So with our new bundle of joy I found myself feeling completely overwhelmed. My two year old wasn't thrilled with the idea of sharing mommy and made it very clear through his show of emotion (tantrums...).
As many of you moms out there know, adjusting to a newborn is hard! Nursing is hard! Having a two year old is hard! And add to that the normal stresses of life and work and also being a step mom part of the time make for one very worn out mommy.
This second time around, though I have struggled with postpartum depression in a much severe way than I did with my first. After almost two months I'm feeling the dark cloud lifting, but I still have my down moments. Here are some things that have helped me push through it.
1. Take advantage of every opportunity to get away. Even if it's just to the grocery store to pick up milk- go. You need to have some moments of quiet to feel a little bit human.
2. Talk about it. Find a friend or family member and be open about what you are feeling and going through.
3. Remind your self of why you are feeling the way you do. Your hormones are going berserk after having a baby and nursing perpetuates it. So severe estrogen drops on top of sleep deprivation on top of EVERYTHING else- yeah, you may feel down, but call it like it is. Hormones.
4. Also, remind yourself over and over again, "This is a season. It will pass." You will get through this.
5. Praise and pray through it. I'm not trying to sound super spiritual here. I'm being very honest. In the midst of my tears I would just stop and start thanking God for my babies, my body that birthed my babies and all the many other things I had to be grateful for. I would pray for grace to get through it and also for joy in every happy moment. Interestingly enough, my Judah's name means "praise". Praising God got my focus off of myself and on to Him! It helps! Try it!
If you are a new mom suffering the baby blues I feel ya! Hopefully this post helps you. You'll get through this in time, I promise!
Maria
