Healing From Postnatal Depression Naturally

Having a baby is hard work. It’s no wonder that according to the NHS,1 in 10 women suffer from Postnatal Depression. Your hormones are all over the place, you are not getting a solid night’s sleep every night and the in-laws are probably driving you loopy. How can your mind and body recover from all this stress? It is common to feel low after you have a baby. You’d think you would be feeling ecstatic, but having a baby is exhausting. If you go to the doctor they may ask you to fill out a questionnaire and they may prescribe anti-depressants. But are anti-depressants right for you? Have you tried any natural remedies first?

I suffered from post-natal depression (PND) after I had Sops. The doctor gave me anti-depressants, but I did not want to take them. I was afraid I would become addicted or there would be too many side effects that would cause further anxiety. So I did a bit of research and healed myself from post-natal depression naturally.

NB: I am not a qualified physician. I am only sharing what worked for me. If you are experiencing symptoms of PND, please see your GP. There are some helpful websites at the end of this post.

What is Post Natal Depression

Post Natal Depression, also known as Post Partartum Depression (PPD) is when you continue to feel low after c. 2 weeks from having a baby. By then your hormones should have settled back to a regular routine. However, if you are suffering from the following symptoms you may have PND.

Extreme fatigue
Anxiety
Difficulty bonding with your baby
Severe mood swings
Irritability
Difficulty in focussing
Panic attacks

Nip it in the bud

If you are feeling tired and overwhelmed you need to deal with those feelings straight away or they will escalate and could turn into PND. Take care of your well-being. It will be harder to heal from PND if you don’t address problems straight away. Tell your partner exactly what you need. If you don’t know what you need read on. This article tells you what you need.

Sleep

“Sleep when the baby sleeps,” that is what all the ‘experts’ say. It is easier said than done. In between breastfeeding, burping your baby until they puke, and the mountains of laundry you have to wash and put away, when will you find time to sleep? But the truth is sleep is one of the best healers. In fact, the lack of sleep could be contributing to your PND.

How to get a good night’s sleep

If you have a newborn baby you cannot get a good night sleep. Newborns don’t sleep through the night. They need feeding every few hours. Here are some tips on how to get enough sleep with a newborn:

Don’t drink caffeine. I know you are probably gagging for a cup of coffee as soon as you wake up just to function for the day, but caffeine will just aggravate your nerves and won’t actually boost your energy levels. Try herbal teas instead.
Breastfeed your baby. If you breastfeed your baby you can just stick your child to your breast and doze off as they suckle. Breastfeeding boosts your mood as well. Our post on the benefits of breastfeeding will help.
Take feeding in turns. If your baby is willing to drink from the bottle then take feeding or changing your baby in turns with your partner.
Have naps. Don’t be afraid to have naps. It’s okay if the dishes don’t get washed or the carpet is not vacuumed every day. Don’t underestimate the power of a good nap.
Cut out screen time. Tempting though it is to scroll mindlessly through social media feeds before bedtime, it’s not good for you. The blue light will keep your mind alert and prevent that marvellous sleepy hormone melatonin from doing its thing. For the last hour before you go to bed try reading or meditating.

NB: If you are struggling to get your baby to sleep at night, Our guide on getting your child to sleep may help.

Be gentle with each other

“Let’s have a baby,” people say, “it’ll bring us closer together.” Oh, if only that were true. For some new couples that is the truth, but that is usually because they have a ‘village’ of supporters. Or a nanny. For the rest of us, we are on our own. Our in-laws are not going to be waking up throughout the night to attend to the baby. They may not be there 24 hours a day, which is good, but also it means it is just you and your partner that have to meet your newborn’s needs all.the.time. You are both going to be exhausted beyond reason. This could make you both irritable and impatient with each other. And all this fatigue and stress will cause tension. So be super gentle with each other. Make a point of speaking each other’s love language. Give each other time. Listen to each other and be politely honest.

Go out into nature

Do this often. At least once a day, if you can. Going for a walk in the city can help a little bit, but what you really need is to be in nature. You need to be surrounded by trees or breathe in the sea air. There is something about nature that helps reduce your stress hormones. I used to take Sops out every morning for a walk to the local church grounds and I would sit on a bench under a tree and read poetry to her. Sops loves poetry now. That helped my anxiety at the time.

Be Prepared

How can one prepare for their first baby? Some people say you can never be prepared, and that is true to a point. You don’t know what your baby will be like when they come into the world. Some babies sleep very well. Some babies are placid. Other babies can get colic and cry all the time. That is enough to destroy anyone’s nerves. But you can be prepared practically.

Make sure you have everything you need before the baby arrives. Our essentials list for newborns gives an honest list of the absolute essentials you need before the baby comes.

You can also prepare batch meals to freeze for the first month. Believe me, you won’t want to cook meals if you have just had a baby. So either make a batch of meals to freeze or make sure you are married to a chef.

These things can help take the stress of you when your primary focus is caring for your baby.

Don’t entertain people

Some people who visit may be extremely helpful. They’ll know your needs and will meet them. They’ll have no expectations from you. They are the types who’ll go into your kitchen and make themselves a cuppa and make one for you too. But some people will visit and expect you to wait on them, whilst they goggle at your baby, or worse still pick your baby up when you have just settled him or her. Be firm with these people. If they are not going to be helpful don’t invite them. Leave a message on WhatsApp or in your Facebook group. Sure, they might get offended and bad mouth you to your friends and say you are being rude, but your priority is your baby and your immediate family, it’s not them.

Let your partner be the family bouncer.

Eat Well

Diet is super important to our well-being. We are learning more and more about how a good nutritious diet can aid digestion and mental health. Some anti-depressants contain mood-boosting hormones, but there are some great foods that will naturally boost your ‘happiness hormones’ without any side effects.

Here are some of the foods that will naturally boost your mood.

Seek Help

Speak to a counsellor or psychotherapist if the symptoms do not go away. Don’t let your feelings consume you or your family. There are lots of support groups and organisations available to help you manage your PND. There are some useful websites below to help you.