Monday, March 23rd, 2009 | Mental Health
by Christy Cuellar-Wentz
Life changes dramatically with the advent of a new child. While it is understandable that stress levels may be high and negative emotions common during the adjustment to being on call 24 hours a day, new mothers typically hide these feelings from friends and family members. They mistakenly believe that grateful, loving thoughts and emotions are the only appropriate ones to admit to when dealing with the challenges of new motherhood.
Many women are scared to be seen as a “bad” or “crazy” mom. Without a guideline to tell what’s normal and what’s not, they fear their babies will be taken away and never ask for the help they need.
To help set the record straight, let’s take a look at some symptoms common in new mothers. Fatigue, mood swings, persistent tearfulness, irritability, forgetfulness, anxiety, difficulty concentrating are all perfectly normal within 48 hours after delivering a baby. People typically refer to this experience as the “baby blues.” Although the majority of women have to cope with baby blues, the symptoms tend to resolve on their own within two weeks. This is the time it typically takes for a new mother’s body to adjust to the stress of delivery and stabilize the massive fluctuations in hormone levels following the birth of a child.....
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