Shoo The Pregnancy Blues Away With These Simple Tips

Pregnancy is a wonderful time for you and your family. A new bundle of joy is on the way. The pregnancy glow should be kicking in, making you feel great. But, for every 1 out of 10 pregnant women, this is not the case. Some suffer from depression and anxiety disorders. This is because of the haywire of your hormones and the depletion of some nutrients that’s caused by your pregnancy. It can also be due to the fact that you’re getting bigger and thus reducing your confidence when you’re out in public with your friends and family. These mood disorders aren’t only bad for you, they’re also bad for your baby. Here are some advice for you mums out there who are feeling down in the dumps during your pregnancy.

GET REAL

No one can be helped if they don’t understand and accept that they have a problem. This is the first step into combating any problem, whether it be the pregnancy blues or other challenges. If you want to be the greatest mum you can be, the fundamental rule in parenting would be to essentially help yourself first. You can’t expect to add another life to take care of if you’re unstable. So, recognise that you have a problem and set your mind to finding ways to battle the enemy, which is depression.

GET SOME SUN AND FRESH AIR

Studies have shown that vitamin D is a crucial nutrient that can help with your hormonal imbalances during your pregnancy. Having ample amounts of sunlight exposure (30-60 minutes) will provide you with just enough vitamin D that’s needed by you and your growing fetus. Also, fresh air and nature have soothing properties that help in reducing stress and anxiety. Don’t stay locked up in your house all day, open the window or stay in your patio. A great advice for expecting mothers would be to catch some sun and some fresh breeze in order to fight the sadness away.

GET SOME EXERCISE

Studies have shown that exercise in pregnant women have been shown to reduce incidences of depression. This is due to your body’s reaction to exercise. Endorphins is normally called the happy hormone and your body will be producing tons of this when you start exercising. Start doing low impact exercises like yoga or brisk walking in order to get more of those endorphins running through your system which can also be used by your baby inside the womb. Also, even though you’re pregnant, you can still maintain your fitness regimen so that it will be easier for you to get back to your healthy lifestyle after your pregnancy. An advice for mums with expecting newborns would be to maintain your exercise and health regimen in order to be prepared for some heavy lifting and keeping up with your future little rascal.

GET SOME FAMILY AND FRIEND TIME

The battle against depression shouldn’t be fought alone, you need the support of your loved ones. Nothing beats depression more than the quality time with your loved ones. You can take the weekend and do something fun with them like go to the park or go to a destination where you’ve never been before. Having something to look forward to and being surrounded by people who love and care for you will reduce feelings of loneliness and incompetence which can lead to depression. You can communicate with your mum friends that have gone through the same experiences and they can give you tips to help you cope with the problem.

GET SOME HEALTHY FOOD

What you feel has everything to do with what you put in your body. If you keep consuming junk and processed sugar, it’ll give you temporary energy but will leave you feeling drained the rest of the day. This drain and lack of energy will exacerbate the tiredness that comes from depression. Also, since it’s been scientifically proven that mood disorders are caused by hormonal imbalances in the brain, eating a healthy and balanced diet will help with your hormones going haywire. Studies have shown that eating food rich in Omega-3 have been noted to boost a person’s mood. DHA deficiency has also been noted to affect the mood of pregnant women. Knowing this, be sure to load up your diet with foods rich in essential fatty acids.

Lastly, remember that you are eating for two now, so whatever you eat, your baby eats too. A great baby health tip would be to load up on foods rich in essential nutrients, especially folate and iron which is important for your child’s brain development.

GET SOME PROFESSIONAL HELP

Last but not the least, once you’ve recognised that you do have pregnancy depression, don’t hesitate to consult a medical professional. They know countless of cases that relate to yours and they know what’s best to do in order to combat your depression. If they think you need to go take some medication, they can properly prescribe you with medicine of proper dosage. Most antidepressants have mutagenic and adverse effects on your baby so do not, under any circumstances, self-prescribe antidepressants. You may do more harm than good for your baby. Also, some metabolic disorders can worsen your depressive mood. Some of these disorders can also pop up during your pregnancy because your body is going through changes that can affect your blood sugar and thyroid functioning. So, an advice for new mums would be to consult your Obstetrician during your pregnancy and get your lab tests done when you are scheduled in order to catch any possible metabolic syndromes that may be underlying your depression.

Some of these tips are applicable even when you’re not pregnant so hopefully, if you follow some of these tips, your sadness will abate in order for you to enjoy your pregnancy. If you’ve experienced some pregnancy blues in the past and you’d like to share your experiences with the rest of us, feel free to comment in the comments section below!