Postnatal Depression
Note: This is not medical advice and is the opinion of the author based on her own experiences.
I had my first baby in the early 80s. I didn’t know what I was about to experience and had no clue about motherhood, other than what I’d seen of others. All I knew was that I loved babies!
The birth hadn’t been particularly difficult (5 hours). I had been given gas and air as well as pethidine (painkiller) – neither of which actually helped with the pain, they just made me woozy and produced a feeling of being out of control.
In those days, first-time mothers spent a full week in the hospital whilst learning how to breastfeed, change and clean baby. Babies were kept by the mother’s bedside at night and therefore sleep was difficult with 6 mothers/babies in a ward and babies crying through the night!
During the week in the hospital, I found breastfeeding very difficult and painful. The nursing staff weren’t very helpful and I didn’t really feel like I knew what I was doing.
Along with that, the lack of sleep, the hormonal changes and being stuck in a hospital for a week, I started to feel very down. I would cry for no apparent reason and couldn’t wait to get home.
When I finally made it home I thought I’d be happy but the crying continued. I remember my mother-in-law coming to visit and as soon as she left I burst into tears (having held it back while she was there!).
There were times I would just crawl up into a ball and cry my eyes out. I couldn’t understand it. Surely I should be happy with this beautiful new baby?
At that time this would have been classed as the “baby blues” or “postnatal depression”.
However, I didn’t go and see a doctor or psychiatrist. I started taking vitamins! Especially Vitamin B1.
I had read somewhere that drugs can deplete the body of vitamin B1 and a vitamin B1 deficiency can affect a person’s mood.
Within 2 days of taking B1 I started to feel happier. The tears stopped and life – and my new baby – looked much more appealing!
Needless to say for the next 2 births I took my vitamins to the hospital with me, taking some before the birth and not long after – and I suffered no similar feelings of depression.
I was also told by a nutritionist that it’s best to take B-Complex as well to keep a balance of the B vitamins. You can buy these vitamins from Amazon by clicking on the pictures below.
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