First off, you can take Sam-E for the PPD. sm
Posted By: MT/non-licensced midwife on 2009-05-26
In Reply to: new baby is making me lose my sanity - jc
Sam-E is a vitamin that is safe while breastfeeding that is for depression. You can find it at a vitamin store, online, or Wal-Mart used to carry it. If you have never been on a strong anti-depressant before, it should help you. If you have had strong anti-depressants before, it will not help as it is not as strong. Take it for about 2 weeks and if not noticing a difference, double the dose. If you don't want to do that, call your OB as you are struggling and that is why there is help. Having a baby is a HUGE adjustment for anyone.
The number one key to getting YOU back on track, as others said, is REST. Anyone can be depressed when their body is not getting enough rest and your body has been through trauma as well as now not much rest with a new baby. Do take advantage of any offers to help if you have them. If you have a church family, ask for help from the sisters or youth for an hour or two a day. You rest when she rests but you will need more than just that most likely.
Have you attempted to nurse while working? Breastfeeding can totally consume your life if YOU let it. I worked and nursed 3 throughout the years. I would just put them to the breast, head in the elbow crease, and get after it. This allowed me work time as well. Honestly I found it much EASIER to work with babies than as they get older and can talk and get into everything. Do you have a swing? Put baby in a swing, on the blanket with a hanging toy thing next to you, a bouncer seat, even in a carrier like a maya wrap. The maya wraps and/or carriers that you wear will allow you so much more flexibility with the ability to do things like you were used to. You can wear it and baby to do your household chores, dishes, grocery shopping (instead of taking up the whole buggy on a carseat/carrier), shower, etc. Just don't cook with it as baby can kick or get burned. It will also serve the purpose of a coverup if you felt the need or had the need arise to nurse in public. Remember about the first month of breastfeeding is the hardest, then it becomes second nature and if it doesn't and is really playing havoc on you, give it up. Your baby will be much healthier and happier if you are healthy and happy. So whatever is the best option for you. I nursed one til she was 2-1/2 but it just became second nature and worked well for me.
Second most important thing to you I believe is going to be getting you and your baby on a schedule. I used to be so against schedules and felt like if my baby was hungry, I would feed it. But as a midwife, I watched many families grow and lots of varieties and those with a schedule were the happiest growing families and nursing did not consume their lives. Your baby will need to eat about every 3-4 hours for 15-20 minutes per side. Or you could switch to just nursing one side and then nurse the second side next and alternate sides with each feeding. If your baby gets really fussy in between feedings, diaper is dry, and then it wants attention and you can find other means to occupy the baby such as the swing, etc. At certain points they will have growth spurts and that is when you adapt your schedules but you will know as the baby will seem unoccupyable for a few days around the same times. Also get your baby on a nap schedule as well. You can read up on the requirements and average amounts of sleep needed at certain age steps. I remember going to do a postpartum visit in the new parents' home. As I was leaving, the mom was leaving too to go help her friend move. She told dad okay he (the baby boy) is good to go for 2 hours. I will be back at 8 (it was 6). I thought wow that must be so nice to know she could freely go and not worry about her baby fussing or starving. Until my first child was about 3, she never got out of my site including screaming the entire time of my sister's funeral so that I missed the entire thing but I could not leave her with anyone due to her nursing and we had no schedule and she refused a bottle.
Please feel free to email me at anytime.
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