When I found out I was pregnant, I immediately went into planning mode: what I wanted labor to look like, the setup for the nursery, potential names. But another thing I added to my list was monitoring my mental health throughout my pregnancy and after birth. I recognized that postpartum depression and anxiety were things I were prone to due to my past mental health, so I knew I needed to pay attention. After having H, I developed postpartum anxiety that made it hard to enjoy motherhood more fully. I wanted to share my action plan to ensure I identified and dealt with my anxiety.
**Please note that I am not a medical professional, so if you have any questions or concerns at all, always reach out to your doctor (which is what I say in this post quite a bit.**
1. Identify risk factors and your personal risk
It is extremely important to know the risk factors that can contribute to postpartum anxiety and other postpartum mood disorders. By identifying the risk factors, you can then reflect on yourself and how much you could potentially develop postpartum depression or anxiety.
Some risk factors are:
- History of depression and/or anxiety
- Lack of support from friends and family
- Pregnancy or delivery complications
- Thyroid imbalance
- Financial stress
- History of abuse
There are way more risk factors, so make sure you research them (or talk to your doctor) to know them and be able to establish your personal risk.
2. Educate yourself on the signs of postpartum mood disorders
After identifying your risk, you should also educate yourself on the signs and symptoms of postpartum mood disorders. Even if you have a low risk, it is always smart to know what to be watching for. Postpartum Support International is a great resource that provides information and articles to help parents learn and seek out help. Use it!
3. Find a support person
Get yourself someone who can help you identify the symptoms. For me, it was my husband. He was the hydration man and the anxiety watcher. After having H, I was so wrapped up in her needs and researching information about babies – sleep, poop, breastfeeding, milestones, my own healing process – that I didn’t even monitor myself for signs. Of course, obsessively researching WAS a sign of postpartum anxiety, so keep that in mind. But have that person that sees you on a regular basis that can let you know that they are noticing those symptoms. Have that conversation about how you could possibly react, what the plan is for after that conversation, and anything else you feel is important before being in the moment.
Once you find your support person, share this post from Riyah at Riyah Speaks – it shares 40 ways to support mothers with postpartum depression and anxiety. It can be hard to know how to help and I love that there are so many options to choose from.
4. Set up a therapist
When my husband noticed I was “starting to spiral” – that’s what we call it – he told me to set up an appointment with my therapist. Due to my previous mental health status, I have a therapist that I can reach out to and set up an appointment as needed. I made sure to put her in the know about my pregnancy and that I’ll be reaching out after delivery at some point. It just so happened that by the time I got to setting up that appointment, I was starting to develop postpartum anxiety.
5. Notify your obstetrician
While I was pregnant, I had a conversation with my obstetrician that I was prone to developing anxiety that also led to depression. I was beginning to develop some anxiety during my pregnancy, so my doctor had me take a little quiz and then provided me with some medication that was safe to take during pregnancy. Along with that, whenever the doctors ask if I’d like to take the mood quiz, I always say yes. It’s a way to have a medical record of it for the future!
6. Be honest with yourself
If you start to notice symptoms occurring over and over, be honest with yourself and call it what it is. Having postpartum depression and postpartum anxiety is not bad. It’s just important to get treatment before they become something dangerous. So recognize and act.
7. Make your mental health a priority
The best way to tackle postpartum mood disorders is to make mental health a priority. That looks different for everyone. But make sure to make time for the therapy appointments, meet your basic needs (aka eat and drink your water!), and practice self care throughout the day!
A common way to manage anxiety is to journal. Why We Journal has a great post about using journaling to help tackle anxiety and how to incorporate it as a coping mechanism. I highly recommend you find a method that works for you – and if you find that journaling is a great option, do it!
Another way to work on focusing on yourself is taking time to re-establish an identity. After having a child, it can be hard to figure out what your life is supposed to be like, but taking the time to journal or simply reflect is so important. My friend from Mom Life Organizer shares more information about finding yourself after motherhood in her post here!
There is NO SHAME in having postpartum depression and/or anxiety. Having children is a huge life-altering moment and can be difficult to transition to. Take care of yourself and recognize that by addressing your mental health, you are being an amazing parent.
1 Comment
I so appreciate this post. Such an important topic. I can relate to a lot of this.