Postpartum Depression

Happy Saturday! What a beautiful day was here! My business cards came today. That is exciting! They are so cute!

I have been thinking about this topic all day so I thought I would chat about postpartum depression. How many we know that have endured such feelings after experiencing one of the most greatest moments of our life. We may think how can I feel this way? What is wrong with me? It is amazing that we just grew a little tiny human in our body and yet we may have trouble finding joy in accomplishing such a feat! But, really, think about that last sentence, we grew this tiny human in our body that took all the nutrients we put inside of our bodies first. That means we, as the mama, got the left overs of whatever nutrients there was. If we are lacking any nutrients incoming that can leave us nutritionally depleted on top of the sleep deprivation that comes with a new tiny human territory. There is a link to what we eat and our mental health. So that is what I would like to talk about, some suggestions to try out to see if this can help ease this dark time we may find ourselves in. I'll keep the paragraphs in this order: Supplements and food, herbs, essential oil and other tips to try.

Let's talk food and supplements. We could absolutely be nutritionally deplete and that will affect our mental functioning. I have touched on magnesium in several of my recent posts. I swear magnesium is a super key mineral. It is just so crucial for our body to function. Some magnesium foods are prunes, un-sulphured apricots and pears. I add some trace minerals to my water. Which water, please make sure you are staying hydrated, especially if you are breast feeding- remember baby is taking the best and leaving you with the left overs. So make sure there is plenty to share! Drink out of glass and use a straw. I have some cool copper straws and some crystal infused glass straws. They are great! Omega 3 fatty acids, DHA and EPA have really been linked to brain health. You can use cod liver oil, krill oil, wild caught salmon, walnuts, chia seeds, hemp seeds or flax seeds. B vitamins which you can get from wild caught salmon, dark leafy greens, bee pollen. Vitamin D and K2 are also crucial nutrients. Vitamin C, Folate, Probiotics, B2, Zinc, Selenium are all also things to look out for to make sure they are in our diet somewhere. Saffron and curcumin are also great to add in the day. Electrolytes are good to add in, which unsweetened coconut water is great for that. It is best to avoid processed sugar, refined food and processed foods and really eat real, whole powerhouse foods. Avocados, bananas, spinach, oranges, pears, nuts and seeds, coconut oil, the list goes on!

Now on to herbs! Ashwaganda can help balance hormones. It is an anti anxiety, anti depressant and an anti inflammatory. It helps balance adrenal fatigue. It can also act as a mood stabilizer and help reduce cortisol levels. Skullcap seems to act upon benzodiazepine GABA receptors in the brain. GABA is a neurotransmitter that helps prevent over stimulation of the nervous system. St. John's Wort, Valerian root, bearberry tea, oregon grape, wildrose tea, and turmeric. When choosing herbs, it is best to ask your doctor which one is best for you and if you are breast feeding if the specific herb you want to try is ok to use.

Essential oils can also be helpful to diffuse, use in the bath, use on our bodies. Oils that can help with postpartum is geranium, jade lemon, vitality, lemon, sage, melissa, clary sage, cedarwood, frankincense, and bergamot. If you like blends, joy, trauma life, peace and calming and hope are some nice ones to look into.

Here are some other things to try as well. You know already how much I love epsom salt baths. Do these regularly- like 3-4 times a week. Add a whole bag, add some sea salt and baking soda with a little powdered coconut milk, add a few drops of those essential oils mentioned above. If you can stay in 45 minutes that is great, but with a little that may not be practical, do what you can and don't forget to hydrate. Exercise is one of the most underused anti depressant. If you can walk around the block or around 30 minutes a day that is great. Natural sunlight is a mood enhancer as well. Pilates is nice low key work out routine to add, definitely helps with stretching and lifting our spirits. Avoid blue light as much as you can. If you are going to use electronics invest in some blue light glasses. Light therapy is good to look into as well, even a sauna is great. Singing is great therapy. Acupuncture would be helpful to look into. Be mindful of your chemical exposure, remember our skin is our largest organ, so what we put on it matters. Lotions, soaps, deodorants, toothpastes etc etc. If you have those plug ins that smell, it is a good idea to refrain from using them, do some research on the mental effects they have on us. Chemical exposure can really cause a lot of problems. Lastly, never underestimate talk therapies and EFT is great to look into as well.

I am pretty excited because a lot of these teas with herbs I can create and make things specifically in my new office! I made a tea for PTSD the other day. I am excited to hear what they think. It is a journey for sure to be well. I have an instagram account with wellness tips, it is under positivity one meme at a time. I share all kinds of health and clean eating tips. Feel free to share my blogs with anyone you know that would like to read them and if you have anything specific you want me to chat about let me know. Have restful sleep and a great Sunday! Much love, ~J