Post Natal Depression – How Can We Help the New Mums Around…?

Is there a new mom around you? Is she irritated often? Lost in thoughts? Intimidated easily? Worried and depressed? …etc., here is something that you can do to help her out.

Before which I would like you to step into her shoes to know what is happening in and around her. Let us look into it a little …

She is trapped in her own magical world along with her little one, cherishing and enjoying every moment literally deafening everything happening around her. Meanwhile she is bombarded with questions – why is your baby so tiny? Is the baby feeding well? What is the baby’s birth weight? Did you eat right when you were pregnant? Is the baby sleeping well? Are you able to sleep?, while she herself is still fighting to understand the baby’s routine little will she know to answer them.

It dosen’t stop there,
Is the baby crying, where is the mom? Did she feed?
Is the baby sneezing, what did the mom eat?
Is the baby making weird sound, what did the mom do? Does the baby have cold?
Is the baby not sleeping, hurry find the mom get her to feed the baby….

Is it over yet, no
Swaddle the baby, no don’t swaddle its not safe…
Use rubber sheet, no don’t use- it heats up the baby’s body….
Gripe water to give or not to give?!..still on a debate…
Put the baby on the craddle..no don’t put not safe…
The baby is getting hiccups, give this.. give that…

Please hold on, besides all this family, work etc…

Here is what we can do to help her out:

1. She is still finding the best solution for her baby, we can give her our suggestions but let us not force it on her.

2. She is not the only reason for the baby to cry, yes she has been feeding the baby on time…the baby might cry for various other reasons too. More over she is more perplexed and tensed than us. Let us not further make her anxious.

3. She needs more rest, if possible we can baby sit and give her some “me time – as she might have totally neglected her self needs” or give her some uninterrupted sleep.

4. Most importantly she needs lot of positivity in the room. Please let us not make any heated arguments with or around her. Her state of mind can easily be disturbed by our temper. She has been through so much already and might have mood swings, let us not add more to it.

5. We might have to do a little extra work or stay up late in the night to help her out, let us do it happily with a smile on our faces. It is going to be a very short period, let us cherish it along with her.

6. We might have to run small errands every now and then. Be happy we can stay fit, if we run accross the house ?. That again it is for a short while.

7. Keep her happy always, remind all the good memories, she might be undergoing so much of trauma mentally and physically. A happy mind can ease it all.

Following link gives WHO recommendations on post natal care…
http://www.who.int/maternal_child_adolescent/documents/postnatal-care-recommendations/en/

Its is just a phase, with our help any new mom can overcome it. This article is specially for those around the new mums.

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