Hey everyone! I just wanted to ask those new mom's out there (or even ones with experience :P ) on how you beat those baby blues? I'm not talking about major PostPartum Depression....just the regular feelings of sadness, hormonal craziness and sleeplessness new mummies get after having a baby. Any tips on how to make those hard days a bit easier?

<3

Hi Lex,

I don't know how far poast partum you are but I have a couple of suggestions that I am sure others have heard too.

- Talk to anyone who will listen, especially other moms. If you do not know any, keep coming here and ask all the questions that pop into your head. Use us to vent, or cyber-cry even if it is for no "good" reason. Also, you may want to check out your local YMCA or other similar organization to see if they have new moms group. I take my son to a local story hour at a library even though he sleeps through the whole thing. It is a way to meet other moms.

- Sleep whenever you can. It's hard and I dont' do it but it always seems like a good idea.

-Accept help from anyone who is willing to give it. An hour by yourself reading in another room, a baby free walk or even trip to the grocery store have amazing healing qualities.

-Give up on housework. If you are rich, hire someone to do the stuff that bugs you . If you aren't, don't look at it.

-Take baby out. Realize that if he/she is fussy, other people don't get bothered by it as much as you think they will. Start small with trips to places close to home that seem baby friendly. We go to local cafe almost every day and the staff all know Liam now and even watch him when I go to pee. Make friends with merchants who will smile when you come in rather than scowl.

-Let yourself heal physically and emotionally. No matter how much you love your baby, your life and body are dramatically different from before. It will take time to find a new comfort zone.

-Last- talk to your doctor or midwife. He/she can gauge very well where you are on the Baby Blues spectrum and might have more suggestions.

Hang in there girl. It is quite a ride!

-Jen

Hello and i'm sorry to hear what your going through. I know it all to well and sometimes become ashamed of the feelings I had when I had my son close to 5 months ago. I too was filled with stress and worry of being a new mom. My life had changed drastically and though I thought I was ready...I was dead wrong. It was hard getting up every 2 hours for a feeding, a burping a changing. To make matters worse, I had my son on a Sat. and by Monday my fiance was back at work...I was all alone and scared. I remember crying for about 3 weeks straight because I was so angry at how my life had changed and I didn't feel close to my son. I felt like he belonged to some one else and we were baby sitting him. I had no bond with him what so ever. Honestly what I did was pray and ask DF for some extra help. I let him care for our son for a good week almost 2. I deserved the extra rest and relaxation. What mother doesn't? I found comfort in surrounding myself with family and friends and just talking to them about how I was feeling and knowing I wasn't the only one helped a great deal. The sad but honest thing is that I think what got me even closer to my son was the fact that one night, he was asleep in his crib next to our bed and we have the angel care monitor. Well I guess it didn't pick up his movement or something and the alarm went off. I have never been so scared or jumped out of bed so fast. Thank God he was okay, just had shifted a bit. I held him in my arms and cried my eyes out...ever since that night i can't stand to have him out of my site. I hope you get through okay because I know how hard it is. The best of luck and health to you and your loved ones!

Sleep.
DS is bottlefed so DH gets up to feed DS every night.
But for me sleep is the only answer and it is so hard to even fall asleep.

I agree with all the moms here but sleep was the only thing that helped me to.My dh took over for a couple days and took care of the baby did every thing and let me rest it made me feel like a new person and let my son and his father devlope a bond that they needed .My husben to be was scared he was going to do somthing wrong and hurt he's son now he is so confident he is almost as good as me almost.lol even if it's just 1 day or to it's good for everyone.

Sleep, but if you can't sleep, talk to your doctor. You may have a mild case of post-pardum depression even if it isn't negative feelings about the baby, which is what I had always associated post-pardum depression with. It can also be just being weepy a lot, unable to sleep even when the baby is sleeping and just not feeling like yourself.

Hi Lex Jude...sorry to hear you're feeling blue...but it's good to see you around. Hope all is going well. I was feeling a little blue myself but seemed to have snapped out of it recently. The 2 things that got me feeling better were 1) to rest enough to get my own body healed up well enough so I could get back to feeling better physically. 2) get out of the house.

I just got the okay to drive about 5 days ago...but it's only been 3 days now that I've really gone out with the baby. Today was my first trip with her where I actually took her out of the car..instead of drive-up ATM's and drive-thru food. It was scary, but every trip I make out in the world makes me feel more like a human being.

Feel better soon!!!
Gayle

Hi,

l was feeling very low after my emergency c-section. FELT LIKE MY LIFE WAS NOT MINE AND L DID NOT KNOW WHAT WAS HAPPENING AROUND ME, L CRIED AT ANYTHING, AND FELT LIKE L WAS A BAD MOTHER BECAUSE l couldnt breast feed my dd properly. However it did take me like 3 weeks to get bit better. My dh helped out as soon as l introduced some formula feed. This has helped me alot and l am still ablt to bond with dd. l can have a bath and do things for my self. after 5 weeks l went out with my dd and dhmand it was great although it was for like 3hors ! good luck an you will be fine, try and rest and take care of yourself.

Honey, I know exactly what it's like to not be able to fall asleep. I didn't have PP depression, but I did have trouble sleeping. Even if you just lay down for a while when the baby sleeps, it helps. Like the other poster said, when offered help, take it. Try to get out sometimes without the baby ( I know it's really hard) but even to the grocery store for 10 min. It clears your head and makes you feel more human, being around lots of people. Being weepy is perfectly normal in the first couple of weeks. Ask for help if you think you need it. This is the hardest thing I know I've ever done in my life. And don't forget that you just had major surgery. You really need lots of rest to recoup from a c-section. Congratulations by the way!

Rest whenever you can, let every thing go...laundry, cleaning, just worry about yourself and your baby.

Get out of the house EVERYDAY! Even if it's for 10 minutes. Get that alone time to just be you.

Find other moms to talk to. Your hospital will most likely have a list of groups and resources. Joining a PEPS group when DS was 5 weeks old changed my outlook on everything. It was only once a week for 1 1/2 hours and I LIVED for it the 1st few months. Then I asked some of the moms for their #'s and we got together a few times a week and supported each other and shared all of our ups and downs.

My 1st it now 2 1/2 and the baby is almost 7 months and I still get blue if I don't get enough sleep or get out of the house everyday.

Make sure that you eat and that you eat food that is good for you. Living off of snacks because that's all you have time for will not help your mental health. And keep taking those vitamins if you have any left. Bodies and brains get sad when you don't give them all the nutrients they need

Take care of yourself, don't sacrafice youself. If you don't take good care of you...you won't be able to take the best possible care of that sweet baby. Hang in there...it always gets easier!! The 1st 3 months are really hard and recovering from a c-section is no fun (I've had 2) Take care!

Thank you everyone for your kind words and great advice! I feel better just simply reading all of your posts--I will try to take some of your advice, and be sure I will be back here for support every once in a while. These boards are so great because everyone is so willing to help and pass along some kindness :)

Thanks again!

(on a side note, I have my good days and bad days...the reason why sometimes it's hard is because my DH works overnights and goes to grad school....he is hardly ever home so I am pretty much the sole caregiver to the child. He helps as much as he can, but he's always tired and sleeping too....it's a tought situation. I do have my sister to help me, but I can't always rely on her. So that's why I get so blue sometimes. I know I will make it through, but it;s nice to know I have little things I can do to make things easier :) )