New Mum? What You Need To Know About Postpartum Care
Postpartum care is vital if you want to be able to care for your baby in the best way possible. After all you need to look after yourself before you can properly look after anyone else! The postpartum is a time when you may be feeling very tired, moody and sometime depressed, or you may also be experiencing physical complications which often arise as well. We'll have a look at some of these below to help you understand these things and how to best handle them.
Postpartum is the period of about six weeks from the time of birth until your body makes the adjustments it needs to return to normal. There are a few things that can go wrong and if you're aware of these you'll be prepared and they won't seem so frightening.
Postpartum hemorrhage ~ This can happen immediately after the birth or hours later. There is a significant loss of blood which can be serious and needs instant treatment. Fortunately postpartum hemorrhage is rare, affecting under 20% of all births. Some blood loss is quite normal during this period and is nothing to be concerned about.
Postpartum preeclampsia ~ Although this is mainly a symptom of pregnancy, preeclampsia can happen after giving birth as well. Preeclampsia symptoms are high blood pressure and excess protein in the urine. Tell tale signs for this condition are blurred vision and frequent headaches. Preeclampsia is serious if untreated. Fortunately it can be successfully treated if caught in time.
Postpartum depression ~ This is a very common complaint and can vary from mild to extreme. It's mainly caused by hormonal changes in your body. A feeling of loss of identity may also cause you to feel depressed.
What are the postpartum depression signs? Well you may be feeling overwhelmed, sad, excessively tired, uninterested and above all, guilty that you're feeling this way, Because, after all, this should be a happy time, shouldn't it?
Just be assured that you are perfectly normal and that thousands of women are going through this phase and have been since the dawn of time.
Understand that your body has been through a tremendous amount of stress and that it will take some time to recover. Giving birth poses both physical and psychological changes both at the same time. You may also be feeling excluded when family and friends are making a fuss of your baby and you're no longer the main attrraction. This feeling of loss of identity is quite normal and you're just being human.
You also have the huge responsibility of caring for a newborn while dealing with sleep deprivation at the same time. No wonder your feeling exhausted, scared and anxious. This is perfectly normal and will probably last for a week or two. If it goes on for much longer you should consult your health care practitioner.
Although postpartum depression is a form of depression, it has a clinical cause so be wary of prescribed depression drugs. These have a low success rate and are totally unsuitable if you're breastfeeding. I'll leave you with one important natural way of handling postpartum depression.
Take Omega 3 supplements. You can get your Omega 3 by eating fish, but due to the high mercury content in some fish these days, you may be safer taking supplements. Omega 3 is a great way to boost your mood and is good for your and your baby's health as well.
About the Author
The postpartum is often fraught with difficulty, but it needn't be! Don't suffer when you don't have to. Visit http://www.natural-childbirth-baby-care.com/postpartum-depression.html to find out about natural ways to help postpartum recovery and enjoy this special time in your life. Wendy Owen (HH Dip) is a holistic health therapist with an extensive knowledge in homeopathic and herbal remedies.
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