Weather you treat it this way or not, a cesarean section delivery is surgery. Because it is a surgical procedure, it does require a period for both physical and emotional recovery.

With any other surgery, allowing yourself recovery time is logical and usually a relatively easy task. However, other surgeries do not send you home with a child to take care of when you return home.  Having to care for a child while recovering is difficult and it becomes harder to rest and let your body to recuperate. After all, your schedule is now in the hands of a tiny baby with needs he cannot fulfill independently.

What do you do? Ask for help and/or accept any help offered. If you have relatives in town who came especially for the birth or live nearby, take advantage of their presence and let them take some of the weight off your shoulders. You need the help and they will most likely be happy to give a hand.

First, take care of yourself. Drink plenty of water to avoid constipation, which is usually an issue for the first week after delivery. Make sure you get the rest you need, but at the same time make a point to walk around regularly, increasing activity gradually. It will help your healing process and prevent complications such as blood clots.

Secondly, don’t overdo it. Wait until your postpartum checkup (six weeks after delivery) before starting up exercising and/or resume sexual activity. Speak to your OBGYN when you meet about your readiness for these types of activities. Speak to your healthcare provider sooner if you have any questions or concerns.

Finally, cut yourself some slack. Recovery may take longer than you expected, or you may find yourself emotionally recuperated while still physically strained. Try not to let it get to you and certainly don’t be too hard on yourself. You have a newborn to care for, your body is healing, and you may be experiencing the blues – after all your life has changed completely! Keep your chin up and listen to your body. You will be 100% soon!

Postpartum depression is a serious illness, that can last for months after childbirth, miscarriage and stillbirth. Symptoms of postpartum depression include deep sadness, feelings of hopelessness, loss of appetite, sleep problems, extreme fatigue, difficulty to concentrate and even fatal thoughts. You may also find yourself unable to care for your newborn.

Unlike baby blues, which many women experience in the first couple of weeks after childbirth, postpartum depression can last for months. With baby blues, you may have trouble sleeping and feel moody, teary, and overwhelmed, but you will likely have these feelings along with being happy about your baby.

In rare cases, a severe form of depression called postpartum psychosis may develop after childbirth. Symptoms of postpartum psychosis may include strange behavior and hearing things that are not there. A women suffering postpartum psychosis may harm herself or her baby or others and needs immediate treatment.

It’s very important to get treatment for depression. The sooner you get treated, the sooner you’ll feel better and enjoy your baby.

“Some emotional roller coasters are natural and expected after childbirth, even if your baby sleeps like an angel and you truly love your visiting in-laws.”

About 70% of new mothers experience some form or another of baby blues. These feelings are caused by the sudden change in hormonal balance after childbirth. Other factors that may trigger this phenomenon include feeling of anxiety stemming from the sudden responsibility and tremendous task of caring for a newborn, fatigue and lack of sleep every new parent experiences, even frustration over breastfeeding difficulties or problems.

Baby blues symptoms may include weepiness, mood swings, irritability, anxiety, loneliness, restlessness and / or impatience. While emotional turmoil is normal, you want to make sure it is under control to avoid more serious forms of depression, such as the postpartum depression or postpartum psychosis.  In rare instances, mothers who suffer from postpartum psychosis commonly do not know they are experiencing depression and are putting themselves and their child at risk. If you feel you are under more emotional pressure than you can deal with or would like to know more information about baby blues, speak with your health care provider.

Don’t keep your partner in the dark. If you feel that you have the baby blues, let him know what you are experiencing and find ways for him to help you in any way you may need.  You don’t have to deal with the baby blues alone. Together you can devise a plan to help you get some rest and share the responsibilities of parenthood.  Through cooperation and open communication, you can hurdle over the baby blues and enjoy raising the newest member of the family together.

This mild form of depression can start a few days to a week after giving birth, and usually lasts for about two weeks. If you continue feeling “blue” or notice the symptoms mentioned above lasting for over two weeks, talk with your physician about how to recognize and treat postpartum depression. There is no shame in admitting you are experiencing the baby blues. The sooner you talk about it and get the assistance you need, the sooner you will feel yourself again!