Is Baby Blues Similar to Depression

Suffering from a mental illness can make you feel helpless and alone. While that is what your mind tells you, it is far from reality. There are many people in your life you can fall back on and small changes can go a long way in overcoming these mental illnesses. Two common forms of mental illnesses are Baby Blues and Depression.

Baby Blues

Giving birth takes a massive toll on the woman’s physical and mental health. Most women tend to experience ‘baby blues’ immediately after childbirth. It goes by that term for it appears out of the blue. It happens due to the sudden change in hormones post-delivery, combined with stress, anxiety, irritability, sleep deprivation and exhaustion. The new mother can feel tearful, overwhelmed, and emotionally fragile. Baby blues is very common and completely normal. But if it lasts more than 2-3 weeks after childbirth, it can be postpartum depression.

During pregnancy and childbirth, the woman’s body is producing high levels of oestrogen and progesterone. These hormones drop significantly after childbirth, causing an unprecedented wave of emotions. The first few days post-delivery only makes the baby blues a shade worse. Uncertainty, insecurity about one’s body, relationship with the baby and the relationship with your partner are just some of the thoughts that go through the new mother’s mind while experiencing baby blues.

Ways to Treat Baby Blues

• Socialise

New moms tend to feel quite isolated. To break away from that, it is necessary to socialise. Interact with your friends, go out for a casual lunch or join a mommy-and-me group to interact with other new mums. This way, you can have weekly playdates arranged with mothers and babies in your neighbourhood.

• Take a Breather

There is no hiding that having a newborn in the house can get overwhelming and chaotic. Every now then and pause for a few moments. Take deep breaths and tell yourself that you are doing a good job. Just taking a breather can help you in making better sense of everything.

• Make Time for Your Partner

You two may have had the baby together, but it is very easy to lose track of each other once the baby comes home. Make it a point to find some time to spend with your partner every day. Having a meal together, doing small acts of love and appreciation and maintaining the flow of communication is very important.

Depression

Depression is a common mental illness that harms thinking, emotions and actions. It affects your physical and mental well-being and causes a lack of interest in even ordinary, daily activities. Other symptoms of depression include loss of appetite, insomnia, suicidal thoughts, mood swings or a constant sense of sadness, loneliness, lack of energy and fuzziness in making decisions or thinking.

Although depression is common, but never really brought out in the open. Certain stigmas and judgements are surrounding the illnesses that force people to curl into a shell and not speak up about their suffering.

Ways to Treat Depression

• Follow a Routine

Setting a daily routine and following a schedule can help with depression. Most people say that they lose track of days and time. To combat that, break down your day into different tasks. Make sure to start with the small tasks that are easier to accomplish. Don’t forget to pat yourself on the back as you complete all the activities and get through the day!

• Eat Healthy

What you eat can have an impact on your mental health. Some tend to overeat, while others lose their appetite. Following a balanced diet and making sure you eat at least three times in a day can help in tackling depression.

• Do Something You Love

This is something most of us find very difficult to do. In the rush of everyday life to keep up with domestic chores and office work, we run out of time to do things that genuinely make us happy. Whether it is painting, cooking, reading, dancing, listening to music, trying something new or even sleeping, make sure to make time every day or every week to do the things that you love.

Baby Blues and Depression may be common but not spoken about openly. It is imperative to normalise mental illnesses so that people can open up and seek help at the right time. Mental health awareness is very important for the physical and mental well-being of an individual.

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