Preventing Postpartum Depression The Second Time Around

Now that I’m a second-time mom, I have been working on being more preventative in dealing with postpartum depression for a second time.

If you all have been keeping up with me on the blog for the past couple of years, then you know that I experienced postpartum depression as a first-time mom.

During the first year of my oldest daughter’s life, I was struggling.

Even though becoming a new mom was something that I was excited about and looked forward to, it still caught me off guard.

I wasn’t prepared for the demand and commitment that comes with motherhood.

Between becoming a new stay-at-home mom, breastfeeding for the first time, and postpartum insomnia that comes with having a baby, I was struggling.

There were tears shed, mood swings, angry outbursts, and even feelings of resentment.

And all of this lasted for the majority of the first year of my oldest daughter’s life.

After giving birth to my second baby, I knew that I wanted to pay more attention to myself and make sure I didn’t fall back into postpartum depression.

With her 1st birthday only a month away, I feel like I was successful in preventing postpartum depression after having my second child.

If you are interested in how I prevented postpartum depression the second time around, then just keep reading.

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Can You Have Postpartum Depression Again?

Before I get into how I prevented postpartum depression after having my second baby, let’s talk about this.

Can you have postpartum depression for a second time?

The answer to this question is yes.

You can absolutely experience postpartum depression again.

In fact, if you experienced postpartum depression with your first child, then there is a chance that you may experience it again after having your second child.

That kind of made me nervous when we started talking about having a second baby.

I knew that I wanted to have a second child, but I was nervous about experiencing postpartum depression again.

Which is understandable.

According to the writers at Banner Health, it is very common for women to experience recurrent postpartum depression if they experienced it with their first child.

This recurrence is likely due to the new challenges presented by caring for multiple children.

Or it could be due to changes in the support system such as moving away from family or people not being available to help with childcare.

Whatever the reasons are, the chance of experiencing postpartum depression for a second time is still there.

So if you are an individual who did experience this with your first child and you are nervous about having it again with a second child, then what you feel is perfectly normal.

Because that is exactly what I felt too.

But I’m here to tell you that I did have a second baby and I did not experience postpartum after having her this time.

So it is doable as long as you are aware of what you are feeling and taking steps to be preventative about it.

With that being said, let’s get into how I prevented postpartum depression the second time around.

Preventing Postpartum Depression For The Second Time Around

Be Aware Of The Symptoms You Experienced The First Time

So the first thing I did was reflect on and remember the symptoms I experienced the first time.

As I mentioned above, the symptoms that I experienced were crying spells, irritability, and even feelings of resentment.

Since these were mostly the symptoms that I dealt with, I made sure to notice if I was feeling any of these after having my second baby.

Obviously going from one child to two is a huge adjustment and I did experience some baby blues right after having my second baby.

But I want to point out that baby blues are normal.

It is very normal to experience mild symptoms of postpartum depression early on in postpartum due to adjusting to having a new baby which is often called the “baby blues.”

The moment that baby blues crosses over into postpartum depression is when you experience these symptoms much longer and much more intensely.

If you are still experiencing the “baby blues” months after your baby is here, then it could likely be postpartum depression.

Which was how it was for me with my first child.

But with my second child, I noticed that after 2 or 3 months of adjusting to having two children, I was adjusting really well and getting the hang of being a mom of 2.

I felt genuinely happy within motherhood outside of the rough moment here or there, but nothing that I couldn’t handle.

This was a really good sign that I was in the right place mentally as opposed to how I was with my first daughter.

Lean Into Your Support System

The next thing I did this time was lean more into my support system.

When I was suffering from postpartum depression as a first-time mom, I isolated myself and pushed my husband away.

I did not want anyone to know that I was suffering so I suffered in silence.

To be honest, I was ashamed and embarrassed about what I was feeling because I didn’t expect to feel this way entering motherhood.

So I bottled up my emotions and acted like I was ok when I really wasn’t.

And it got me nowhere.

It was only when I opened up my mouth and started talking about what I was feeling is when things started to look up for me.

After talking to my OBGYN, I was given some resources and pointed in the right direction.

I joined some support groups and figured out that I was not alone in what I was feeling and found comfort in that.

I discussed what I was feeling with my husband and family so that they knew what to look out for when I was experiencing an episode.

Because of what I experienced with my first child, everyone knew what to look out for and how to help me after the arrival of my second baby girl.

Having a solid support system and village really makes this parenting thing just a little easier.

Took My Needs And Me-Time More Seriously

One of the biggest reasons I was suffering from postpartum depression was because I no longer tended to myself.

My baby’s needs came before me.

I was missing meals, not showering, and barely sleeping.

It was as if my needs no longer matter and it showed.

I knew that couldn’t happen again, so I made it more of a priority this time and took it a lot more seriously.

No more skipping meals, not showering for a couple of days, or only getting a couple of hours of sleep a night.

I eat when my baby eats so I’m making sure I eat.

If I’m needing to shower, I simply place her in the playpen within my view so I know that she is safe and contained and I don’t have to rush my shower.

And when it comes to sleep, I do what I need to do in order to get the most rest which is bedsharing at the moment.

All of these daily things contribute to bettering my mental health and make me feel good because I’m taking care of my needs as well.

As far as me-time goes, I make it a point to squeeze in some time to myself every day whether it is earlier in the morning before the girls wake up or in the evenings after they go to sleep.

When you have kids, it is hard to get a moment to yourself so you have to be intentional about it.

I struggled with this as a first-time mom and now as a second-time mom, I make sure that I get some me-time daily.

By making time for myself, I get to genuinely enjoy it and do something that I enjoy such as reading a book, journaling, or even watching a good show on TV.

Make Healthy Lifestyle Choices

Along with taking better care of my needs, another thing I did after having my second baby was making better healthy lifestyle choices.

I had talked in a previous post during my second pregnancy about some of the healthy habits that I was doing during my pregnancy.

And I kept up some of those habits even into postpartum.

Those healthy habits included:

• Taking vitamins
• Getting more rest
• Staying hydrated
• Moderately exercising
• Eating healthy meals and snacks
• Healthy weight loss/gain

These healthy choices give me the ability to be the best I can be for both of my girls.

Not to mention, I feel good when I make better choices for myself.

I’m a much better mom when I am well rested and putting things into my body that are beneficial for my overall well-being.

I’m currently breastfeeding my 11-month-old and chasing my 3-year-old around all day, so it matters what I do.

And I want to make sure that what I do makes me a better mom and helpful as I continue this journey through parenthood.

Maintain Therapy

And the last thing I want to mention is something that I’m not currently doing but want to encourage those who might be.

That is to maintain therapy.

Part of the resources that my OBGYn provide me with when I was dealing with postpartum depression was therapists to contact.

Therapy is a great asset whether you are currently dealing with any form of mental health disorder or not.

You all know that I’m a big advocate for going to therapy and think it is something that people should utilize even if they are fine.

If you experienced postpartum depression with your first child and are nervous that it could come back if you have a second, then make an appointment to be on the safe side.

Part of a therapist’s job is to treat the disorder, but the other part is to monitor your mental health.

They can help detect any changes in your behavior and provide the help you need to get you back on track.

Your Turn

Well, that is what I have been doing to prevent postpartum depression for a second time. But I want to hear from you all now. Have you experienced recurrent postpartum depression? What did you do to help? Let me know in the comments and while you are still here, check out my previous post below. Until next time!

Read More: What Stay At Home Moms Need From Their Husbands

Love,

Just Jass