Postpartum Depression is a disorder which has been experienced by many women while they are going through the best phase of life. You may be surprised to know that depression can hit women in the best phase of life- becoming a mother. Yes this depression occurs to women during pregnancy and after the birth of the baby. In a study it has been stated that more than 15% people are facing postpartum depression during pregnancy, 20% people are suffering from postpartum depression after they give birth to a baby.

The symptoms of this postpartum depression are anxiety, overwhelming sadness, excessive worry, feeling hopelessness, changes in concentration, appetite and sleep.

Read More: 11 Tips on How to Overcome Postpartum Depression

Types of Postpartum Depression

There are different types of mood disorders. They are

• Baby blues-It affects 60-80% of all new mothers. It includes prolonged crying with increased frequency, insomnia, quick mood changes, irritability, and anxiety. It occurs within the three days after giving birth and lasts for several days.
• Postpartum anxiety and depression-It is caused to 10-20% of all new mothers. It lasts longer than blues and has more dependency. Women go through emotional depression as well as physical pain. They have more intense feelings of fear, anxiety, fatigue and guilt. The most problematic situation is when the mother won’t have any feeling for her new born baby.
• Postpartum post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): This affects more than 6% of mothers, it is just before the child birth and stays for some time after giving birth. It is the constant fear that her life or the child life is in risk.
• Postpartum Psychosis: It iscaused in 0.1% of new mothers. It is rare and dangerous disorder, which causes refusal to eat, extreme confusion, hallucinations, hyper activity.

Read More: Signs and Symptoms of Postpartum Depression

11 Ways to Treat Postpartum Depression

The postpartum depression can be treated naturally by the following treatments.

1} Sleep

Sleeping when you have a newborn at home is pretty impossible, but the lack of sleep may cause several mood swings. So follow a simple technique of sleep when the baby sleeps. Newborn babies spend a lot of time sleeping so it is better to take a quick nap while they are asleep. Many mothers complain that they can’t sleep in the middle of the day due to anxiety or worries and when they try to fall asleep at night, the baby may woke up for another feeding. So without having any other thoughts in brain, the mothers have to sleep whenever they can. Sleeping helps a lot to fight depression.

2} Exercise

A mother can start working out after 6 weeks of her delivery. It is evident that many mothers use their babies as an excuse in order to avoid workouts. But that is not the right way. Mother should do exercises continuously. If it is hard to work out when there is no one to care baby, then do some exercises where babies are included like mommy and me yoga. It is essential to break some sweat in order to happy endorphin which makes the mothers feel better and that you had achieved something.

3} Go Outside

Roam outside once in a while. It definitely will make you feel better. 15 minutes of exposure to sunlight for 3 days a week will help you gain Vitamin D. It will refresh the brain.

4} Eat Healthy

It will be a burden to prepare food when you have a newborn to take care off. But it is essential to have nutritious diet, so avoid having junk food. Proper intake of food must be monitored. Intake of proteins should be in small amounts and must be taken whole day. It stabilizes the sugar levels stabilizing your mood. Eating poultry, meat and fish will release an enzyme named serotonin which have an ability to calm brain. Intake of nuts, whole grains and beans also calms the brain from over anxiety. And not to forget limit the caffeine intake.

5} Intake of Supplements

Nothing can beat a proper and healthy diet, but it is not possible for many women to have a proper balanced diet. So it is better to have proper intake of supplements. Supplements like fish oil and Omega-3 fatty acids can help you to fight the depression.

6} Laughing

There is a saying that laughter is the best medicine. But it is not that easy to laugh when you are depressed. This is the time when you start watching your favorite sitcom or standup comedy shows.

7} Meditate

Meditation gives you peace of mind. But it is not easy to cultivate the habit of meditation instantly. So start doing it for five minutes. Meditation gives you inner peace which is very essential to fight the depression. Increase the time of meditation as you make the progress. Meditation helps to combat negative thoughts.

8} Massaging with Essential Oils

Many types of essential oils help you to fight with depression. There are many flavors like lemon, grape fruit, wild orange, lavender and chamomile. Take care of essential oils before using it in the presence of baby, they should be baby-friendly, certified as pure, therapeutic grade.

9} Encapsulation of Placenta

Placenta is a wonderful organ that surrounds the fetus in the womb and allows the exchange of nutrients, blood and waste with mother. Many mothers state that eating placenta helps them to gain a speedy recovery from postpartum depression. Placenta Encapsulation is an old procedure followed by Chinese and is again gaining popularity now and many researches are going on.

10} Talk about the Depression

Talking about the depression rather than isolation yourself help you to fight with depression. You can talk to your husband, close friends or with the PPD fighting groups. There are online groups too

Read More: Post-Partum Depression: My Post Pregnancy Blues and How I Overcame it

11} Ask For Help

Visit a therapist, it is essential to share the problems that you are facing with an expertise. These talking sessions will help you to get out of the depression

Don’t ruin the best time of your life being in depression. It is essential for you to be in good condition so that the baby will in good hands.

References

https://www.webmd.com/depression/postpartum-depression/tc/postpartum-depression-other-treatment

https://www.euphoricherbals.com/blogs/news/11-natural-solutions-for-postpartum-depression