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It’s Not Just “Baby Blues”: Understanding Mental Health After Birth
Having a baby is often expected to feel joyful.But many new parents feel something very different.They feel overwhelmed, anxious, sad, or not like themselves.And they start wondering: “Is this normal?” The truth is this:Mental health changes after birth are very common.But not all of them are just the “baby blues.” Some parents experience postpartum depression, postpartum anxiety, or postpartum OCD. These are part of a group called perinatal mental health conditions or perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs).They are real. And they are treatable. What Are the Baby Blues? The baby blues are mild mood changes after childbirth.They usually start within a few days after birth. Common symptoms of baby…
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The 3 P’s of Helping New Moms Postpartum
Before I had my daughter, I had no idea how to support the new moms in my life during postpartum. I wanted to show up and be helpful but did not want to insert myself. Would they want visitors? Or would they feel like they need to host me? Should I cook for them? What if they don’t like what I make and I just give them more stuff they need to throw away? Fast forward to the month after I had my baby. To me with dirty hair, a sink full of dishes, and not knowing what day it was. I found as I went through my own (rough)…
