“And I guess that’s why they call it the blues……” LOVE that Elton John song. And no, I do not know the rest of the words.
Postpartum blues. What gives? Why are women just randomly crying out of the blue after delivery when there’s nothing wrong? Why is no one talking about this? I was posed these exact questions in my office the other day while seeing a patient for a routine visit. Her exact words were: “you know Dr. Angela, I follow your blogs and all and it seems to me that everyone is always talking about the delivery process, their vaginas and how much they are throbbing, or healing from repairs. Everyone mentions postpartum depression and what to look out for. Nobody ever talks about the baby blues and how lots of moms just start crying for no reason after birth but are perfectly fine otherwise. Can you talk about that? A lot of moms that I know and friends of mine that are moms experienced this and state that it’s normal but no one ever mentions it. What about the moms that are crying and it’s perfectly normal? Talk about that!”
And so, here we go. Postpartum blues. Turns out, my patient is/was right. Most of the time my patients are right. Lots of women experience this. Upwards of 80% as quoted in some literature. And just why would a new mom just randomly burst into tears for no apparent reason? WHY WOULDN’T SHE?!?!?!? I mean, you just went through a harrowing experience, whether you delivered baby vaginally or via c-section. Your hormones are all over the place……
Becoming a mom is NO JOKE! Gone are the days of alone time, waking up whenever you feel like it, having peace and quiet in your house……It’s like going from 6th to 1st gear in a matter of seconds. For those of you that drive a stick shift, you’ll relate to this. Everyone is so focused on how wonderful motherhood is, how beautiful the new baby is….We’re not supposed to talk about how hard it is, how your body is different, how you feel like you’re doing everything yourself while your partner sleeps.
Folks feel guilty for acknowledging these things. DON’T! Being a mom is and can be a real MUTHA! Adjusting to your new role as caregiver, all the while trying to maintain the rest of what you do; i.e., run a household, be a wife, mom to other kids, etc., is quite a tall order. So if you need to shed a tear or two while you adjust; CRY, CRY, and CRY some more. It’s normal. Par for the course. Your way of maneuvering through it.
So when does it become an issue? Specifically, when does postpartum blues become postpartum depression? The difference is, postpartum blues is transient; typically lasting no more than 2 weeks. It doesn’t affect your ability to function as a person, mom, etc. Postpartum depression comes to mind when symptoms of tearfulness, guilt, etc. start interfering with your ability to be who you are. This is the point where many moms feel utterly hopeless and as such they might reach out to family or therapists, make use of something like a CBD Distillery promo code to purchase CBD medications for cheaper, or even get in touch with a medical professional in order to combat the postpartum depression that’s slowly been developing.
You may start having difficulty sleeping, eating, concentrating, and feeling worthless or as if you aren’t a good mom. You may even have feelings of wanting to harm yourself. This is when it is imperative that you start looking for a treatment, whether that’s therapy, anti-depressants or something more natural like psilocybin mushrooms. If you choose the latter, you will find the free offers from Mushroomz (https://mushroomz.co/free-offers/) very useful. Though understandably this could be a step too far for some women. However, there is always the option of trying another natural remedy, and CBD oil is probably the most popular. This can be purchased from retailers like Gold Bee CBD and has been scientifically proven to soothe, heal, and calm your mind. It is worth noting, though, that you should speak to a medical professional first, especially if you are breastfeeding. Conveniently, it is accessible in different products; softgels, oils, creams, gummies to name a few. You can also research some types of private label cbd capsules, as each type is created by the manufacturer to suit different purposes.
Don’t suffer in silence, get help. It’s out there.
10-20% of women experience postpartum depression. Check more info here: https://my-antidepressant-info.com/.
With the implementation of fourth trimester care, specifically seeing moms 2 to 4 weeks post delivery instead of the traditional 6 weeks postpartum, we can hopefully identify moms at increased risk for developing postpartum depression and get them the resources they need.
Got it? Hoping this blog post was both informative and entertaining.
Until next time,
Look Better. Feel Better. Be Better.
Dr. Angela
