Understanding Baby Blues Syndrome
Baby blues syndrome is a mood disorder experienced by mothers after giving birth. This condition can cause mothers to easily feel sad, tired, irritable, cry for no apparent reason, easily get anxious, and have difficulty concentrating. Although the symptoms sometimes seem trivial, baby blues can have a negative impact on both mother and baby and must be treated immediately. Generally, baby blues can start from the first week after giving birth and can last up to 2 weeks. The complaints felt by the mother are not continuous, but come and go. Even so, these complaints must be treated immediately so that they do not develop into postpartum depression or often called postpartum depression.
Causes of Baby Blues
Until now, the cause of baby blues is not known for sure. But there are several things that can trigger baby blues, including:
- Hormonal changes.
Hormonal changes are the main cause of mothers experiencing this condition. After giving birth, there is a drastic change in hormone levels. The estrogen and progesterone hormones in the body will decrease. This can cause chemical changes in the brain and trigger mood swings. - Difficulty adapting.
Difficulty adapting to changes and new responsibilities as a mother can be a cause of baby blues. Many new mothers feel overwhelmed to take care of everything on their own, including taking care of the baby’s needs. - Lack of sleep.
The irregular sleep cycle of newborns causes mothers to be awake at night and takes up a lot of their sleep time. Continuous lack of sleep will make mothers tired and uncomfortable. This is what can trigger baby blues.
Apart from the reasons above, experiencing violence at home and not getting attention and support from the husband and family can also trigger mothers to experience baby blues.
How to Overcome Baby Blues in Postpartum Mothers
Generally baby blues will go away on its own. However, if the mother experiences it, this condition needs to be managed properly. Some things that mothers can do to overcome baby blues are:
- Don’t burden yourself.
Don’t force yourself to do everything yourself. Do what you can do. If you feel overwhelmed, whether in taking care of the baby or housework, don’t hesitate to ask for help from people close to you who you trust. - Get enough sleep.
Make sure that you get enough sleep. Take advantage of your baby’s sleep time to sleep too. If your baby wakes up at night because he/she wets the bed and you still need to sleep to recover your energy, don’t hesitate to ask your partner to change the baby’s diaper and look after him/her for a while. - Regular exercise and eat healthy foods.
To help overcome the baby blues experienced, mothers are advised to exercise regularly. Exercise can not only divert attention and worries that mothers feel, but also help improve mood and sleep quality. If mothers do not have time to exercise, food can also help control their mood. Avoid foods that are high in simple carbohydrates such as syrup, packaged cookies, and white bread. These types of foods are thought to worsen mood swings. - Share stories.
Mothers are encouraged to socialize with other new mothers so they can exchange stories about the feelings they experience. However, if this feels difficult, mothers can start by telling their husbands. After all, husbands are the ones who are closest to mothers. - Take time for yourself (me time).
Taking time for yourself is also important to do, by doing things that make you happy. Mothers can entrust their babies to their husbands or the closest people at home. That way, it will really help mothers to relax and think positively.
It should be noted that this baby blues syndrome is normal and experienced by many other mothers. To deal with this, mothers need a lot of physical and moral support from people around them, especially their husbands. However, if the complaints you feel do not improve and persist for more than two weeks after giving birth, do not hesitate to immediately consult a psychologist so that the complaints do not get worse and the mother will experience postpartum depression if not treated immediately.
