How to protect mother’s pre and post-childbirth emotional health? Expert answers

Childbirth is a natural and a joyful experience. Women going through childbirth often experience a surge of emotions. Due to the hormones, they often feel overwhelmed because of the entire process of childbirth. This has a direct impact on their mental and emotional health as well. Speaking to HT Lifestyle, Saher Ali, Holistic Psychologist, Fernandez Foundation said, “It is critical for women going through childbirth to understand that they are the final decision-makers when it comes to deciding what is best for them. As new moms, women may feel guilty for prioritising their mental and emotional health over the responsibilities towards their children, but it is important to remember that to provide the best for the child, the mother must first feel at peace. She can happily navigate the journey of childbirth if her respective partner and family members are supportive.”

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A lor of women undergo depression during pregnancy or just after giving birth – this condition is known as perinatal depression. Often women also face postpartum depression – feeling depressed within the first year of giving birth. Speaking of the symptoms of pre and post-childbirth depression, Saher ali said, “Some of the common signs of depression and anxiety in new mothers include feeling extremely sad or angry without warning, having trouble completing daily tasks, feeling anxious around the baby, guilty and usually irritable. There are no definite causes behind this. Such feelings may result from a mix of physical, environmental, and emotional factors.”

How to take care of the emotional health? Saher Ali shared a few tips:

Counselling: One of the treatments of depression is getting counselling from a trained psychologist or a therapist and speaking to them about the problems. A mother experiencing depression can also speak to their obstetrician or midwife about it.

Other mothers: It is recommended to speak to other mothers who have also recently given birth – you can share your feelings, problems and challenges with them as well.

Family time: Spend more time with your family. Seek their support and indulge in activities that make you happy.

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