Are you a new mom? If so, then you should be reading!
Postpartum depression is a kind of depression that occurs in the period after childbirth. It affects up to 15 percent of the population. People suffering from postpartum depression endure emotional highs and lows, frequent sobbing, exhaustion, guilt, worry, and may struggle to care for their infant. Medication and counseling can be used to treat postpartum depression.
What exactly is postpartum depression?
Having a child is a life-changing event; being a parent is thrilling but can also be exhausting and overwhelming. Feeling anxious or unsure is natural, especially if you’re a first-time parent. However, if you are experiencing intense sorrow or loneliness, strong mood swings, and frequent sobbing spells, you may be suffering from postpartum depression.
Postpartum depression (PPD) is a kind of depression that occurs following childbirth. Postpartum depression affects more than simply the individual who gives birth; it can also impact surrogates and adoptive parents. After having a child, people go through hormonal, physical, emotional, economic, and social changes. These alterations might result in postpartum depression symptoms.
Why are you suffering from it?
Postpartum depression has no single cause, although physical and mental factors may play a role.
Physical modifications
A significant decline in hormones (estrogen and progesterone) in your body after childbirth may lead to postpartum depression. Other hormones generated by the thyroid gland may also fall dramatically, leaving you weary, sluggish, and sad.
Emotional problems
When you’re sleep-deprived and overwhelmed, you may struggle to deal with simple issues. You might be concerned about your ability to care for a newborn. You may feel less beautiful, question your identity, or believe you’ve lost control of your life. Any of these factors can cause postpartum depression.
When will you recover?
The first six weeks after giving birth, regardless of how you gave birth, are termed a “recovery” time. Even if you had an uncomplicated pregnancy and delivery (but especially if you didn’t), your belly has been stretched (called postpartum belly) and pressured to the limit, and it needs time to recover.
Remember that every new mom is unique; therefore, each woman will heal at a different pace and with various postpartum hemorrhage symptoms. Most of them go away within a week, but some (such as painful nipples, backaches, and sometimes perineal pain) may last for weeks, and others (such as leaky breasts or an achy back) may last until your child is a bit older.
If you gave birth vaginally, you’re undoubtedly wondering how long it will take for the ache to subside and your perineum to recover. Recovery time could range from three weeks if there were no tears to six weeks or more if there was a perineal tear or an episiotomy.
Do you ever wonder if your vagina will be the same after giving birth? Not precisely, however, it will most likely be close.
If you had a C-section, plan to spend the first three to four days postpartum in the hospital resting; it will take four to six weeks to feel normal again. You should also expect perineal pain depending on how hard you push and for how long.
Final advice
Preparing for your hospital discharge is just as vital as preparing for your baby’s. Learning and understanding what you require for your postpartum recovery and having the necessary resources on hand will help you feel mentally prepared to care for yourself.
Being prepared might also help with your physical and mental rehabilitation. You’ll be able to deal with discomfort as soon as it appears. You’ll also save time and energy by not having to go shopping for supplies when you’re not feeling well.
When you have all the things you need (for example a belly band) to take care of yourself, you can feel better and more in control. Then you may devote more time to your infant and the joys of being a new mother.
