Postnatal depression
Giving birth is extremely demanding for the body physically and nutritionally. You’ll be digging into your stores of vitamins and minerals during labour to ensure your baby is receiving essential nutrients for the outside world. Our bodies are truly amazing!
This week is Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week. Did you know that around one in 10 women experience postnatal depression after having a baby? There is more and more discussion around postnatal depression but I still think it remains a taboo somehow. Do you?
Postnatal depression can happen anytime during the first year after giving birth and it can be sudden or gradual. This is not the same as ‘baby blues’ which usually last up to 2 weeks after birth.
Sadness, irritability, low energy, fatigue, trouble sleeping, anxiety, having negative thoughts or having problems bonding with your baby (or babies) can all be signs of postnatal depression (the list is not exhaustive!).
Reaching for help when you feel completely overwhelmed, sad or depressed is not a sign of weakness and doesn’t make you a bad mum. The theme of Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week is ‘The Power of Connection’ and we all know how important it is to feel connected when you become a mum (for the first time or not!)
Whether it is talking to a friend, a GP or any other health practitioner, connection is key!
Nutrition has a huge impact on your mental health postpartum so here are a few things for you to consider:
Remember to continue to take your prenatal supplement even after your baby is born. If you are breastfeeding you can usually use the same multivitamin you were using during pregnancy (but check your brand) and if you are not breastfeeding you could still benefit from a high quality multivitamin.
Your baby will have used a lot of the essential fat DHA that you stored in your body for his brain development. Being deficient in essential fat has been linked to postnatal depression. So getting a good supply through food and supplement is key before and after pregnancy. The best source of DHA is in seafood. You can also find omega 3 in chia seeds, ground linseed, hemp seeds and pumpkin seeds.
The best advice I saw recently on social media was to buy second-hand toys/clothes and spend your money instead on healthy foods, babysitter, nanny, lactation specialist or a doula. So true!
Follow Marion for great tips around parenting, she is also a Doula-to-be and is amazing at supporting new parents. I highly recommend her. Click here to visit her website.
If you know a new mum and wonder what gift to give them, I personally think that offering healthy homemade foods is the best present you can give them. Their bodies need to be nourished and they often don’t have time or the energy to prepare a nutritious meal. If you haven’t given birth yet, prepare some meals in advance if your freezer is big enough.