How To Deal With Someone Who Has Postpartum Depression – Postpartum depression (PPD) is a mysterious disorder. I almost missed it. I was visiting my best friend who had just given birth to her first child about a month ago. As she put her little boy to sleep, she yawned at her little baby and my heart melted. “You won’t believe what he did,” I shuddered as my friend came out of the bedroom. “It was so cute!” I thought he would rush over to check out the beauty I had just seen. Instead, she threw up her hands, “I can’t either,” stumbled into the kitchen to grab some Advil, and went to bed.
Even though I wasn’t told, my judgment saw what his unhappiness meant. A few months later, she was diagnosed with PPD, and I realized that I was not supportive at all.
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How To Deal With Someone Who Has Postpartum Depression
New mothers need a lot of help in the first weeks and months. A significant proportion of them, 7.5 percent, experience symptoms of depression during postpartum stress. As soon as she realized her mistake, she took a night babysitting job to give her friend a break and help whenever possible. Whether you’re a friend, sibling, or neighbor of a mom with PPD, here are some ways you can help.
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1. Talk about her, not her child. When you visit, don’t just ask about the baby. “I need to stop this relationship and understand what she’s really feeling,” says Stacey Thomas, a Toronto-based psychologist who specializes in women’s mental health. This means that you are prepared (more than once!) to always talk to yourself and listen. You also shouldn’t do more than what you’re doing. Make it safe for him to share any feelings, even if they don’t make sense.
“Let her know she can handle two negative emotions at once,” adds Carol Peet, a human resources and teacher support provider in London, Ont. “He can love this little man with all his heart, but today feels sad.” Your job is not to eliminate these feelings; it’s about making him feel.
2. Stop trying to solve his problems We often try to please others by going against their feelings. But what are you talking about? You’re a good mom!” they’re not actually productive. “It doesn’t make her feel like a good mom,” says Greer Slyfield Cook, a social worker in the Reproductive Life Stages Program at Women’s College Hospital. Instead, it invalidates her feelings and she Instead, echo the mother’s concerns by saying things like, “You seem really worried” or “It must be really hard.” If you’ve had anxiety or depression in the past that wasn’t pregnancy-related, offer your story to show you understand what she’s going through.Women often feel lonely when they’re depressed, so it’s helpful to hear other women share their experiences.
3. Offer to go to doctor’s appointments with her This doesn’t mean staying with her; about being his lawyer. You’ll have a team of therapists for the first year, but postnatal tests often focus on the baby, ignoring the needs and concerns of the mother. If your partner can’t make it, ask if these meetings can continue. Thomas says: “It’s not to humiliate her, but to reveal all the concerns if the doctor doesn’t ask.” If not, do the research for him. Find out what support groups are available in her community for mothers or doctors.
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4. Stop asking what you can do and start doing It may be well-intentioned, but telling a sleepy, stressed-out mom “I’m here if you need anything” doesn’t do much. It puts the burden on him to know what he needs, which he may struggle to understand. Be specific and direct in your offer of help. If she won’t fall asleep when she gets the chance (a warning sign of PPD), ask if you can take the baby off your hands while she sleeps, takes a shower, or goes somewhere for a few hours. If there is an older child in the picture, ask for the nursery to be picked up or dropped off. Also, he may not eat it often, so bring your favorite foods with you when you visit.
5. Celebrate his success. Another symptom of PPD is that small victories have no effect on the mother’s feelings. For example, she manages to get her baby to sleep, but there is no one to see her success. “The kids can’t praise you for feeding them,” says Pete, who regularly hosts dance parties when his clients’ kids get fat. Maybe the mother finally nursed her baby, or she ate breakfast today, or maybe she didn’t have her first major defeat recently. Whatever the victory, find a fun way to celebrate it with him.
6. Seek outside support. If you are a close relative or friend of the mother, you can provide valuable emotional and practical support on a daily basis. But by looking at him, you might need someone to lean on. The best thing to do in this situation is to search without such help. “Don’t tell your mom, ‘I’m so worried about you, I couldn’t sleep last night,'” Slyfield Cook said. “When someone is depressed, it’s not a level playing field and support can’t be returned.”
Postpartum support comes in many forms. I know that the next time I need you, I will be there without judgment.
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Follow your baby’s development, get the latest parenting content, and get feedback from our partners Postpartum depression is a type of clinical depression that can occur up to 12 months after birth. It causes feelings of worthlessness and constant fatigue. However, there are many strategies that can help you feel like an adult.
Are you a new mom struggling with postpartum depression? You are not alone. Research shows that 1 in 7 women experience postpartum depression in the first year after giving birth.
Although PPD can be a difficult and difficult condition to deal with, there are things you can do to ease your symptoms and start feeling like yourself again.
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Is a type of clinical depression that can occur after birth. It’s more common than you think, affecting 1 in 7 women in Australia.
Although baby blues usually clears up within a few weeks, PPD can last longer and significantly affect your ability to function on a daily basis.
Postpartum depression (PPD) can occur in women for many reasons, including hormonal changes, lack of sleep, and social expectations placed on new mothers. This causes new mothers to lose their sense of identity.
Postpartum depression can be very difficult to deal with, but there are many things you can do to help. These tips give you a start, but if you’re having trouble, it’s important to talk to your doctor. If you have any thoughts of harming yourself or your child, seek professional help immediately.
For more information on how to help someone in a health crisis, book a First Aid course with us today.
If you’re interested in learning more about managing your mental health, read the following articles in the Resource Library: Helping someone with postpartum depression by listening to them, getting professional help, and helping them with daily activities. , and encourage self-care. Their journey to recovery will take time, but your support will make a huge difference in the healing process, so please be patient, understanding and empathetic.
BetterHelp has over 20,000 licensed therapists who provide convenient and affordable online therapy. BetterHelp starts at $60 per week. Take a free online test and find the right doctor for you.
Postpartum depression (PPD) is depression that occurs after childbirth. It begins weeks or months after birth and is characterized by chronic sadness, mood swings, fatigue, and feelings of worthlessness. About 15 percent of new mothers develop PPD, and it affects fathers and partners as well.
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Its exact causes are not fully understood, but risk factors include hormonal fluctuations, personal and family stress, lack of social support, and complications during pregnancy and/or labor. PPD can last for months or even longer if left untreated, so early detection and intervention are critical to the individual’s and infant’s recovery and well-being.
Postpartum depression can take many forms, and some symptoms of postpartum depression are more pronounced than others. Common symptoms include persistent sadness, mood swings,
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