Self-Care Tips for Managing Perinatal Depression
You’re growing a human inside you – or caring for a new baby – and somehow you’re expected to stay balanced, rested, and glowing? Let’s get real – perinatal depression is more common than most people think, and it certainly doesn’t leave you feeling relaxed or radiant most of the time. It’s ok to need extra support and help. In fact, it’s expected.
Perinatal depression can feel isolating, confusing, and heavy. Fortunately though, you don’t have to go through it alone. This page is here to offer you practical, gentle tips for self-care for perinatal depression that can help to lighten your load.
Think of it like a toolkit you can use. Your well-being matters, especially when doing something as challenging and important as bringing a child into this world. Whether you’re newly pregnant, have just given birth, or you’re at any stage in between, our tips can support you.
What’s more, we’ll discuss how we, and our support services at Mission Connection, can help get you feeling good again. Because you deserve love and care as much as the baby you are nurturing.
Why Self-Care for Perinatal Depression Matters
When you’re managing depression during pregnancy, self-care can feel impossible. It’s low on your ‘to-do’ list, right? But self-care isn’t about adding to your list. It’s making small meaningful moments of care that remind you of one simple thing: You matter, too.
Perinatal depression can begin any time from the start of pregnancy up to a year after giving birth – it covers the prenatal and postpartum times. No matter when it begins, the symptoms are similar. You might feel low, hopeless, or as though the color has drained out of your world. Perinatal depression also affects how you feel, what you think, and what you do.
It’s a mental health condition that you can’t just shake yourself out of. But a little self-help for perinatal mental health can go a long way. Self-care isn’t a cure for depression, but it can help you to heal, build resilience, and find moments of calm and relief when you need them the most.
Remember: Self-care isn’t selfish, it’s essential for your well-being. It’s difficult to pour from an empty cup, so when you’re taking the time to care for yourself, you have more energy and patience when caring for others (including your baby).
Yet, we know it can be hard to figure out where to start. That’s why we’ve brought together our top tips for emotional, physical, and practical self-care. Whether you’re looking for ideas for prenatal, perinatal, or postpartum depression self-care, we’ve got your back.
Emotional Self-Care for Perinatal Depression
Emotional self-care for new moms with depression is all about finding ways to manage your emotions better. Some great ways to do this are therapy, journaling, and mindfulness.
1. Talk It Out
Support groups especially can be a great source of emotional support for mothers with depression. And therapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) are really effective at treating depression.1,2
Wondering what other options are out there for perinatal mental health issues? Check out our page on the Best Therapy Options for Perinatal Mental Health.
2. Journaling for Mental Health Self-Care During Pregnancy
Did you know that studies show journaling can reduce symptoms of depression, lift your mood, and boost your well-being?3 Getting your thoughts and feelings onto paper can be really cathartic.
You may notice patterns in your thoughts or feelings when you journal regularly. And you don’t have to be Shakespeare to write in a journal. It’s your private book that you can let out whatever is troubling you.
If you’re interested in journaling but aren’t sure where to start, our page on Journaling for Mental Health can help.
3. Mindfulness Techniques
If you’d like some ideas on getting started with mindfulness, you could try breathing exercises, meditation, or grounding techniques. There are loads of free resources on the internet. You can also check out our guidance on our page, Mindfulness and Meditation for Stress Reduction.
Physical Wellness Strategies for Postpartum Depression
Physical self-care for perinatal depression is essential for your healing. It means focusing on activities that enrich your body, like getting enough rest, nutrition, and movement.
1. Sleep and Rest
Depression can make sleep worse, but studies have found that having too little or too much sleep can also increase your risk of depression.6 Building a good sleep routine is really beneficial and can help in treating depression during pregnancy naturally. But if you’re not sure how to get started, here are some ideas:
Set yourself a bedtime and a wake-up time.- Listen to relaxation music in bed.
- Use pillows to prop you into a position that feels the most comfortable.
- Try using progressive muscle relaxation to get you ready for sleep.
- Avoid electronics before heading to bed.
- Although napping isn’t usually recommended for good sleep routines, it may be essential if you’re pregnant or a new mom. If your baby is asleep, now’s your chance to nap.
2. “Good Mood” Food
Research shows there is a link between good nutrition and lower levels of depression. In particular, one study found that eating a mostly Mediterranean diet significantly reduced symptoms of depression.7 On the flip side, research has shown that a diet high in trans fatty acids (food like frozen pizza or fried food) is associated with feeling more irritable.8
If you’re a new mom or are pregnant, it’s tricky to find time or energy to cook. Maybe you can ask your partner or family to help cook some healthy meals for you to reheat, or find some nutritious takeaway options nearby. But don’t feel guilty if you can’t manage it. Between pregnancy cravings and exhaustion, sometimes tucking into something sweet at the end of a long day is exactly what your body tells you it needs.
3. Movement
You may be reading this and thinking “I’m pregnant with a massive baby bump, do you really expect me to go to the gym?” Of course not if that’s not what you’re used to, but exercise comes in different forms. You don’t have to run 5 km or lift weights for it to count. You could walk around the block with your baby in the stroller, do some pregnancy yoga, or even just put on some music and dance in your lounge. It’s all movement that’s good for you.
