Do any of you women have any experience or helpful advice for postpartum depression? I have been struggling with it. I am taking zoloft now and breastfeeding and I am concerned that the medication is getting into my breastmilk and making her cranky. She is going on one month old now and it seems like from the hours of 7-11pm she is super fussy. I am very tired, stressed, and worried. I think this is normal fears of a new mom but it is really stressful. Do any of you moms have any tips or stories of your own to share?
Rohen was a fuss bucket at night too. It was SO HARD! We did a couple of things that I think helped. We actually started bringing him to the chiropractor weekly. I really feel like this helped. Also, he was super gasy so we really had to focus on burping him well. I found that sitting him on one thigh and then kind of laying his tummy over the other thigh while patting his back worked best for Rohen. That and holding him facing outwards and pumping his legs up to his chest seemed to get some of it out. Another thing that we did was gripe water. I am not sure what age they recommend it for, but that also helped with the gas. Good luck hun! Hang in there!
Good info Rachel...chiropractor??? what do they do? I will try that for the gas too... my pediatrician recommended gripe water too :) I will try that as well. Thanks girl
What you're experiencing is totally normal and it won't last long. The first 3 months your baby needs constant attention and you're dealing with sleep deprivation, post pregnancy hormones, and recovering from the delivery. Don't be too hard on yourself or expect too much.
When my son was about a month old I kept having this recurring fantasy about giving him away, like to a total stranger who just looked nice and like they'd take care of him. It made me feel so crazy and depressed, like I wasn't up to being a mom. Then I saw a cartoon that showed an exhausted mom and dad on a park bench, with a little baby and the parents were holding up signs saying, "Help, we're being held hostage" and it made ma laugh because as the parent of a new baby you do feel like you're a hostage sometimes, meeting the whims of an impossible to please baby.
In reality, your baby is going to grow so much over the next year. All the work that you're doing to care for your little one will help the baby get bigger and become a little person. You'll be shocked at how quickly your baby will outgrow clothes every couple of months!
Make sure to ask for help from your family and friends. I had a blessing in disguise when I got an upper respiratory infection when my son was about 5 weeks old. So I wouldn't infect him, my son stayed with grandma and grandpa. That 24 hours let my husband and I sleep and spend time together and feel like a normal person again. I also missed my son so much during that day away from him and was able to come back as a better parent.
It's kind of silly, but it also helped me to watch the TLC show "Bringing Home Baby" because it showed other moms going through almost exactly what I was experiencing. Also, make sure you get you and baby out of the house for a walk at least once a day. At the beginning I used a knock-off baby bjorn that I found cheap at TJMaxx, but later after I was stronger we would pack up the stroller and go for longer walks at the park. You will start feeling like yourself again soon.