Baby Blues & Getting Rest With A Newborn
Postpartum is no joke! And baby blues, postpartum anxiety, and post part depression are no respecter of persons! They can effect ANY of us at anytime postpartum, even if you've done everything in your power to set yourself up for the opposite.
Recently I felt myself beginning to have some anxious thoughts surrounding my baby. For a minute it put me in a swirl and I let myself spiral into the fear of situations that are 100000 % beyond my control.
WHOA NOW! But then I realized what was happening and knew I needed to take charge of my own thought life before it got out of hand.
This is what I did:
Stopped and prayed.
Spent sometime breathing deeply to clear my head.
Inhaled Release blend to help myself let go of those negative thoughts.
Put a drop of Valor on my wrists and inhaled for grounding and courage.
Doused myself in Stress Away 🤣 (cuz you know it's this mama's fav anyways)
Purposefully found something to laugh about with my kids to refocus my attention on the GOOD rather than the negative.
& above all, did all of the things my self-care required. Because why? Self Care Isn't Selfish.
These simple steps worked for me and I was able to go about my day without any more intrusive thoughts. While these worked for me, they may not work for everyone, so please just let me say that if you're struggling with irrational fears, depression, etc... that is overwhelming you and you don't know what to do or how to break out of it, start by TALKING TO SOMEONE. Having accountability can be the first step towards breaking the power of fear. So please don't struggle in silence. If you need help or feel overwhelmed with fear, anxiety, depression, etc, reach out and confide in someone you trust.
Now... let's talk about the importance of rest because alllll of those baby blue feelings can be amplified running on no sleep or BE CAUSING the no sleep sitch! AHHH The newborn stage; your sweet, squishy babe, so fully reliant on you. The snuggles, sweet baby smell, all the oxytocin and bonding are all amazing and lovely- but mama's gotta rest!
Not every baby snuggles with their sleep schedule, but the first few weeks are usually kind of rough for most of us when we have a new baby. So here are 3 quick tips to help you get more REST when you have a newborn:
1) Learn to breastfeed in the side lying position! If you choose to breastfeed, your new best-friend might be the side lying position! This has helped me get so much extra rest during those long days of breastfeeding a newborn!
2) NAP MAMA! NAP! Sleep while baby sleeps isn't really practical, but, do consider trying to get a little rest in during the afternoon whenever possible. Nights can feel A LOT longer when you're completely sleep deprived; so while naps won't make up for the complete loss of sleep, they may help you not to feel like such a mombie!
3) Limit visitors -especially during those early days! I know, I know this one is a HARD one! But it really can be helpful for postpartum recovery and your own health to guard those precious early days. Especially if you're the type of personality who feels like you need to entertain people when they come to visit! Don't feel bad letting friends and family know you aren't up for a visit; but would love to see them when you are!
Straight forward but not so simple, I know. Mom life can be easier said then done- the best we can do it try try try again! Sleep is NOT for the weak.
What are things that work for you? What has completely failed?
Love,
