Thu. Aug 07, 2008 | 3:16 PM

A must-read for new mothers looking to get back to their true selves.

The baby's here. And while the whole world seems to expect you to be the beaming, smiling, oh-so-happy poster-girl for motherhood -- you're feeling like anything but. Newsflash: You're not alone, and you're not going crazy. Postpartum depression (PPD) is real. The good news? It's treatable. Here are our tips for coping:

Perfect, Shmerfect. Realize there is no such thing as a "perfect mother." Motherhood takes time to adjust to. It's a total learning curve. So find a postpartum support group where you can share your fears and feelings. Bonus: It will help you deal with the loneliness and isolation that often accompanies PPD.

Reach Out. Turn to family, friends and professionals for help. And if you ever have scary or suicidal thoughts, treat it as the medical emergency that it is and get professional help.

Take Care of You, Too. Aside from eating healthfully, make an effort to avoid caffeine because it can make anxiety worse. (Easier said than done, we know, thanks to how little sleep you're getting!) And speaking of sleep, get some -- anyway, anyhow, anytime you can. Even if it's hard to "sleep when the baby sleeps," get some rest and at least a few hours of uninterrupted sleep whenever possible.

A Beautiful View. If you zone out and watch TV to relax, make sure you're watching something that's actually relaxing. Avoid reading or watching upsetting things in the media, in movies and so on. And if you can't find anything good to watch, get outside. Taking time for yourself is key, and exercise -- even a walk around the block -- will get you moving and out of the house.


NEXT: Avoiding Exercise Like the Plague?
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Posted by Kerri Solis 01/09/09 6:29 PM
 
I am a 30 year old, first time mother of a will be 1 year old son on Jan. 11, 2009. I'm trying to get familiar as to what postpardum depression is and if I might have it. My husband and I do associate w/ professionals on a weekly basis but their motives on postpardum are just negative feelings toward the baby, which I don't have any regrets about being the mother of such a beautiful, admired, baby boy and that he is worth every struggle we go through in having him grow up in a better life than either of us did. I feel I'm not being taken seriously when I want to ask about it because they look at me as either an attention seeker or a threat... which makes me feel even worse and makes me all the more not want to be open about this. I feel this is the best resource at this time.. it's confidential, safe, and convenient and no one ever has to see my face. I feel like ever since my baby has been born the world has turned against me.. all my friends turned away from me, I'm lucky I have my mother to talk to ( girl to girl ) but she also is very limited on the knowledge of depression.. I lost my job in October ( that I have worked in for almost 3 years and because of the drastic change in lifestyle meant shift change to 3rd, thinking it was the best shift for me living off of 2 hours sleep per day I was caught dosing on the job. ) I have been sick constantly, lately been suffering from severe migraines, major insomnia, and when I actually do fall asleep, it is too difficult for me
Posted by Doreen 01/07/09 9:11 PM
 
Hello Tyra!! My name is Jessica and I am 24 years old with three beautiful kids that are 2, 3, and 5!!! I have been married for 5 years and me and my husband have been together for 8 years!!! There was this one girl on your show named Jessica with a 14 month old who was suffering from postpardum depression and was always worried who was looking at her in disgus and I just want to let all those young mothers out there who cares what other people think, live your life and raise your family the best way you know how and if you and your family are happy that is all that matters!!! I graduated high school june of 2002 and I found out I was pregnant Dec. of 2002 and my husband was in his senior year of high school when we found out!! People looked down on us all the time and said we would never make anything of ourselves and we did!! My husband finished high school in June of 03 we were married June 30th of 03 and our son was born 9 days later we were 18 and 19!! Six months later we found out I was pregnant with are second and six months after she was born we found out we were having our third child and people looked down on us all the time and thought we were crazy!! We live on our own and right now my husband works 50 to 60 hours a week and I was layed off in April! We struggle but we make it and we are happy!! You can't let other people let you down!! If you are happy and take care of your family and responsibilites then that is all that matters in
Posted by Jessica White 08/12/08 12:18 PM
 
Hello Tyra!! My name is Jessica and I am 24 years old with three beautiful kids that are 2, 3, and 5!!! I have been married for 5 years and me and my husband have been together for 8 years!!! There was this one girl on your show named Jessica with a 14 month old who was suffering from postpardum depression and was always worried who was looking at her in disgus and I just want to let all those young mothers out there who cares what other people think, live your life and raise your family the best way you know how and if you and your family are happy that is all that matters!!! I graduated high school june of 2002 and I found out I was pregnant Dec. of 2002 and my husband was in his senior year of high school when we found out!! People looked down on us all the time and said we would never make anything of ourselves and we did!! My husband finished high school in June of 03 we were married June 30th of 03 and our son was born 9 days later we were 18 and 19!! Six months later we found out I was pregnant with are second and six months after she was born we found out we were having our third child and people looked down on us all the time and thought we were crazy!! We live on our own and right now my husband works 50 to 60 hours a week and I was layed off in April! We struggle but we make it and we are happy!! You can't let other people let you down!! If you are happy and take care of your family and responsibilites then that is all that matters in
Posted by Jessica White 08/12/08 12:17 PM
 
IM A YOUNG MOTHER OF 2 I HAVE A 1 YEAR OLD AND A 2 YEAR OLS THAT HAS APRAXIA..I AM 21 YEARS OLD..IM A STAY AT HOME MOM...I LOVE MY BABIES BUT IM LOOSING MY MIND I LIVE IN FEAR EVERYDAY THE SOMETHING OR SOMEONE MIGHT HURT ONE OF MY KIDS...I CAN PICTURE SOMEONE HURTING THEM AND IT HURTS..I FEEL IT LIKE IT REALLY HAPPENS...I HAVE TRIED THE DEPRESSION MEDS AND NOTHING WORKS...
Posted by YOUNG MOMMY 08/11/08 2:48 PM
 
IM A YOUNG MOTHER OF 2 I HAVE A 1 YEAR OLD AND A 2 YEAR OLS THAT HAS APRAXIA..I AM 21 YEARS OLD..IM A STAY AT HOME MOM...I LOVE MY BABIES BUT IM LOOSING MY MIND I LIVE IN FEAR EVERYDAY THE SOMETHING OR SOMEONE MIGHT HURT ONE OF MY KIDS...I CAN PICTURE SOMEONE HURTING THEM AND IT HURTS..I FEEL IT LIKE IT REALLY HAPPENS...I HAVE TRIED THE DEPRESSION MEDS AND NOTHING WORKS...
Posted by YOUNG MOMMY 08/11/08 2:48 PM
 
I'm a 20 year old mother with a 9 month old son. I also feel completely alone. I lost nearly all my friends,and I really don't go out much. Im really depressed and was bi-polar anyways, but since i've had my son it's gotten so much worse. I'm sure there's so many of you out there in the same boat as me. When I was watching the show I pretty much cried with her because I know how she feels,and I cry pretty much everyday too.
Posted by Sandy 08/09/08 5:41 PM
 
I am a 21 year old mother of a 3 year old and 5 month old, trying to seek help with my post-partum and on top of that depression problems but I feel so alone. I've tried to seek help from several paces but
Posted by Britny-dain Conti 08/08/08 4:33 PM



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