What is post natal depression? There is no doubt that the introduction of a baby into your life, no matter how loved and wanted, can cause a lot of emotional and physical stress if you are not prepared. In our western culture, support for new mothers can be lacking because relatives often live far away and our friends may not be our immediate neighbours. Also, when your friends and family are with you, you may find that their expectations about how you should be feeling are not necessarily the same as yours. Alternatively, your feelings may not be as intense as you expect them to be immediately after birth and for some women, it can take some time before the feelings of love for the new baby develops. For many women the pregnancy may have been a difficult one and the baby may not have been planned. Many things can influence the way that you initially feel about your new baby. These emotional stresses combined with a less than optimal level of nutrition and the obvious hormone changes that you will be experiencing post birth with perhaps a poor sleep pattern due to the babies demands can lead to post natal depression, and it is very common. There are ways to both prevent and treat depressive thinking effectively without resorting to drugs. So what are the symptoms of post natal depression? Well it is no different from the symptoms of general depression, these can include: • A lack of motivation • Vivid dreaming • Waking early feeling exhausted (this may be a normal part of early life with your baby of course, especially if he or she is not a good sleeper) • A lack of pleasure in usually pleasurable activities • Anxiety • Black and white thinking (everything bad happens to me, everything good to others etc) • Negative introspection and worrying • Excessive guilt • A loss of appetite • Lethargy • Reducing pleasurable activities • A loss of libido So how can you help prevent post natal depression? The first thing to state is that most women don’t actually get full depression but they tend to classify feeling weepy and a bit low as depression. This is quite normal and will pass after a few weeks so don’t get too concerned if you do have mood swings or if you don’t feel your usual self. It is probably due to the hormones changes that occur after birth as your body begins returning to normal, and remember you have been sharing your body with your baby for nine months and many women express a feeling akin to grief at this parting. So this is normal and will pass. If you are concerned or you have suffered from depression in the past and want be prepared what can you do? Well the good news is that relaxation and can be very effective at de-conditioning the emotional arousal that happens during depression. So planning time to practice active relaxation and using the techniques on the Second Nature Birth Programme will certainly be beneficial and will help you to prepare mentally for the birth. Practicing the techniques will make it easier to relax after the birth and will be a powerful aid to de-stressing. We are far more able to cope with stress if we have a tool or method to help us relax. Keep up some form of physical exercise. For example, if you are practicing yoga, do not give it up after birth. Go for long walks with your baby as soon as you feel comfortable enough and strong enough to do so. This would usually be at least three weeks after the birth and longer if you have had a caesarean. (consult your midwife for advice if you are unsure) Join a local support network prior to the birth of your baby. A mother and toddlers group may offer exactly the support and shared experience that you need after the birth and a group like the National Childbirth Trust in the UK would be ideal. Nutrition. Remember your diet is as important if you are breast feeding as it is when you are pregnant. The following is especially pertinent to maintaining mental health through diet: a. Supplement vitamins and minerals during pregnancy, particularly calcium, magnesium and zinc. b. Eat a lot of oily fish, herring mackerel, sardines salmon and tuna are all good. c. Supplement omega 3 and 6 fatty acids. d. Eat a lot of raw fruit and vegetables (organic if possible) and seeds. e. Make up this mixture and use on breakfast cereal and in soups, one tablespoon a day. Make up equal quantities of sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds and then three times the amount of flax (linseeds) together in a blender. Grind them until they are granulated and store the mixture in the fridge. f. If you are constipated you may wish to use a few more flax seeds during the day separately as these will aid the digestion. What else can you do? Talk to your partner. Friends and family and discuss any concerns that you have before they arise. Do not wait for issues to sort themselves out as they have a habit of hanging around. Plan for the birth. This may seem obvious, but what we mean are the less obvious aspects like: Find out who among your family and friends will be willing to baby sit or offer you support you in other way. Knowing this will be very reassuring. When you cook, double the quantities. This means that you will only need to cook half the time. Talk to other mums and learn from them about what they did to cope with a new baby. Book your nursery place well in advance if you are planning a return to work. If you are not then you will want to plan intellectual stimulation when you are at home with your baby especially if you have had a challenging career. Treating post natal depression. Most post natal depression disappears after a few weeks or months, but you will want to avoid unnecessary suffering, so seek help early. As psychotherapists, we see people with depression every day and know how effectively to help. So seeing a brief solution focused therapist may be the answer for you. Visit our site www.naturalchildbirth.co.uk for more information. Steve Griffiths DHyp Psych GHR HA. HB Prac. Steve is a brief solution focused psychotherapist working in Brighton and Hove Article © 2005 Sussex Natural Childbirth. 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