Many new moms are experiencing postpartum depression (PPD). Most of them are either not sure about their condition and in most cases, are in denial. This happens almost right after giving birth to their babies.
Moms who have a feeling of anxiety, or more commonly known as "baby blues", are not just having bad days; they could be suffering from PPD, which is also different from mood disorders.
While there are ways to address postpartum depression, prevention still is better than cure, and husbands like you would be of great help.
Risk Factors of Postpartum Depression
There are a lot of risk factors that people must be be aware of with postpartum depression. Refer to the list below.
A traumatic or stressful pregnancy
Miscarriage
Fertility treatments
Substance abuse
Unsolicited advice from different people
Symptoms of Postpartum Depression (PPD)
If your wife has already given birth, be mindful of the following symptoms.
Sadness (beyond the normal baby blues)
Always angry
Not showing interest to the baby
No appetite
Could not sleep
Disoriented
5 Things Husbands Must Do
You, as the husband, play an important role in the adjustment of welcoming a new family member. During the early times, husbands would go on about their daily routine of working during the daytime and then coming back home to eat dinner, and then going to sleep. The cycle goes on.
However, nowadays, millennial dads have evolved from the old fashioned way of living. Well, not only dads have changed, but moms also did change with time.
So how can you help prevent your wife from acquiring postpartum depression? Here are 5 Ways to help.
Support your wife when she needs you. A mother gives all her best to take care of the newborn, giving up everything she can from her life. The husband's role is to fill up the gap that is missing during these times. Sometimes a warm hug or a simple gesture would mean a lot.
Learn about the causes and risks of PPD. A husband who knows more could notice and determine if his wife is at risk. Likewise, if you suspects your wife to have one, it would be better for you to know how to handle and how to shorten the duration of the condition.
Give your wife a chance to recover. If you see your wife sleeping and the baby needs a diaper change, it would be helpful if you take the initiative to do the honors. This way, your wife would be refreshed once she wakes up and therefore will be ready to take good care of your baby again.
Listen to your wife. Taking care of a newborn is hard, especially for first-time moms. For the first few weeks, your wife is the one left with the baby, especially for breastfeeding moms. The best you can do is listen to her cries and pain. She will love you more for that.
Reduce stress. Lack of sleep and tiredness cause a lot of stress to new moms. As much as you can, try not to add to the stress that she is going through. You can light her a lamp with an essence or apply some oil to her body to help her relax. Or you can do some meditation or breathing exercises with her.
There could still be other ways about what husbands can do to help prevent their wives from having postpartum depression. Just make sure to love and help your wives to have a happy and stress-free marriage.
