Post Baby Health: Postpartum Depression Revealed

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

When I think back to my daughter's birth I find myself with mixed feelings of joy, sorrow, exuberance, pain, guilt and resentment. That has been 3 and a half years. And I still feel those same feelings today, only now I have a very different perspective on what those feeling signify.

You see, as 'unworthy' humans, we give in to the voice of mediocrity that chatters constantly throughout the day at us that we are just fine where we are or that we're not smart enough, strong enough, thin enough, tall enough, what-ever-enough and therefore we receive mediocrity; and in some cases the mediocrity is replaced with self-loathing, which leads to even more destructive life paths (i.e. depression, drugs, alcohol, emotional eating, etc...). I didn't realize this at the time as I was so engulfed in the feelings that accompanied her birth I really couldn't see anything else. I was in survival mode in the most primitive sense of that expression.

I felt each and every waking moment, and some sleeping as well, that I would drown, literally drown, if I didn't focus on simply breathing. For the first 6 months of my daughter's life I couldn't go two to three hours without crying. At the time I thought I was doing myself and those around me a favor by hiding this fact and just 'making it through' the day. It took nearly a year before I was crying only a few times per week and I thought, in my conditioned mind, that this was a mighty step in the right direction.

I share this with you as you may be in the middle of this experience right now. Or maybe you did experience these symptoms, or you may just be curious as to what 'could' happen after childbirth and want way to be proactive. You need to know straight off that these feelings and emotions are both normal and abnormal. They are normal in the sense that NOTHING and I mean NOTHING can prepare you for childbirth, except for the experience of actually birthing a child! And they are abnormal in the respect that when felt and expressed to the extreme that my feelings were, it is absolutely postpartum depression (PPD) strong at work.

I can say with all embarrassment and honesty that I was ashamed and scared to admit to myself, let alone someone else, that I couldn't cope with what I was feeling; to admit that I was depressed. Once I 'owned' my PPD (which was only a mere 2 years after the fact) I had found a sort of 'safe place' in myself with which to store those feelings. Let me point out that... I did NOT cope with, nor work through those feelings, nor did I seek professional assistance... I simply found a way to 'exist' that fit the socially acceptable norm for functional behavior.

You need to know that this was, and is, a VERY dangerous and destructive method with which to cope with PPD. I have since sought professional help to work through my own residual effects of PPD and have found it essential to incorporate this aspect of postpartum health into my program. When I founded Post Baby Health I simply wanted to ensure women had the most up-to-date information on getting healthy before, during and after baby. My first generation program incorporated emotional health and well-being, but was very superficial in its approach. However, in working through my own depression, which manifested itself in the primary form of food addiction and emotional eating, I have enhanced and delved deeper into the realm of postpartum emotional support to ensure that EVERY mommy has the information and support she needs to live out her truest self every day.

If you feel you are suffering from PDD please, please don't wait another minute. Get plugged in today. My team and myself are dedicated to your health. The first step is always the hardest. Let us take your hand and we'll walk side by side to work through this together. CLICK HERE FOR HELP.

Elizabeth Carbonaro is a mother of 2 who is passionate about helping women lose the post baby weight in a safe, natural and quick manner, keeping it off for good and finding that elusive balance regarding physical, emotional & spiritual health and wellness using natural methods.

Get access to a Free Report with more great tips at http://www.postbabyhealth.com/

If you need help with General Weight Loss or Food Addiction just Google my business profile under NaturalBodyEvolution dot com.

There's no reason to suffer in silence any longer. The help you need is here, it's up to YOU to access it. God Bless!

How to Achieve Steady Weight Loss Postpartum

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

During pregnancy it's very important to eat well for yourself and your baby. Your body naturally builds up stores of fat to help you provide healthy breastmilk to your baby after birth. Weight will often come off effortlessly over your baby's first year just from breastfeeding. Many moms, however, want to have their bodies feeling "normal" and their clothes fitting a little faster than will happen just with breastfeeding! Here's how to achieve a steady weight loss postpartum.

Wait on the Weight - Just a Little

You should give your body a chance to heal before you start trying to lose any weight. You'll probably be happy to see that you lose a good amount of weight right after your baby's birth. You lose the weight from the baby and from the amniotic fluid. You also lose a lot of "water weight" from extra fluids and the higher blood volume you have at the end of pregnancy. But you may want to lose even more weight than that.

Again, give yourself a chance to heal. Doing too much, too fast can prolong your postpartum bleeding (call lochia). That's your body's way of telling you that you're doing too much. You can do some gentle, seated exercises like Kegels or Tupler abdominal contractions in the early weeks. You can also start to take low-key walks as soon as you feel able to. But wait until your six-week appointment to start anything more ambitious. If you're breastfeeding it's a good idea to give yourself about eight weeks -- this gives your milk supply a chance to become well-established.

Start With Diet

Your diet is going to make the biggest difference on your baby's weight gain. Our bodies were designed to eat certain foods: animal products (meat and animal fats) and natural vegetables along with some fruits. Grains are newer in the history of humanity, and the grains we eat today are far different than those eaten in the past. Extremely high carbohydrate food signals to your body it's time to store fat.

You want to watch what you eat. Eat nutrient-dense foods. Avoid high-carbohydrate foods. It's hard, especially when you're a tired mom of a young baby. It's much easier to grab a few crackers than to pick something else. But try to. Pick cheese or some nuts to snack on, both of which contain healthy fat.

You do not want to eat a low-fat diet. Not only do low-fat diets not work (period!), they also rob your baby of vital fats he or she needs to grow brain tissue. Your baby's brain literally starves without the good fats in your diet creating creamy milk to feed it. Low-fat diets and skyrocketing rates of learning disabilities go hand-in-hand.

Choose instead a lower carbohydrate diet. This will help you lose weight -- it may be slowly, but it will be surely. If you don't see results at first, don't worry. Your body is nourishing a baby and it may take time for it to start mobilizing the stores it thinks it needs for that job.

Do not starve yourself counting calories. Keep a reasonable calorie level for nursing your baby. You shouldn't feel like you're weak or starving. Restricting calories too much will cause your body to go into starvation mode, slowing your metabolism.

Add in Exercise

Add in an exercise routine gradually as you are able. As I said above, walking is the best way to start. It's low-key and can easily be scaled up to more challenging hikes. Your baby can ride along in a carrier. It's perfect!

You can also start to work in an exercise routine at home. Some moms are really motivated by a gym or class, and if this is for you, go for it. But you can have an effective routine at home, too. Pick up some basic weights, such as a 5 pound, 8 pound, and 10 pound dumbbell set. Use those for some arm routines. Add in some basic bodyweight exercises like push-ups (you can do knee push-ups) and squats. Go slowly and do these in shorter sets and with support at first if you need to. As you get into a regular routine you will start to feel more and more like yourself.

A Final Tip

Watch your waistline. It can feel really frustrating to see that the scale is not moving. But sometimes muscles that weakened and lost tone during pregnancy build back up and strengthen as you do an exercise routine. This means that you burn fat padding away, but build some muscle weight. You may see and feel your waistline slim down before the scale reports a loss. Keep up your new, natural diet and your enjoyable fitness routine and eventually the scale will catch up with you!

By the way, do you want to get more practical baby care information that will give you keys to a smarter, happier baby while building a strong bond with your little one?

If so, download my free guide: How to Have a Smarter, Happier Baby

You'll get my guide and information packed with helpful tips on baby care and on managing life as a mom (and loving it!)