Human beings use reason in their daily lives, but we consider ourselves to be extremely emotional beings. At any given moment in our lives, how we feel will play a large part in how we react, how we solve a problem that is in front of us and the impact that such an event may have on us and how, from that moment on, we will feel when we remember it or come across a similar situation.
When we talk about how we feel as a new mum, it's not always easy and we may not know what this feeling might mean. We're feeling down, we don't have time for ourselves and our wellbeing and, above all, we want everything to go well with our baby, that's what's most important to us.
Nowadays, it's becoming more common and normalised to talk about feelings after childbirth. Paying attention to certain attitudes, behaviours and feelings is a big step towards identifying something that shouldn't be or isn't right.
However, situations such as the baby blues or postpartum depression arise completely naturally. It's normal to exist and it's normal for people to talk about it. In this way, it will be beneficial for the mum - she'll have time to herself, clear her thoughts, understand why she's feeling this way - and for the baby - he'll have his mum happy and will be able to fully enjoy the moments with her.
We need to clarify that these feelings are normal and should be talked about.
This topic has always been something we've been interested in exploring a little and bringing you some tips. Mum's well-being is essential. So we went to find out more about this subject on some worthy platforms that are specialised in this type of subject.
The first thing we identified is that there is, in fact, a distinction between baby blues and postpartum depression, and they are often confused. Today, we wanted to bring these two definitions together so that we can learn more about these two concepts.
The baby blues is the period right after giving birth. Often, this moment is something mums prefer not to talk about or forget about, because they feel unable to cope with what is ahead of them and they don't feel good about their physical state. It's a difficult time, but it can be seen in a different way. When you feel down, tired and don't enjoy holding the baby - try to reassure yourself that these feelings are temporary. It's a transition, in which women experience a drop in hormones at a time of great change, of taking on new responsibilities and the appearance of different emotions. The feeling of "emptiness" is something to watch out for and it's understandable that it feels lower.
With such characteristics, mums should have time for themselves and rest is a priority after giving birth. For example, a perfect moment would be when the baby is asleep, so take advantage of this and look after yourself. Another important tip is to talk. Talking to someone about what you're feeling helps and allows you to understand what's going on. The third tip is to give your baby lots of cuddles and enjoy those moments.
On the other hand, there's postpartum depression, which can last longer than three weeks. A period of little rest, lack of appetite, little contact with other people and moments with your baby don't leave you feeling fulfilled, so you need to seek help and understand why you feel this way. These feelings may no longer be the effect of a drop in hormones, so you need to be followed up as soon as possible and you need medical treatment and support.
As well as the mother, the father can also suffer from postpartum depression. With new responsibilities, stress and not feeling up to the task of being a father are common feelings. You should take care to rest and also ask for help.
Both mum and dad play important roles and reassuring each other will be a huge help in getting through this situation. It's new to be parents and this event should be experienced calmly by both parents and the baby. The help of family and friends will also be essential.
Today's post is essentially about starting this extremely important conversation, learning about the subject, understanding how we feel and what we can do. We want to continue to explore this topic and be able to bring here the possibility of talking and, with that, also address other equally important issues.
What about you? We want to know if you've ever been in this situation and how it was dealt with. Have you ever had the experience of having someone close to you who had the baby blues or postpartum depression? If so, how did you help them? We want to know your opinion.