Practical Self-Care Tips for New Mothers
There’s no way to sugar-coat it: Coping with depression after childbirth can feel like a brutal struggle at points. Sometimes, you need help getting the basics into order, and that’s ok. These tips are about asking for the help you need, setting boundaries, and simplifying your daily life.
1. Ask for Help
We all need help sometimes (though we’re often too proud to admit it!). Let’s put that pride to one side for a moment. If you’re struggling, it’s totally acceptable to ask for help from the people around you. If you’re pregnant or have just had a baby, your nearest and dearest are probably waiting for an excuse to come round, help out, and see the newest addition to your family. People just need to be told how they can help.
If you need to run a few errands, ask someone for a favor. Or, if you need some quiet time to catch up on rest, you could ask someone to look after your newborn for a couple of hours. You get help, and they get to spend quality time with your precious one – it’s a win-win for everyone. Consider what you need right now, and see if someone can help you, whether they are your partner, a friend, or a family member.
2. Set Boundaries
There’s one word that people often struggle with saying: “No.” Whether it’s an invitation to go out, stay in, or help someone, saying no can feel…icky. We can feel obligated to say yes, making others happy at our own expense. But remember: You matter, and you deserve care and happiness.
Maybe you’re pregnant and feel exhausted from morning sickness. Or perhaps you’ve just brought your new baby home and want some bonding time with them. If people invite you places or try to invite themselves over, and you don’t feel up to it, it’s ok to say no. Self-care for perinatal depression is about creating space for you to rest and heal. You aren’t selfish for putting your needs first.
You can create boundaries, for example, no visitors or phone calls before or after certain times. Then you can protect your recovery time. They will understand. As the saying goes: Those who mind, don’t matter. And those who matter to you, won’t mind.
3. Simplify Daily Life
How much of what you do every day actually needs to be done? Take a moment to think. We often have a never-ending list of things we want to achieve (like organizing that cupboard in the kitchen no one has been in for years). But let’s face facts: You’re exhausted and living with a mental health condition. It’s perfectly acceptable to strip things back to basics and ask yourself what needs to be done.
Focus on the priorities, the needs, and the essentials. Everything else can go on the back burner for now. If you’re worried you’ll forget things, you can start a waiting list for jobs to do when you are feeling better.
Having ‘pregnancy brain’ or ‘baby brain’ is completely normal with all the hormonal fluctuations, sleepless nights, and stress. It’s a great reason to dig out a notebook to write down important things to remember. Then you’re less likely to miss your next medical appointment, or that catch-up with your friend who you’ve been trying to meet up with for ages.
Seek Support for Perinatal Depression
Self-care is an important step in recovery: you know that you are worthy and deserving of care, love, and support. Healing from perinatal depression takes time. It’s a mental health condition that needs compassionate treatment to allow you to recover. If you are struggling, know that you don’t have to be alone on your journey to recovery. We can be your guide and companion, alongside you every step of the way.
At Mission Connection, we are mental health treatment experts. We will create a tailor-made treatment plan for you, including therapy, medication management, support groups, or other elements. We work flexibly to fit your schedule and have a range of financing options available so that you don’t have to worry about the cost of mental health care.
If you’re ready to begin your healing journey and take complete care of yourself, call us today, or fill out our contact form here.
References
- Cuijpers, P., Berking, M., Andersson, G., Quigley, L., Kleiboer, A., & Dobson, K. S. (2013). A Meta-Analysis of Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy for Adult Depression, Alone and in Comparison with other Treatments. The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 58(7), 376–385. https://doi.org/10.1177/070674371305800702
- Meygoni, A. K. M., & Ahadi, H. (2012). Declining the rate of major Depression: Effectiveness of Dialectical Behavior therapy. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, 35, 230–236. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2012.02.083
- Baikie, K. A., & Wilhelm, K. (2005). Emotional and physical health benefits of expressive writing. Advances in Psychiatric Treatment, 11(5), 338–346. https://doi.org/10.1192/apt.11.5.338
- Li, P., Mao, L., Hu, M., Lu, Z., Yuan, X., Zhang, Y., & Hu, Z. (2022). Mindfulness on Rumination in Patients with Depressive Disorder: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(23), 16101. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192316101
- Yang, Y., Li, W., Ma, T., Zhang, L., Hall, B. J., Ungvari, G. S., & Xiang, Y. (2020). Prevalence of Poor Sleep Quality in Perinatal and Postnatal Women: A Comprehensive Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00161
- Dong, L., Xie, Y., & Zou, X. (2021). Association between sleep duration and depression in US adults: A cross-sectional study. Journal of Affective Disorders, 296, 183–188. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2021.09.075
- Bayes, J., Schloss, J., & Sibbritt, D. (2022). The effect of a Mediterranean diet on the symptoms of depression in young males (the “AMMEND: A Mediterranean Diet in MEN with Depression” study): a randomized controlled trial. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 116(2), 572–580. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/nqac106
- Golomb, B. A., Evans, M. A., White, H. L., & Dimsdale, J. E. (2012). Trans fat consumption and aggression. PLOS ONE, 7(3), e32175. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0032175
- Carek, P. J., Laibstain, S. E., & Carek, S. M. (2011). Exercise for the treatment of depression and anxiety. The International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine, 41(1), 15–28. https://doi.org/10.2190/pm.41.1.c
