Having a baby ignites a whirlwind of emotions, some happy and others not. After giving birth your hormones are unbalanced and your life is significantly different, which is why postpartum stress is so common.
Some typical symptoms of Postpartum Stress are:
- Mood Swings
- Anxiety
- Difficulty sleeping
- Feeling constantly overwhelmed
- Irritability
- Excessive Crying
- Loss of appetite
Navigating motherhood can be challenging and exhausting, especially in the early months of your baby’s life. This is why stress reduction is so important. Typical ways to reduce stress are social support, moderate exercise, sleep, and abandoning unrealistic expectations.
Social Support from your partner, spouse, friends, family or therapist is a great way to reduce stress after having a baby. Talking to someone and expressing your feelings is a healthy way to deal with postpartum stress. Always remember, postpartum stress is normal and is nothing to feel ashamed about.
Moderate exercise such as yoga, stretching, and walking are always encouraged to reduce stress, if approved by your physician. Get your body moving, your endorphins pumping and your energy flowing. Even after giving birth, light physical activity boosts your mood and reduces stress.
Sometimes a build-up of stress can be from simply not getting enough sleep. Evaluate your sleeping schedule and compare it to your baby’s. Attempt to sync together and understand your baby’s sleep patterns. Sometimes a short nap can make a world of difference, ask your spouse or family members to watch the baby while you rest.
Most importantly, abandoning unrealistic expectations. New mothers tend to hold themselves to extremely high standards causing an immense amount of stress. Nobody is perfect, including new mothers. Oftentimes a reality check is needed to understand that newborns are exhausting and stressful to take care of. Motherhood might come easy, but that doesn’t mean it is easy.
Navigating postpartum stress is difficult, but with the right techniques, you can gain control. Take a break, get rest, talk to someone, and move your body!
Learn more here: http://parentingscience.com/postpartum-stress/