Beyond Baby Blues

Let's get serious today. I want to take a second to talk to you about post partum depression and depression in general, the symptoms of it and some natural ways to help you cope with depression. If you feel you are depressed, even if you don't think your feelings are justified, please talk to your doctor about how you are feeling. If you know someone who is depressed, please, help them by talking to them, validating their feelings and assisting them in getting help that they need. People who suffer from depression often cannot help themselves and it falls to us who love them to take the lead and find them the help they deserve.

Baby blues- I hate that term. As a mom who has suffered from severe post partum depression I find this term laughable! Depression looks different on everyone, but the main symptom of depression are universal- a feeling of hope lost.

The following is the list of depression symptoms as described by the mayo clinic:

Feelings of sadness or unhappiness

Irritability or frustration, even over small matters

Loss of interest or pleasure in normal activities

Reduced sex drive

Insomnia or excessive sleeping

Changes in appetite — depression often causes decreased appetite and weight loss, but in some people it causes increased cravings for food and weight gain

Agitation or restlessness — for example, pacing, hand-wringing or an inability to sit still

Irritability or angry outbursts

Slowed thinking, speaking or body movements

Indecisiveness, distractibility and decreased concentration

Fatigue, tiredness and loss of energy — even small tasks may seem to require a lot of effort

Feelings of worthlessness or guilt, fixating on past failures or blaming yourself when things aren't going right

Trouble thinking, concentrating, making decisions and remembering things

Frequent thoughts of death, dying or suicide

Crying spells for no apparent reason

Unexplained physical problems, such as back pain or headaches

For me depression over-takes me, like the world is moving in high speed and I cannot focus on any one thing. I can be in a crowded room full of friends and family and feel utterly alone and secluded. Hormones play a major role in  postpartum depression, as well as sleep deprivation,  the stress of a new baby and poor diet.

The poor diet is what I want to talk about today. You just had a baby, your exhausted all the time, you don't sleep well, your up late at night and if you're breast feeding you may be extremely hungry and may even be experiencing strong food cravings. This is the fact of life right now and I promise you-- things will eventually calm down and you will get back to yourself, but right now it may be tough to just get a shower and pee during the days home with your little one, let alone make nutritious meals for you and your family. And honestly in a perfect world, your spouse, friends or family should be taking over many of those chores. But reality is- the help never last long enough and your left with the responsibility. Don't stress, do your best to eat healthy foods, like lean proteins, whole grains (unless your gluten free like me- then brown rice is a good option) , plenty of fruits and veggies and WATER! In order to help keep the normal stress of having a new baby turn into full blown depression I highly suggest continuing with your pre-natal vitamins and adding a b-12 complex to your diet. According to the mayo clinic, "Vitamin B-12 and other B vitamins play a role in producing brain chemicals that affect mood and other brain functions" and personally I have found that taking a B-12 supplement has greatly helped to ease the symptoms of depression. (always check with your Dr before adding any supplements or over the counter drugs when breastfeeding.)

Remember to give yourself a break, be kind to yourself and allow yourself the time needed to get healthy. Don't stress about weight loss after pregnancy, a lot of women find it hard to lose a great deal of weight while breastfeeding, largely due to the chemical response breastfeeding has on our fat stores. This is OK! YOU are OK! Right now your job is to take care of that baby, his first year of life is a vitally important time of development and bonding with you. You will have plenty of time to get your body back after baby! I hope that you will find this information on depression to be helpful and encouraging. I'd love to hear your feedback! Feel free to e-mail me at Fitmomma4@gmail.com or leave a message here on the blog.

Cheers and Health my Friends!