Ignorance they say is not excusable, for the fact that you do not know does not change its consequences. It is necessary to update yourself especially on health matters that could jeopardize your well being, exposing your lack of information on valuable things. It is time to delete the junks and add valuable information that will benefit not just you but a whole lot of others.
Many factors can trigger postpartum in nursing mothers but the question is, do you know the signs to look out for? What have you done to help a new mom whose complaints are becoming increasingly unbearable despite the attention she is getting? I carried out a research some years ago on postpartum and it is shocking to hear mothers, especially nursing mothers admitted to having some of the symptoms but they just felt it comes with the baby. How ignorant can we be? Postpartum is no respecter of persons, it can happen to anyone. As an expectant mother or a nursing mother, what are the things you ought to know about postpartum?
“Postpartum is a form of clinical depression which can affect a woman after child birth. It is not a character flaw or weakness. Sometimes it is simply part of giving birth. It is also known as postpartum depression and usually occurs within four weeks of delivery but it can happen a few days or even months after childbirth”. Having a baby brings a significant change/changes in a woman’s life. The demand of caring for a new baby 24/7 and the accompanying lack of sleep, combined with hormonal shifts of pregnancy and childbirth can take a huge toll on a new mother. It is not just enough to say “taking care of this baby/babies have been stressful”, take a step further to rule out postpartum depression.
It is important to take care of your pregnant wife, it is not the time to raise prenatal depression in her due to unnecessary text messages from ‘harmless female friends’, not the time for neglect, not an ideal time to withdraw support both physically and emotionally, not the time to be of assistance to your ex, not time to encourage alcohol and substance abuse, not the period to constantly echo that her pregnancy is unplanned for, the list is simply endless but as a husband, these are your roles during pregnancy. By the time you are busy ensuring all these, what time is left to cheat?
Motherhood can throw even the most prepared woman a few curves. The most stressful might not belong to the high and mighty, it might just belong to a nursing mother to the extent that even the strongest spouse or family and friends can’t protect her from this trying situation. If a nursing mother have a very hectic and stressful life, nursing a child could be affected. If a mother does not have enough restful sleep either because she wakes up in the middle of the night too often to nurse her baby or she has other children that she has to interrupt her sleep for or busy doing all the household chores, her stress and exhaustion level will be high and this could interfere with a successful nursing.
What are the symptoms or significant predictors of post partum depression to look out for?
To be continued.
Written by Folasade Gbenga
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