*Let me preface this by saying that I’m not a doctor and if you are having thoughts of hurting yourself or your baby, call 911. The suggestions I give here are meant for people with the blues and are not a substitute for medication for people who are suffering from depression.*
Me and the girls at the Long Beach Pride Parade at almost 2 weeks postpartum
I don’t know about you, but I start to feel a little crazy after weeks and weeks of caring for a newborn. I’m so tired, my days blend together, my hormones are dropping, and I don’t feel the same sense of purpose I used to. Yes, I know, taking care of a baby is the most important and most difficult job. But I still sometimes feel like something is missing at the end of the day. Not everyone feels that way. If you don’t, this article is not for you. The problem is, I don’t have the time to take up a new hobby or run a marathon or anything. Here are 7 things I have found give me a little more purpose after the birth of a new baby:
- GET OUTSIDE! I know this isn’t possible in every climate, but if it is, GET OUT. This makes the largest and most immediate impact on me. Whether you want to do a long walk or just get out for 10 minutes, it helps. Tremendously. Second to being outside would be just getting out of the house. Go to the mall for a walk, run a simple errand like going to a stroller friendly store for one thing, just get out. I KNOW it’s hard, but you will thank yourself.
- Cook something. Start small if the baby is very new or you are short on time. Throw something in the crock pot like salsa chicken (salsa + chicken for 6 hours on low and shred with a fork). Later when you might be on more of a schedule, try a new recipe. Making something new makes me feel like I’m using my brain again and I feel like I’ve accomplished something when I’m all done. Bonus points if you have an older kid that you can invite to help you.
- Make a simple to-do list and do one thing each day. Now probably isn’t the time to clean out your closet. But maybe you can spend 10 minutes and clean out one drawer, go through a pile of junk mail that’s been sitting around, sort through photos on your phone to make room for new ones, etc. The key here is to do something you can easily jump in and out of in case you get interrupted because the baby need something. At the end of the day, it feels so good to cross something off your list. And in a week or 2, having your surroundings be a little more organized will help you breathe easier.
- Reach out to someone. Talk to a friend, even for 5 minutes. Hearing a familiar voice will
Relaxing with a raw placenta smoothie
help ground you and give you space to vent if you need to. I suggest a BFF or your mom.
- Consider placenta encapsulation. I did this with both of my daughters. I didn’t realize how much it helped until my miscarriage. After Katie was born, I did okay mood-wise but I had nothing to compare it to. When my hormones dropped after my miscarriage, my anxiety soared. I was worried all the time and I felt like I couldn’t control it. That’s when I realized how much the placenta encapsulation had helped with Katie and assured me that doing it again with Isabelle was the right choice for me.
Going on a walk with the girls at 3 weeks postpartum
- Exercise. I know this is the most obvious and least popular. Exercise is hard and takes time and effort. It doesn’t have to be Olympic weight lifting though. Even a brisk walk will do wonders to lift your mood.
- Ask for a break. A lot of new moms have a hard time with this, especially if they are breastfeeding and feel like they can’t leave the baby. Trust me, you can. Ask your significant other, one of your parents, or a friend to watch the kid(s) for as long as you feel comfortable, even if it’s just a few minutes. And then do something alone. Run to the store, take a shower, take a walk, etc. Your baby will be fine without you for a few minutes, and your sanity will thank you.
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