Did you know that 80% of new moms will experience "baby blues" within the first few weeks after delivery? Did you know that 1 in 7 moms will experience serious depression or anxiety during their pregnancies or after the baby is born? Did you know that 1-2 women per 1,000 will have postpartum psychosis? As you can see postpartum psychosis is a lot less common, but the media misleads the public with the horrific stories and states that the mom had postpartum depression.
Women don't talk about how difficult it can be sometimes when you become pregnant. You may feel absolutely miserable during pregnancy. You may be struggling with vomiting, nausea, feeling fat and uncomfortable. And not to mention the physical changes that your body goes through to support the growing fetus. Some women are counting down the weeks until delivery and when they can "just be done with this pregnancy" and have their mind and bodies back! We need to remind moms and society that this doesn't mean that she will be a bad mom because she is thinking or feeling this way!
For many women after the birth of their baby, they may find themselves crying, not sleeping, not eating/eating too much, lack of interest in baby or lack of pleasure in things they once found enjoyable etc...Some women become very frustrated when they find themselves experiencing more intense feelings of irritability, rage, insomnia, mania, overprotectiveness/hypervigilance, intrusive thoughts and images, and/or increased alcohol/drug use. Feelings like these can be very scary and overwhelming for women. It is important that you tell your partner, family, therapist or your OB what you are experiencing right away, so that you can get the proper support whether it is starting medication therapy or both.The sooner you get help, the sooner you will feel better. Please remember that you are not alone.
Copyright © 2024 Strengthening Connections, LLC - All Rights Reserved.
Powered by GoDaddy