and nuts and focus on eating foods that are filled with wholesome nutritional value. To make things easier, keep snacks that are easy to make and eat would come in a lot handy at this stage. You also should be focusing on taking your vitamins regularly and discuss with your doctor about introducing fish oils in your diet. It has been researched that lack of fatty acids such as DHA, found extensively in fish oils, tend to cause postpartum depression. Replenishing your body’s balance of fatty acids and vital nutrients will help you recover faster.

Postpartum depression can be hard to deal with but if you follow your doctor’s advice and the tips mentioned above, you would soon be on your way to enjoying motherhood the way nature intended it for you.