Posts Tagged ‘prenatal vitamins’
Solutions for Postpartum Depression
What is Postpartum Depression?
Postpartum Depression is much more than feeling a little sad or tired.
Postpartum Depression can effect woman usually for the first several months after giving birth, and can even last up to a year. Some of the symptoms include sadness, anxiety, irritability, fatigue, changes in eating and/or sleeping patterns, and uncontrollable crying.
Of course, talking about the symptoms is much easier said than actually going through it yourself. Many woman who have gone through Postpartum Depression have the guilt of feeling like they just aren’t happy being a mom. For many woman, that’s only the beginning.
Causes of Postpartum Depression
Many Doctors believe that Postpartum Depression is caused from a lack of vitamins and minerals in your diet, hormonal changes, lack of sleep, and sometimes a combination of all three.
Solutions for Postpartum Depression
•Sleep, Sleep, and more Sleep. Anyone who is facing Postpartum Depression is likely sleep deprived and desperately needs some shut-eye. Many new moms probably wonder how this is even possible. This is the time to ask for help (or maybe before you reach this point). Ask your spouse, parent, or a trusted friend to watch your baby for a couple of hours so you can get some much needed sleep.
•Nutrients is vital. Your brain needs docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which is an Omega 3 fatty acid. When woman are in their last trimester, many of her DHA is used up for her baby’s brain and nervous system development. Having low DHA levels have been linked to depression, suicide, and violence. It is important to have appropriate amounts of DHA while woman are pregnant and even afterwards (since breast milk naturally has DHA). Be sure to eat foods rich in Omega 3′s such as fish, eggs (yolk), flaxseed oil – just to name a few.
It’s would also be a good idea to keep taking Prenatal Vitamins after giving birth. The folic acid also has an important role in brain function and has been shown to help reduce the chances of getting Postpartum Depression.
Continue to eat healthy and drink lots of water! You should stay away from sugary, fried, and processed foods.
•Exercise. Once your Doctor clears you for exercise, its time to exercise! I know that you probably don’t feel like exercising, and that’s exactly why you need to start exercising again. It’s not always about losing the weight – it’s more about doing something healthy for your body and feeling good afterwards. Exercise gives you endorphins, which is a natural way to feel happy!
•Talk with someone. Call someone you trust and talk about it. I don’t believe in dwelling on the negative in life, but I do feel that sometimes it’s good to just get it off your chest and hear that you aren’t the only one who has been through this! Once you have talked it through, you and your friend might want to go watch a funny movie and get ready to laugh again.
Now it’s time to go and enjoy your beautiful baby!
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Tags: anxiety, crying, depressed, Depression, DHA, eggs, exercise, fatigue, fish, flaxseed oil, Folic acid, irritability, Nutrition, Omega 3, omega 3 fatty acids, Postpartum depression, prenatal vitamins, rest, sad, sleep, water
How you can prepare for Pregnancy
If you have the luxury of planning for your pregnancy, here are some helpful tips to get ready for pregnancy.
Visit your Doctor or Midwife
It’s a good idea to visit with your Doctor or midwife before you try to get pregnant to discuss relevant medical concerns, your pregnancy plan, and answer any questions you may have. If there is any health concerns, they will be able to help you prepare your body for Pregnancy.
Healthy eating habits
You shouldn’t be on a “diet” per se while you are pregnant, but before, during, and after your pregnancy you should have a healthy, balanced diet. If you are eating a lot of fried or sugary foods, you should start eliminating them out of your regular eating habits as soon as possible. You should focus on eating healthy food, not only fuel for your own body, but nutrients that will help develop a healthy baby too.
Prenatal Vitamins
During your pregnancy it’s crucial to have the right amount of vitamins and minerals in your body so that your baby gets the nutrients he/she needs in order to develop. Ideally, you should take Prenatal vitamins at least 6 weeks before you get pregnant. doing this, you will be able to build up what your own body may be lacking in vitamins and minerals, and may help prepare your body for your developing baby. Folic acid is one of the many nutrients you will need which is found in Prenatal vitamins, and is crucial to take – especially in the early stages of pregnancy – to prevent birth defects.
Work out
It’s healthy for you and for your baby to be fit before you get pregnant and to stay fit during your pregnancy. Of course, you will want to make sure you aren’t doing anything too intense while you are pregnant because you don’t want to compromise your baby’s health. It’s not a bad idea to speak with your Doctor or Midwife about what type of exercise is appropriate for you.
Quit those bad habits!
Before you even try to get pregnant, you should stop smoking and drinking alcohol. You don’t want to wait until you have a confirmation that you are pregnant because in most cases, you don’t know you are pregnant until you are 4 weeks along already. As you may already know, consuming alcohol and smoking are extremely harmful to your baby during pregnancy and even after they are born – ever heard of second-hand smoke? Don’t allow your baby to suffer from something they have no control over.
I know it will be hard to stop drinking alcohol and/or stop smoking…but it will benefit you and your family in the long run, and I promise that you won’t regret it when your healthy baby comes!
Labor and Delivery
It’s always good to start with a plan of how you are going to have your baby delivered. Educated yourself on what to expect, what your choices are, and what’s best for you and your baby. If you are planning to get pregnant, or are already pregnant, I recommend watching a documentary called “The Business of Being Born“. It’s controversial and I love it because it will at least give you the other side of the story when it comes to having a baby. I feel that all soon-to-be Moms should at least know about natural births and the benefit that comes from them.
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Tags: Baby, Business of Being Born, diet, doctor, exercise, Fitness, Healthy, healthy baby, healthy pregnancy, labor and delivery, midwife, minerals, no alcohol, nutrients, Parenting, Pregnancy, prenatal pills, prenatal vitamins, stop smoking, vitamins, workout
