Off the bat I need to say this blog is on a topic I didn’t face myself but prepared to be ready for. The baby blues refer to the time immediately after birth when your hormones drop and you may feel sadness and depression up to two weeks postpartum. Feelings of depression beyond that point veer into Postpartum Depression territory.

For me, I think two things contributed to me avoiding both these events. The first was the nature of my birth. Baby blues typically hit between days 2-5 postpartum. During that time period, I was bleeding out in a hospital ward room (see my birth blog for more details). I lost so much blood my whole body was a weird yellowish white colour and I could barely stand without two people holding me up. I also dropped the majority of my baby weight that first week so I think my body was just giving everything it had to keep me going and, frankly, living. For the record, I do not recommend life threatening bleeding to avoid depression or lose weight.

By the time I was stable, I’d moved past the time period of baby blues. I did, however, have a big fear about Postpartum D(PPD) or just straight up PTSD from the way I had my son. Here’s what I attribute avoiding any mental health issues to.

Taking selenium postpartum

Let me preface this by saying I don’t know why this works but it did for me. I saw a doula I followed online to get ready for birth, Built for Birth, recommend taking iodine and selenium postpartum to help with mood. I didn’t have iodine on hand but I did have selenium.

Selenium is a vitamin that helps make DNA and protect against cell damage. It’s also involved in the reproduction and metabolism of thyroid hormones. What does that have to do with birth? No idea. I asked my midwife, primary doctor, and pediatrician about taking it and none of them knew anything about it for postpartum management.

But when you look on mom blogs for anecdotal advice, selenium pops up more and more. So make of that what you wish.

I checked my prenatal vitamin for how much selenium it included and then looked at what the recommended daily amount was and got a supplement to split the difference. Once I was out of the hospital I took it every day.

And WOW. On the days I forgot to take it, I was ready to put my kid in a box on the lawn with a “free to a good home” sign on him. But when I took it, I was able to see how cute he was and feel more positive about new motherhood. I credit my ability to avoid PPD in large part to this vitamin.

I do not endorse giving any medical advice, this is just one mom’s story. Talk to your doctor about whether selenium is a good addition to your postpartum regime. For me, it made all the difference.

What are the baby blues?

Ok with that PSA over, let’s break down what mood issues you might face postpartum and what you can do about it.

The baby blues, as mentioned above, happen right after birth. Usually in the first few days after you give birth, your hormones that have been supporting a pregnancy for 9 months, drop. This can cause very real mood swings. Up to 80% of new moms get them. It’s a sense of sadness that can last up to 2 weeks. Keep in mind, this is also being coupled with sleep deprivation and exhaustion from having a newborn and recovering from birth. Basically, you’re at a vulnerable time in your life and your hormones aren’t helping you.

Baby blues are very common and very temporary. Once your body gets a chance to regulate itself, you should be in the clear. If your baby blues last beyond 2 weeks and you feel a pervasive sadness or insidious thoughts, you might be dealing with PPD which is a different animal entirely.

What is Postpartum Depression (PPD)?

First of all, let’s all remember PPD is no one’s fault. It’s a medical condition that often requires intervention to improve. AKA don’t try to go it alone or muscle through with a stiff upper lip. You need support, and in some cases, medication to get back to yourself. PPD is a common problem for new moms and it can make it harder to take care of yourself and your baby.

PPD is a feeling of sadness, anxiety or tiredness that last for a long time after giving birth. Up to 1 in 7 women experience it. For many women, they’ve never had depression before. You can’t predict who will or won’t experience it from their history or pregnancy alone.

You may feel like you can’t get out of bed, guilt or shame about your motherhood style, scared, anxious, have mood swings, or feel tired a lot of the time. You may also have trouble bonding with your baby. In more severe cases, you might even think about hurting yourself or your baby.

PPD is very real. If you think you are experiencing it, please talk to your family, support system, or doctor. This isn’t a fight any woman needs to have alone. Our bodies are going haywire and having a newborn is INTENSE. If PPD is popping up for you, don’t try to ignore it. Get help so that you can go back to doing what you do best, being a great mom to your little one.

What is Postpartum Anxiety (PPA)?

While I had heard of PPD I hadn’t heard of Postpartum Anxiety until I was in the hospital being coached on what to watch for. PPA is excessive worrying that can happen after you have a baby. Some level of worry is normal when you bring home an incredibly vulnerable new life. But PPA goes beyond that. You worry day and night, often having irrational fears about things you know won’t happen but you can’t help but think about them anyway. You may have this with PPD or by itself.

Personally, I did have some intrusive thoughts like this. I worried I would fall down the stairs with the baby in my arms. Or I would drop the baby getting out of bed from nursing at night. Or the baby would slip from my hands when I gave him a bath and was transferring him to a towel. I knew these things weren’t going to happen but they played on repeat in my head anyways.

11-21% of women will face PPA, though the true number may be higher as it’s often lumped in with PPD. But they are not the same. A woman with PPD may not be able to look after her child. One with PPA might be overwhelmed with fearful thoughts as she does so.

You may feel like you can’t sleep because you’re worrying about your baby. You might be terrified to leave the baby alone for a few moments even with someone you trust, or you may fear that someone will hurt you or your baby. Anxious thoughts about the worst case scenarios might play on repeat in your mind.

Again, PPA doesn’t mean you are doing anything wrong. It can strike anyone without warning. But if you feel like the walls are closing in, talk to someone and get help. The healthier you are, the healthier your baby is. Don’t try to deal with PPA alone. Help is available and there’s no shame in doing what you need to do to be the best mom you can be.

You’re not alone

Life post birth is not all sunshine and rainbows. Hopefully you won’t have any issues with your mood as you adapt to the sleep deprivation that comes with a newborn but if you do, there’s no harm in asking for help. Our bodies have been through the ringer going through pregnancy and birth. It’s no shock that depression or anxiety are lurking in the backs of our minds, waiting for their moment to strike. If you feel the start of sadness or worrying thoughts, talk to someone right away.

Being a single mom by choice means being alone in  a lot of ways but not this one. Talk to your doctors and get the help you need so you can get back to enjoying the birth of your new pride and joy.