From our friends at Parents Ask
Your baby’s birth has set into motion great changes in your life and your body. Dramatic hormonal shifts occur when a body goes from pregnant to not pregnant in a manner of minutes. Add to this your new title (Mommy!) and the responsibilities that go with it and the blues are understandable. Today, Parents Ask expert Elizabeth Pantley, author of The No-Cry Solution series of books for parents offers these tips for dealing with baby blues:
Q: How do I know if I have the baby blues?
A: Every woman who experiences the baby blues does so in a different way. The most common symptoms include:
♣ Anxiety and nervousness
♣ Sadness or feelings of loss
♣ Stress and tension
♣ Impatience or a short temper
♣ Bouts of crying or tearfulness
♣ Mood swings
♣ Difficulty concentrating
♣ Trouble sleeping or excessive tiredness
Q: How can I get rid of the blues?
A: While typical baby blues are fairly brief and usually disappear on their own, you can do a few things to help yourself feel better and get through the next few emotional days or weeks:
Give yourself time.
Grant yourself permission to take the time you need to become a mother. Pregnancy lasts nine months, and your baby’s actual birth is only a moment but becoming a mother takes time. Remind yourself that it’s okay (and necessary) for your baby to be your number-one priority.
Talk to someone who understands.
Talk to a relative or friend with young children about what you’re feeling. Someone who has experienced the baby blues can help you realize that they are temporary, and everything will be fine. (Plus, they can serve as a checkpoint to encourage you to seek help if needed.)
How to tell if you have postpartum depression, and what you can do about it.
