tomorrow is a very special day for moms
everywhere and for women celebrating
Mother's Day as first-time moms
adjusting to life with a new baby can
sometimes lead them to put their own
health on the backburner a new national
survey found more than a quarter of moms
did not have a plan to manage their own
health after giving birth while more
than 40 percent say they felt anxious
overwhelmed or even depressed here to
talk about the importance of new mom
health doctor Sonny Kim a she she is
OBGYN with st. Vincent's we're both moms
we've been through it and one of the
most important parts I think is taking a
break and getting outside oh yes please
take a break carve the time out of your
busy schedule and go out for a walk and
have a girls night out or sometimes talk
to other moms who are going through the
same thing will relieve your anxiety and
depression and you can take that walk or
that girls night out obviously without
the baby absolutely yes and and of
course you love your child but you have
to have some time away mm-hmm to not
have that anxiety am i doing everything
I need to be doing you have to take care
of yourself to be able to take care of
your baby may as much much better that's
a really that's such a great point
because if you're not all-in hundred
percent put together yes it's it's gonna
just make your baby suffer really so ask
for help if you feel overwhelmed or
anxious or depressed or you don't feel
well then just ask for help to your
doctor or your mom your partner or your
girlfriends yes eating healthy and
exercising I know we always tell
everybody they should be doing that
especially after having a baby it is
nice you know after I had Allie every
day I would take a walk yeah and it was
like therapy I mean oh yeah and and that
is so important to just get out and be
in nature right we call a fourth
trimester it was part of period it is as
difficult as the other three trimester
it's difficult you have to take care of
this baby hormonal ups and downs and all
other things you have to take care of so
remember there's no such thing as a
perfect mom a lot of changes and I'm
glad you said no such thing as a perfect
mom personally I put some of
pressure on myself I was like crying
outside my husband found me crying like
what's wrong you know and yeah and and
my mom told me at one point babies just
cry doesn't mean you're doing anything
wrong
that's just how they communicate you
know I thought why can't I get her to
stop you know being a first-timer yeah I
think you question everything right and
you feel like inadequate no you're not
doing well it's okay it's a learning
process even if you have a second baby
third baby every pregnancy is completely
different so just adjust yourself have
your own time even 30 minutes and ask
for help that's all I'm asking as a
doctor ask for help absolutely and it's
specifically if you're feeling sad or
depressed or maybe like the Blues have
to reach out to the doctor
yes so it's free oh it's very common
about 80% of the women do feel
inadequate after the babies and then so
you don't have to wait for the six weeks
postpartum checkup that we usually give
out to the patient call the doctor hey I
don't feel well and just by talking to a
doctor will relieve half of anxiety or
the problems that you going through
absolutely to kind of stay upbeat and to
stay happy you know I know one of the
big things we talked about last hours
body change any changes yes that is so
life altering and just like upsetting to
a lot of women what are ways that we can
get past that I consider it a look at
the stretch marks or their loose skin as
a Medal of Honor yeah you know you got
there's a precious life being pregnant
so this is but it would take a time
takes time to get oh yeah eight to ten
months to reach that point so at least
you have to give a half over time to
lose the weight concentrate on yourself
- so you as you said good diet exercise
go back to the gym and go out yes have
your own time
absolutely and also you know the husband
not a babysitter but also a parent yes
so he can step in and help okay to ask
the hug it is okay and it is you should
yeah not just that okay they can come
with the baby - actually right it's a
moment a lot of people grow apart
during the fourth the fourth trimester
we're talking about the father of the
babies they feel like a left out yeah
but they want to be included yeah they
want to be included so include them get
them involved get them wake up and if
you're breastfeeding don't just a pump
the breast milk and put it in the
refrigerator and have them feed the baby
well thank you so much for coming on and
reminding all moms that we're not
perfect but at least we're trying that's
right thanks for coming on