Postpartum

Did you have PPD?

@Brittany Yes

How old are your other kids?

I’m sorry to hear that. I had it with my 1st and 2nd. And I was terrified as well. But I feel like with my 2nd it wasn’t as bad. I did things that I knew would help and leaned on my partner a lot more. I didn’t put near as much pressure on myself about certain things.

It doesn’t automatically repeat however there are things you can do to prevent it. Better diet. Better sleep. Get your blood work done during postpartum to see how your hormones are doing, taking the right supplements during your postpartum due to how depleted pregnancy leaves you. Get more personal time. Have a solid birth plan that can increase your chances of a better postpartum.

Preventing PPD for me means getting my family and friends in the picture from Day 1, every day in hospital (visiting hrs from 2-8, I’m up at 8am so I have 4-5hrs to myself and baby before people start coming) and every day at home. People bring food, coffee, or just drop by for a chat and a laugh and hugs and company. I can ask my sister to watch baby while I have a long hot much needed shower, do all my self care, shave or wax or dye my hair or straighten my hair or whatever, a lil skincare a lil makeup . And if I need a lil quiet or wanna Bf in peace or wanna nap w baby I take myself and baby into the room and they don’t bother me, but, they clean and sweep and do dishes or laundry or cook. I need people around me to make me feel loved and human. Isolating and wanting my own space is the LAST thing I want, and is usually the cause of many women’s PPD. In Asian or African countries where mum has a village of mum, MiL, sisters and friends to lean on, PPD rates are very very low.

I’ve had 5 kids only had postpartum depression once. Try and stop thinking about it and just pray you won’t get it. It doesn’t happen every pregnancy 💙

@Kellie goodness people around everyday would stress me out lol

@Cali maybe not every day for you. Every other day, every 3rd day. What I’m trying to say is lots of mums these days wants 4-6w pp no visitors at all to “settle in”, I think that’s the worst thing you can do for MH, that isolates you even further and is probably the cause of higher rates of PPD in western developed countries. Thing is, when my sisters come over their host themselves and just chill, they don’t expect me to host- they help themselves and just, there, not in my face but there if I need. And they bring food 😂 Reach out, invite people over, ask for help, but at a frequency that’s okay for you. (Comment more so directed at OP, since she’s the one struggling with PPD last pregnancy)