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From: Jennifer Tow, IBCLC (jennifer.vegsource.com)
In Reply to: postpartum depression - what to do about it? is there anything natural i can take? posted by twinglemimi on August 31, 2004 at 6:53 pm:
There certainly are things you can do, but support is probably the most important. If you need to talk to someone (like a therapist) , you should do so right away. Sometimes just talking to someone skilled at listening can be immensely helpful. You should also look closely at your nutrition and the quality of your sleep. It it very important to get enough B vitamins and essential fatty acids (EFAs). A good quality B complex (from a naturopath or health food store) and even additional B6, as well as DHA and flax oil (I like Udo's oil) are so important to nourishing your nervous system. I highly recommend Joel Fuhrman's book "Eat to Live" to assure that you eat nutrient-dense foods. Exercise is also very helpful. Just taking long walks can be enough or you can do something more organized and/or intense. You could do yoga or pilates or dance or martial arts. I train in wushu (kungfu) and continued after my ds was born by having dh go with me and I would just leave class to nurse the baby if I needed to). Excellent nutrition and EFAs are important to good quality sleep. Taking magnesium before bed can also help. For most mothers, co-sleeping also improves the quality of your sleep, since most moms are less likley to awaken from deep sleep when they share sleep with thier babies. As for herbs--melissa is very safe and even st john's wort is considered safe by most naturopaths and herbalists. but I would suggest you see a naturopath for such treatment. Personally, I would find homeopathy more helpful. When my mom died 2 years ago, I was so deeply saddened, I felt like I was free-falling, with no frame of reference anymore. Homeopathy was what worked for me in moving through the sadness. Bach flower remedies are also wonderful and you could try them as well. You could use elm, star or bethlehem, gentien, walnut and sweet chestnut. Even just using rescue remedy can be very helpful.
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