How to Prevent Postpartum Depression

Expecting a little one and afraid of postpartum depression? To an extent, postpartum depression is preventable. Here's how.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Lots of support
• Realistic expectations

1. Understand what your body is experiencing and what it will experience. Sometimes just realizing what it is your are going through can help you embrace the upcoming changes with greater ease.

2. Develop a strong support system for the birth of your baby. Make sure you trust your support system, including your care providers (doctors or midwives). Its vital that you feel your care providers will care for your labor and delivery in a way that you feel comfortable with.

3. Take a childbirth education class. This is so important on so many levels, but as it relates to postpartum depression, sometimes things happen in pregnancy and birth that we don't expect. Those surprises during labor and delivery can sometimes lead to deep feelings of resentment, fear, depression and anxiety, and eventually may lead you to postpartum depression. A childbirth education class is designed to not only build your confidence in your ability to give birth, but also help you prepare for the possibility that labor and birth may not progress as expected.

4. Plan for your first weeks of recovery. Ask family and friends to help you take care of your home and your baby while you adjust to life with a newborn. Its been found that lack of sleep, exercise and proper nutrition can further lead to postpartum depression.

5. Discuss parenting roles, philosophies and responsibilities with your partner before baby gets here. Very little about being a parent is predictable, but having an open dialog with your partner will help ease your transition to motherhood.

6. If you have a history of depression, you may even want to discuss with friends and family what postpartum depression is, and what to look out for. Many times its not the mother who realizes she needs help, but someone close to her. Also remind the people you discuss this with that if they feel there may be a problem, it will be better received by you if they break it to you gently!

7. As soon as you get the green light at your 6-week checkup, EXERCISE! Not just your body, but exercise your mind. An idle mind is the devil's playground, and so its important that you get out and do things with other people and changes in scenery.

8. As soon as you get the green light at your 6-week checkup, EXERCISE! Not just your body, but exercise your mind. An idle mind is the devil's playground, and so its important that you get out and do things with other people and changes in scenery.

9. If you experience feelings of sadness that are affecting your ability to function normally for longer than a period of 2 weeks (less than 2 weeks is very normal and called "baby blues"), contact your care provider. If you are breastfeeding, take note of what medications they prescribe you, should they choose to prescribe any. Your pharmacist or lactation consultant may be able to give you more up-to-date information on specific medications' interaction with breast milk than your ob/gyn.

Tips & Warnings

• Never ever feel guilty that you lack the energy to do absolutely everything that needs to be done around your home. No new (and even experienced) mom is capable of doing everything, no matter what Hollywood says! Just make sure in your first few months postpartum you simply focus on taking care of you and your baby. The housework can wait!!!!!
• If your sad feelings seem to be a result of unexpected outcomes during the birth or delivery of your baby, contact your childbirth educator for information on local (or not-so-local) resources to help you. Remember, it is NORMAL to feel sad about the birth of your baby when it doesn't go the way you expect, and there is help out there to help you celebrate the birth of your baby, even if you feel you're mourning the experience of their birth.
• Seek a postpartum doula if you lack adequate support postpartum. You can find one by searching http://www.dona.org.
• If you experience feelings of wanting to harm yourself, your baby, or anyone else, immediately seek help (dial 911 if severe). Also seek immediate help if you feel you can't adequately care for yourself or your baby.