Becoming a mother comes with many emotions that can range from joy to inadequacy, to severe depression. Healthcare providers can help diagnose mothers with Postpartum Depression (PPD) and treat their symptoms. Dealing with postpartum depression is not something you have to face alone. Feelings of depression or lack of maternal feelings are completely normal and should be taken seriously. Many Postpartum Depression sufferers don’t need therapy, but it can be helpful if you have other mental health issues that have worsened after birth. 

Here are some best practices for dealing with postpartum depression and how you can cope with being a new mom and battling your mental health. Below are some items that are pharmacological and psychological methods. 

1- Seek Support From Family And Friends

Talking about your emotions with a sympathetic person can help you process what you are feeling. Family and friends can offer support and help when you need it, but can only help when they know what you are dealing with. If family or friends are not available, finding a support group in your area can be another great resource. Other moms who are experiencing PPD can help validate your feelings or offer ideas. 

2- Limit Places And People Of Comparison

While working with others can help to validate your feelings, hearing phrases like “When I gave birth I did..” or “I just pushed through when I was a young mom,” can be really damaging to moms with PPD. In the age of social media, the comparison is often more readily available and can be hard to escape. Setting clear boundaries will help. 

Viewing other moms or families on social media can make it seem like people have all of it together when they really don’t. Having a dirty home, struggling to keep up with family get-togethers, or not dressing your child up for every holiday for a photoshoot is totally normal. Social media will say you need to be a supermom, but you don’t have to do everything all at once. Dealing with postpartum depression can be difficult enough without added pressure from outside sources and limiting social media can help.

3- Using Antidepressants

Some mothers can benefit from taking antidepressant medication to manage symptoms. If you are breastfeeding, you will need to speak with your doctor about the risks or what medications are safe for breastfeeding. Assuming that you can do nothing and just deal with your postpartum symptoms alone is naive. Putting off therapy or medication can make your symptoms worse. Help is available for dealing with postpartum depression. 

If you feel like hurting yourself or your baby, get help immediately. Call 911 or the suicide hotline. 

4- Celebrate All Small Achievements

Sometimes the best thing you accomplish in a day is giving yourself and the baby a bath. While some might not think of this as an accomplishment, celebrating every small victory can help in dealing with postpartum depression. Being overwhelmed is normal when caring for a new baby, so keeping the baby healthy and happy is the only achievement that matters. 

5- Find Time For Yourself

As a new mom, it is still important to find time for yourself. Small actions like bathing, walking, eating, or sleeping are all ways you can take care of yourself while still being there for your baby. Taking time to do hobbies that you enjoy or spending time with friends can help you feel less isolated and stressed when dealing with postpartum depression. 

Mothers who experience PPD may not know how to ask for help or what to ask for. If you are looking for a way to help a new mother, try offering to do specific tasks or bringing them a meal. This takes the weight off of their shoulders and will limit feelings of being a burden. 

Therapy With Ogden Psychological Services

Our therapists are licensed to deal with a variety of symptoms and ranges of depression. Patients can benefit from seeking therapy with us or coming to us for medication purposes. Ogden Psychological Services wants you to have full control of your health and mental health. 

Working to limit symptoms and enjoy being a mother is important to us. Our counselors work to improve your neuropathways while still helping you maintain your normal function. Contact our office to learn more about what each of our therapists can do for you and learn about the vibe of our office. We want to make sure you feel comfortable during each appointment so we are clear about our process from the beginning.

The act of meditation has become a popular method for coping with stress and dealing with life changes. Mindfulness and meditation can help you cope with the stress of changing life situations or help you focus more clearly. The proper practice of mindfulness and meditation can help you feel peace and start your day off on the right foot. True mindfulness can help patients between therapy visits and get more out of their sessions. Here are some tips to help you get started on your mindfulness and meditation journey. 

1- Be Kind To Yourself

Mindfulness can take place during your everyday life and can be a new way to see the world. Mindfulness helps you look inside yourself and you may start to see areas in which you can improve. Even if you can see places you can improve, be kind to yourself and know that you are able to grow. Emotions are meant to be felt and you should give yourself grace while you are learning about mindfulness and meditation. 

2- Control Your Breathing

While it may seem obvious, you need to focus on breathing during meditation. Noticing your breaths and taking deep and controlled breaths will help to calm your mind and limit stress. One of the practices of meditation is to feel your breath. Notice the air moving through your nose and your mouth and how it feels to breathe in and out and feel your chest rise and fall.

3- Patience And Practice

It may take some time to fully clear your mind during mindfulness and meditation. Working on your meditation practices and having a patient attitude will help improve your concentration. You may not notice results for a while either and will take time. Setting aside time each day to practice mindfulness will help you become better and truly feel the results. 

Stress can be hard to manage, but you may need to be patient during difficult situations while you focus on long-term mindfulness. Long-term mindfulness can be helpful between therapy visits or when your therapist may not be able to help you right away.

4- Carry It Into Your Daily Life

Mindfulness should be incorporated into your daily tasks to best help you. Walking, driving, working, and even during hobbies, you can practice mindfulness. Noticing the ground beneath you, the natural sounds around you, and how you are feeling the tension in your body. 

Once you have learned some mindfulness techniques and affirmations it will be easier to enforce them in your daily routine. Listening to guided meditations on your commute or for 10 minutes after your work day is a good starting point in working it into the busyness of life. 

5- Limit Distractions

The most important part of mindfulness and meditation is to clear your mind of too many thoughts and limit distractions. The best way to focus on your breathing and your body is to limit your distractions in the environment around you. The best time to meditate is when there are no other people around you when you don’t have pressing issues to attend to, and when you can focus fully on yourself. 

Once you have been practicing meditation and mindfulness for a while, you will be able to limit distractions during your work day. Limiting notifications, only responding to emails at a specific time, and limiting smartphone use can help you be more focused and limit social media comparison. 

6- Start With 10 Minutes A Day

Just like with any new hobby, starting slow will help you to make it a habit. Meditation can pull out deep emotions and make you do a lot of self-reflection, so starting with just a few minutes a day can help you ease into the practice. Your mind is also prone to wandering, so doing short bursts of meditation is best to start off with. 10 minutes will allow you to get into it and feel some peace, without overwhelming your senses. 

Meditation and Therapy With Ogden Psychological Services

Practicing meditation and mindfulness while taking part in therapy with Ogden Psychological Services can help those with mental health disorders, or those who are experiencing life changes. 

Looking at your weaknesses and strengths will help you improve in many areas of your life and make you a better person. Therapy is a way to focus on what you can do and show you new coping skills. If you are wanting to take charge of your thoughts and emotions, seeking therapy and practicing meditation and mindfulness in your daily life can make a big difference.