- A lot of women really believe
that they have to be super, super-moms.
Super-women, super-moms,
and that relaxation is not necessary.
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This is a great area of improvement for most women.
Relaxation is not a luxury.
It is a necessity.
- Moms absolutely have to take a break from time to time,
and have time for showering, and eat,
and drink, and I know it sounds almost impossible to do,
but you actually have to keep in mind
that if you are out of oxygen,
then you are not going to be able
to do a good job taking care of your child.
- It's very important for women
who have post-partum depression
to make sure they feed themselves
regularly throughout the day.
They get pretty busy with baby,
and forget to feed themselves.
So, we really encourage them to eat their three meals,
and to take time for a little break,
and a snack in between.
- For post-partum moms,
they're often putting themselves second,
to babe, or to their family needs.
So just eating well,
getting enough sleep,
getting some exercise,
and having some social interaction
with close friends can do a world of good to lift her mood.
- There's also simple, little ways of exercising,
rather than getting out and going to the gym.
Teaching a mom that while she's waiting
for the kettle to boil,
she could do a couple of squats.
While the mom is on the floor with the baby,
while the baby is having some tummy time,
the mom can do some yoga positions,
or some different gentle stretches.
Little things that bring her back into her body,
that help her pay attention.
Moms often have all sorts of little aches and pains,
just because they're in these positions breastfeeding,
and their holding baby,
and their trying to soothe baby,
and so they need to pay attention again to their body.
When babies are first born,
all the focus is put on baby,
and then gradually they need to slowly
bring a bit of that focus back to themselves.
That's part of looking after the baby.
If the mom's not looked after,
she's not going to be able to look after her baby.
- I really start with sleep when I talk about self-care.
Sleep is probably the most important thing
that mom needs post partum,
to make sure she's getting enough of.
We know with lots of evidence,
that moms who don't get enough sleep
will not function, they will absolutely have a lower mood,
and be at much, much, increased risk for mood disorders.
And I tell my patients their goal is approximately
six hours of sleep somehow within a 24-hour period.
It's rarely all together,
but if they can do six hours they will function enough.
But consistently getting less than that
and they probably won't.
- Self-care is, we look at things like exercise,
and we look at diet.
Are you eating breakfast,
are you taking time to relax,
are you taking time for your spirituality?
Are you having the support of others,
and really connecting with other people in your life
who are dear to you?
Or are you just sort of doing the tediousness of life,
and surviving?
- With a baby, everything feels like an emergency.
But we can get into that heightened state
if we're not careful.
So bring yourselves back down,
taking a few deep breaths can help with that.
Same if a mom is dealing with very intense
emotions or thoughts,
and she feels like they're taking over.
To be able to just sit for a moment,
whether it's with her baby or on her own,
and just (deep breath) ok,
it's ok, I'm just right here.
And just breathe herself back down,
can be huge in just calming all of that down
just a little bit.
- I recommend acupuncture to some of my patients
when they have specific pain problems in pregnancy,
when they are interested in ripening their cervix
prior to labor,
and sometimes for helping to turn breech babies,
there's some evidence that they can help turn babies.
So there's certain times when
we use acupuncture during pregnancy.
- In my practice I have treated
women who have come with anxiety and depression peri-natally
and also post-partum,
and a lot of people respond well,
but sometimes it takes more than one session,
and so we tell people they can expect different results.
Sometimes women have to resort to a whole host of resources
to find the relief and the care that they need,
and that can include counseling,
that can include things like yoga,
that can include checking in with your family doctor,
and making sure that you're covered every step of the way.
And different things work for different people,
so you won't know until you've had access
to all these different resources.
- During a time in my life that was stressful,
I started to go to yoga classes,
and I find so many benefits, so many benefits.
Exercise, just well-being,
I think the main thing that I find is that
just bit by bit, it helps you become more fully yourself,
and live your life in a way that you want to live it.
- Women should not hesitate
to seek out resources in their community.
There's so many things available
to help within the health-care community.
And, sometimes it's difficult because
if it's their first time experiencing post-partum depression
they might not even recognize the signs at first.
Family members might not even recognize,
loved ones, but everyone's affected and impacted,
and the quicker that someone can appeal
to these sources of support,
the faster they can begin to feel like themselves again,
and feel better.
So, I definitely think women should not hesitate,
and not be embarassed,
and not be ashamed to talk to someone about
what they're feeling,
and to seek out whatever resources are necessary for them.
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