How to overcome baby blues?
You've just had a baby. You expected to be basking in new mom bliss. You expected to be celebrating the arrival of your little one with your friends and family. But instead of celebrating, you feel like crying. You were prepared for joy and excitement, not exhaustion, anxiety, and weepiness. You may not have been expecting it, but the majority of women experience at least some symptoms of the baby blues immediately after childbirth. It is a feeling precipitated by the sudden change in hormones after delivery, stress, isolation, sleep deprivation, and fatigue. You might feel more tearful, overwhelmed, and emotionally fragile. Generally, this will start within the first couple of days after delivery, peak around one week, and taper off by the end of the second week postpartum. There’s plenty you can do to feel better, though, and get back on the road to happy motherhood
Seek support
Without a strong social network of family and friends, it’s easy to feel helpless and alone. When you feel like everything is on you, even a minor annoyance, like yet another poopy diaper, can quickly lead to a full-blown breakdown. Seek out someone who can say, “‘I get it.” That should be your partner, but it can also include a best friend or another family member. When you have the baby blues, these people will let you be as emotional as you want, and help facilitate the adjustment much quicker.
Build a mommy network
Reach out to friends or moms from your prenatal classes. Chances are they’re going through something similar or, better yet, have already overcome the challenges of the baby blues and can offer solid advice. Pursue empathetic friends, since they’re most helpful during stressful times
Engage in skin to skin contact
Research found that moms who engaged in six hours of skin-to-skin contact with baby in the first week reported fewer depression behaviors. What’s more, those who did skin-to-skin contact for even three hours a day reduced infant crying by 43 percent.
Sleep
You will notice moodiness in any healthy person if deprived of sleep. New moms are often deprived of sleep as they get little time to spend on themselves. To help lessen the baby blues effects, try to sleep when baby sleeps—the dishes and laundry can wait.
Set realistic expectations
Motherhood is often not how you dreamed it to be while pregnant. Once you’re home from the hospital you’ll likely feel scattered, so instead of trying to do things “just so,” focus on getting into a rhythm—even if that rhythm involves walking around like a zombie
Eat healthy
Healthy eating will keep you energetic to cope with every situation, it’s important for both you and your baby. A well balanced diet will help preventing baby blue at the earliest.
Practice mindfulness
Staying in tune with yourself through mindfulness that is awareness during a particular moment is said to reduce the likelihood of postpartum depression, read books or make a habit of writing diary as you will have lot of pleasing moments with your little one, which you would like to remember later. Practice yoga and meditation to reduce stress. Remember that you are not alone but millions of women go through the same stage including your mom, mom’s mom and so on.
