I have been thinking a lot about this topic over the last year or so and felt compelled to discuss it. Studies seem to show that one in ten women will suffer from Postpartum Depression. I do not doubt or deny that depression and postpartum depression exist. However, in my opinion Postpartum is over diagnosed. Now, I'm not a Doctor, so what I feel or believe is not a study or clinical test it is merely my opinion.
Something does happen to you after your baby is born, and its called HORMONES! Before I was pregnant I thought that the whole hormone thing only affected you during your pregnancy. Especially since no body ever talked about how it affected you after. Perhaps its because we as Mother's want to seem in control and feel ashamed if we have to admit that we feel out of whack sometimes. I think its very important to talk about and wished that someone would have warned me or least offered a friendly heads up! Something like, "Hey, get ready to be a hot mess!" That would have been nice :)
For me, I was pretty "normal" while I was pregnant. I didn't cry or get unusually agitated, I was just...me. I may have been a bit more upset with my increasing weight gain, but I think that's normal! Something did change when my son was born though, I can't explain it. From the moment he was out and in my arms, I was in fact a hot mess! I cried tears of joy, I cried because I was exhausted, I would cry because he wouldn't stop crying and well, I cried because... who the hell knows! There are thoughts sometimes that go through your head that you don't dare say out loud for fear of being condemned. Ever have PMS? Times that by a million! What's worse is your not only hormonal, but your completely and utterly sleep deprived. Depending on how lucky you are your baby may not sleep through the night for 9 months to a year! Think about how stable you are on no sleep for one night, let alone night after night after night. I'm pretty sure the combo of hormones and sleep deprivation are grounds for insanity in some countries. Just sayin'.
The good news is it does get better! Everyone is different when it comes to how your hormones will affect you. For me though, I didn't feel like ME again for about a year. Sure there were stretches where I felt good again, but those hormones were like stalkers in the night and would come out of nowhere! Whether you choose to breastfeed or not plays a big role in when your system can regulate and you start to feel normal again. This is in part to the fact that if your breastfeeding your not having a period. Once your body starts having its regular cycles again, you will start to feel more regular too. Bear in mind that you are not immune should you choose not to breastfeed either. Your body still has to regulate again after you've had your baby and YOUR body will decide how quickly or how long that will take. So when you find yourself not feeling, acting or being yourself during that first year. Just know that its not your fault. The deadly combination of Hormones and Sleep Deprivation are to blame. Consider this your warning label, You Are Welcome. :)
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