Today I welcome Julie to the blog. Julie offered to share her postpartum tips and what exactly helps her. I would definitely listen to her postpartum advice especially since she started her blog due to her postnatal depression. She wants to help all mamas who deal with this phase of motherhood and let you know that you are not alone. Please leave Julie your heartfelt thoughts in the comments below.
And remember, everyone deals with postpartum a little different. That’s the crazy thing about it: sometimes we can’t even fully relate to every single mama around us. But the beauty underneath all the postpartum mess, we can learn from every single mama and what helps them most through their vulnerable phase.
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1. I Talked To My Friends And Family
- Talking to my friends and family about my postpartum depression was the thing I found most difficult. I’ve never been one for sharing my feelings and bottling everything up has always been my way of coping. I struggled to find the right words and sometimes to say anything about it at all. Sometimes I felt like I had to just turn my brain off and talk!
-Even though talking about it was the hardest thing to do, it was actually the thing that helped me the most! I thought people wouldn’t want to listen to me and wouldn’t understand, but I found the complete opposite to be true.
2. I Took On Some Self-Care
- Self-Care is so important. Having a baby that always needs feeding, changing and love can leave little time to take care of yourself. But you must, please do not neglect yourself! I would grab a sandwich and a cuppa whilst my little one was sleeping.
-I also found just going out for a little walk helped a lot. I’d put the little one in the pram and off we’d go just down to the corner shop. It’s a good idea to get out the house everyday if you can even just for a few minutes.
3. Let Others Take Care Of Things For Me
- Letting others help me was tough to start with. I worried it meant that I couldn’t cope as a mother and was failing. Which of course is just daft as who has time to iron when you’ve had 3 hours sleep and a teething baby to compete with.
-Whether it’s letting someone help with the housework, ironing or preparing meals – let them help. If your mum offers to watch the little one for a bit let her – plus this a perfect chance to go back to some self-care for you and have a nice bubble bath in peace. It doesn’t mean you’re doing a bad job by letting others help you out – trust me when I say all mums need help sometimes.
4. Accept What You Can Not Change
- I would worry a lot about the past and what had happened. How the postpartum depression had affected me and would it affect my child? This doesn’t help as I would just end up in a circle of more self-doubt and depression.
-In the end I just had to accept what happened had happened and what would be would be. There’s no point in worrying about what you cannot change – just accept it and work on the future and things you can change.
5. Fight Every Day To Get Better
- It exhausting to fight everyday to get better – but just a little bit goes a long way. Some days will be easier than others and some days you’ll have to force yourself to get up out of bed. Keep going though it does get easier.
-When you’re finding it tough just take a look at your little one and remember -your children don’t need you to be anything more than you already are, they love you for who you are – you are their mum and for them that is enough.
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About Mummyitsok: I started back in October 2015 after my battle with Postnatal Depression. By starting this Postnatal Depression Blog I hope those of you who find it seek help sooner than I did. There’s no need to suffer and there are many of us out there who’ve been on our own PND Journey and recovered – you are not alone.
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Don’t forget to check out the other two posts in the postpartum series: Ten Postpartum Truths No One Tells You About, How I Learned to Love My Body and Postpartum Claustrophobia.
Such a great and helpful post. I will absolutely share this to those whom I know will benefit from this.
Belle | One Awesome Momma
Aw thanks for sharing, Belle!
This is a great resource! I remember getting a book called “This isn’t what I expected” helped me so much after my 1st was born!
Ha! Love that title because it’s so crazy true!
These are such great tips! Postpartum is such a hard thing and talking to people about it is so important.
Agree! just knowing you’re not alone makes a huge difference!
Love all of these tips! So important
These are great tips, thank you for sharing! The more we talk about PPD the less of a stigma that will be associated with it. Have you heard of the #howsmama campaign? One of my friends stated it to raise awareness of PPD and to encourage people to ask new moms how **they** are doing.
Danielle, I have not heard of that campaign! I think that’s absolutely fantastic though!
THese are great tips for postpartum and post partum depression. In my culture after birth the woman is taken care of for 49days by her mother or another female figure in her life. She does no cooking or cleaning. If she has another child someone is watching her
I like that! Moms are rushed way too fast now with expectations and things that must get done. The body needs time. Plus baby and mama need to connect. <3
I love this. My one tip to moms going through PPD is to acknowledge it, but don’t let it define you. And then just keep up at the daily tasks and one day I just realized I was feeling a bit better. <3
That’s perfect, Rachel! Thanks for sharing.
From someone who suffered from PPD as well, I would add to not be afraid to get help from a medical professional. I started medication, and it helped me IMMENSELY!
So glad to hear that, Lindsey! PPD should not be ignored ever!
Such an insightful post! I’m expecting my first born in July and not sure how I’m going to handle it all emotionally. Bookmarking for future reference.
Glad you find help in this post! One other tip I have for you: relax and enjoy. Seriously. It sounds easy but it really isn’t. Try not to listen to too many people and enjoy your baby. Congrats!
Accepting what I couldn’t change was a huge one for me. I had a hard time with it and it really caused my anxiety and depression to be so much worse!
Absolutely! Every single woman who births a child goes through some kind of change. Some experience more or less, it really depends. Good for you realizing what you have to let go!
These are such great tips. I struggle so much with letting others help me. Subconsciously, I fee like I should do everything for my child, because, she’s my child. But, I’m human. I can only do so much. Plus the lack of sleeping makes me need to reach out for help even more. I need to let go of some of this pride and see if it helps me, sometimes I feel like I’m headed in a dark hole. But I know that’s just the ppd and stress of being a new parent. Thanks for these tips
Victoria, I totally hear you! I feel like I got it all under control but honestly, I don’t. I’m learning to let go and let others help me. They don’t offer for nothing and so if I get an offer, I’m trying to worry less and take the help! We’re all in this together. Hang in there mama! I hear the days get easier.