Ways to Protect Your Mental Health in Your Postpartum Time
The most overlooked thing about pregnancy and giving birth is how every mom feels during these times. People believe that all moms will bounce back really quickly and start taking care of the newborn without any signs of anxiety, fear, and exhaustion. Even though this is true for some of them, not all women can act that way, and everyone needs to accept that. These days women are starting to talk more about how to protect their mental health from the early stages of pregnancy through all those late nights with their newborns. It’s important to share stories, knowledge, and experience so that other new moms would know what to do and when to seek help. Just a few simple things could save you from losing your mind and you should think about how your sanity affects your baby.
Support system
There are many parents who think they can do everything on their own – and surely they can if the circumstances are right – but think about how beneficial a support system could be. There are many cultures that still respect ancient traditions where a women’s family moves in for a certain amount of time after birth to help with the baby and all the chores. Keep in mind that although this may sound amazing, it can sometimes cause unnecessary stress between you and your partner, so make sure you’re on the same page. In addition to that, you can always rely on family members and close friends to take your baby for a walk while you take a bubble bath, wash your hair, or take a moment for yourself. You’ll still be an amazing parent, though, and this just means you need some time to focus on your mental health.
Eat, sleep, and take some time off
This sounds like a piece of bad advice, but you’ll be surprised to learn how many problems new parents have when it comes to their eating and sleeping routine. Sure, you can’t sleep while you’re baby is hungry or crying, but parents should learn how to manage their time better. If your baby sleeps during the day, maximize this time to complete your chores, do some work, or simply take a rest. This will allow you to finish your obligations on time and still have some rest which is important if you want to stay sane and protect your mental help. In addition to that, you need to eat well and think about what you eat, especially if you’re breastfeeding, so stick to healthy food and avoid bad dietary choices. You can even travel a bit as soon as you start feeling a bit stronger, and don’t forget that even short getaways can mean quite a lot. This is especially true if you pick a women retreat in Bali that’s going to give you everything you need and more, helping you heal, recover, and get ready for being a full-time mom.
Understand your emotions
Becoming a mom is hard and stressful, but learning how to adapt to so many things, breastfeeding, and taking care of your newborn at the same time is even harder. This is why you need to be honest with yourself and try to acknowledge that it’s time to talk to someone – your partner, your friend, your parent, or a professional. Many new moms battle with different types of emotions in different stages so proper postpartum care is what you need to look into ASAP. From exhaustion and baby blues to depression and anxiety, these feelings could keep evolving and turning into something serious, so you need to handle them on time.
Lower your expectations
We’ve all seen TV shows and movies that feature parents who spend their time in the park, drinking coffee, reading a book, or just chilling next to a completely calm baby. Sure, there are some lucky parents who have this in real life, but you don’t know how your baby is going to sleep, behave, and handle all those distracting sounds in immediate surroundings. If your baby is crying all night long, behaving awkwardly in front of strangers, or wants to be around you all day long, don’t worry – this is something most babies do! Some of them are more sensitive at first and although you’ll constantly keep asking yourself what’s wrong with your parenting skills, the truth is that sometimes only time could heal these situations, so adjust your expectations and don’t ask too much from your baby.
Taking care of your mental health is important not just for yourself, but for your newborn and your new family as well. Learn how to cope with some of the most common problems and you’ll feel more confident and know what to do in certain situations. Take some time off and focus on becoming the best mom you can be – and you’ll start noticing changes immediately!
