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I love hosting these Thursday night Mental Health and Wellness calls for Good Men Project, though I will admit that sometimes it’s hard to come up with relevant topics we can all engage with week after week. Lucky for me I know some people who have great insight into various conditions and diseases.
Last night, November 8, 2918, my guest was two-time postpartum depression sufferer, blogger and advocate Lauren Hale. Lauren was gracious enough to donate an hour of her time and a ton of her knowledge on the subject and for that, we’re all appreciative.
What did we learn about postpartum depression?
Well, we learned that there are many ways postpartum shows up in the lives of new mothers whether it’s depression, anxiety or any number of other conditions.
Postpartum tends to come on due to a natural lowering of estrogen and progesterone that comes after childbirth along with the sheer exhaustion a new mother feels when the lack of sleep and stress kicks in after a short period of time.
The depression not only affects the mother but also the relationship she has with her newborn and it can even move into relationships with her other children and the significant other in their life if there is one.
This lack of early bonding between mother and child can have ramifications that go way beyond the first months and years of the child’s development.
What can we do if we see someone we think may be exhibiting early signs of postpartum? Support them in any way you can. Support from families and your community is crucial to getting through this intact.
As mentioned earlier, men are also affected by postpartum, though in a slightly different way. We’re wired to be the rock and the glue that holds a family together, so we tend to do that when the mother is exhibiting her signs.
When mom is on her road to recovery, that’s when men start to break down and deal with things in our own, very similar way. We may have feelings of depression or anxiety and not understand what our role is any longer.
Things aren’t as gloomy as they may sound because with understanding acceptance and even some good old-fashioned therapy we can get through this as individuals and as a family unit.
As with any form of depression, at the first signs of sadness, please seek help from a professional or call your insurance companies nurse advice line or a depression hotline.
It’s up to you to give your new bundle of joy the best life they can have and that will only happen when you feel good about yourself.
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Photo credit: Photo courtesy Unsplash
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