Can you prevent postpartum depression

If you're uncomfortable, tell them. Make sure to surround yourself with people who can give you the support you need during childbirth. Perhaps that's your partner, or maybe it's your mother, your partner, and your best friend. You should also consider hiring a doula to help you through the process. Do whatever it takes to feel supported during delivery in order to have the best possible experience. Taking a childbirth education class is helpful, but don't stop there.

Read as many books or articles on the topic as you can manage. Talk to other women about their experiences. Many childbirth classes skim over crucial aspects of childbirth , like C-sections, and you should be well-informed on every possible outcome in the delivery room so there will be no surprises.

If you know what to expect, you're less apt to have a traumatic childbirth experience. You will be in no condition to cook meals and clean the house in the first few weeks after your baby is born, especially if you have a C-section, so arrange for people in your support system to help you. Have someone go grocery shopping for you to stock up on frozen entrees and easy snacks. Let your sister vacuum the living room floor for you.

Your support system is there to help -- use them. If you don't have a support system you can depend on, think about hiring outside help until you're back on your feet.

This block of sleep can occur at any point hint: most healthy babies will give you a chunk of sleep sometime between 7pm and midnight. Stay as active as possible: Women who get some form of mild to moderate exercise each day are generally less likely to become depressed or anxious than those who do not. This does not mean that you have to go to the gym. Or run a marathon. Or even get out to attend a yoga class. Create your village: Inadequate social support is one of the leading factors in developing depression or anxiety postpartum.

Community allows for validation, emotional and logistical support, and company. Consider setting up a meal train in which friends, family, and colleagues can bring you food in the weeks after you bring your baby home check out www.

If you have struggled with depression or anxiety in the past and know that you are at risk for PPD, connect with a therapist now. And if you are someone who has needed medicine to maintain emotional wellness before becoming pregnant, work with a trained reproductive psychiatrist so that you can continue this mental health need during your pregnancy if necessary.

Connect with your village before the birth of your babe so that you know who is out there. Of Self: Women who know their risk of postpartum depression are less likely to be hit unexpectedly with an episode of depression and anxiety and are more likely to put preventive measures into place.

Understanding how your brain works, what your vulnerabilities and triggers are, and what you need most to feel well can make all the difference in your postpartum recovery.

Please make sure that your expectations of yourself are realistic! Of your partner : It has also been shown that couples who discuss their parenting hopes, expectations, fears, and roles prior to the birth of a baby are much more equipped to support each other along the way.

The first postpartum year is a tough one for couples, and the more you communicate before your baby arrives, the more equipped you will be to manage the challenges. Becoming a mother and having a new baby is simply stressful at times. There is no way around this one, and it is entirely normal to have moments of anxiety, irritability, and sadness along the way. What is important, however, is that moms have some tools for managing the emotions that come up when times get hard. Moms who have access to stress reduction strategies are less likely to become depressed and anxious than moms who do not.

Breath : When we are stressed or anxious, most of us are are not breathing adequately. When we breathe with our full lung capacity — all the way to the bottom of our lungs diaphragmatic breathing — we give our brains the amount of fresh oxygen that they need to function efficiently.

Deep relaxation strategies: When we are stressed and anxious, we often forget what it feels like to be relaxed. In one study of more than 2, women conducted by researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, women who struggled with breastfeeding during the first two weeks after giving birth were more likely to experience postpartum depression two months later, compared to women without any breastfeeding issues.

Women who had severe breast pain on the first day of breastfeeding and also two weeks after giving birth were twice as likely to have postpartum depression compared to women who didn't experience pain while nursing. Some limitations of the study should be noted, including the fact that participants in the data set used were mostly white, middle class, and employed women.

Also, researchers did not obtain the mother's baseline depression status. So if a mother was depressed at the time of birth, this may have led to breastfeeding difficulties, and not the other way around. But while the researchers are still trying to understand the link between painful breastfeeding and depression, the study authors recommend that women who are having trouble with breastfeeding be screened for depressive symptoms so they can get help early on.

You can also enlist the help of a lactation consultant, who can provide tips on how to make breastfeeding easier and more comfortable. Caring for a new baby is wonderful but also demanding, causing chores and plans to fall by the wayside.

That can be particularly hard if you're a perfectionist, but it's important to work on letting go of any notions of perfection, such as keeping your house spotless, and focus instead on caring for yourself and your new baby.

Avoid this pitfall with mental preparation, recommends Dr. External stressors, such as major changes or losses, may increase the risk of postpartum depression. Some factors, like the loss of a loved one, are clearly beyond anyone's control, but Kleiman recommends trying to avoid possible upheavals you may have a say in, such as job alterations or moving, if you can. SELF does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Any information published on this website or by this brand is not intended as a substitute for medical advice, and you should not take any action before consulting with a healthcare professional.

Health Chevron Mental Health Chevron. Go on a walk, take a nap, go to a movie, or do some yoga and meditation. A report details how women who got the least sleep also experienced the most depressive symptoms. In particular, this applied to women who clocked fewer than four hours of sleep between midnight and 6 a.

You may find it helpful to take naps or go to bed early. Now is also a good time to beef up your intake of omega-3 fatty acids, like DHA. According to an article published by the Journal of Affective Disorders , women who have low levels of DHA have higher rates of postpartum depression. Seafood is an excellent dietary source of DHA.

You can also find supplements at your local grocery store. A study suggests that breast-feeding may reduce your risk of developing PPD. This supposed protection may extend all the way to the fourth month after delivery.

If nursing is something you enjoy, keep at it. That being said, there are some cases where women develop depression symptoms while breast-feeding. With D-MER, you might experience sudden feelings of sadness, agitation, or anger that last several minutes after your milk lets down.

The days may blend together, making you feel isolated at times. A study published by the Canadian Journal of Psychiatry shows that talking about your feelings with others can help shift your mood. Researchers discovered that new mothers had lower levels of depression after regularly speaking with experienced mothers who had previously experienced PPD. These results extended to four weeks and then eight weeks after delivery. Although the peer mothers in this study had specific training on how to give phone support, the power of social interaction is undeniable.

Try your best to get out or at least chat with other adults and moms for support. Check out: Are there natural remedies for postpartum depression? These feelings can get worse and become chronic depression without medical help. Only around 15 percent of women ever seek treatment for their symptoms, despite the importance of treatment. Your doctor can point you in the right direction to get the support you need.