I burst into tears. I couldn’t help it. I would feel myself filling up and there was nothing I could do about it. It was like balancing a bucket of water on top of my head that could topple at any given moment.
I had been an advocate of being kind to yourself. I enjoyed meditations, yoga, reading, and going for long walks throughout my pregnancy. I did all of these things to help calm my racing mind.
However once I had my little girl, I didn’t have time for any of these things. They almost felt like luxuries and not a necessity. That said, I also didn’t understand post partum blues or ‘baby blues’ as it is often referred to. I thought I’d have this euphoric feeling after giving birth which some women do feel.
Baby blues is different to post natal depression as it will fade whereas post natal depression will continue for weeks and months. You can learn more about that here.
Baby blues occurs due to your hormones changing as your body gets used to not being pregnant anymore. It doesn’t require any treatment but can definitely take you off guard so it can be really helpful to speak to someone about it.
I found the first 3 months of becoming a mum very overwhelming and signed up to Bromley Mindful Mums. They offer a range of services and I thoroughly enjoyed their 5 week course which is now also face-to-face. At the time I did it, it was online which they still do run. I’ll share my experience of this in a separate post, however the underlining themes were that you’re not alone, normalising some of the feelings we have, and learning methods to manage it.
Becoming a mum can make you anxious, and if you’re already an anxious person it can really heighten that feeling. It’s important to check in with how you’re feeling at all times and speak out to friends and family. I had an amazing supportive network around me which helped.
Be mindful of your mental wellbeing at all times, but if you experience post partum blues like I did just know that this too shall pass.