I want to mention day 3-5 baby blues.
It occurred to me that many mothers are discharged home 24-48hours following an uncomplicated delivery and will experience the blues at home.
There is a massive shift of hormones taking place at this time which is normal and thought to be linked to the baby blues.
It is not uncommon to feel sad and teary for about 24 hours and unable to control these emotions, try as you might. These feelings should pass almost as quickly as they occur.
Unfortunately, there are a few other things happening around the same time which can also contribute to making life tough.
It is about day 3-4 that the milk supply comes roaring in and if you thought the growing breasts of pregnancy was uncomfortable, prepare yourself, there is worse to come.
As if that isn’t enough, this is by far the most unsettled period for newborns as they come to terms with the volume of milk they now receive (I imagine it must be like one day sipping from a straw then the next, having fire hydrant volumes to cope with). Baby can be very unsettled and need lots of attention during this 24 hours.
With all of this to cope with, it is no wonder about 80% of women experience the blues.
There is not much to be done but to wait it out, know it is quite normal and think about making a plan to ease you through it.
If that involves sharing your misery for 24 hours with your partner, a REALLY good friend (preferably one who has gone through the blues), or just shutting yourself in and wallowing in your own self pity, so be it. Whatever it takes.
Make sure baby gets lots of hugs and reassurance and know that you will both be feeling a lot better very soon.
I would love any of you to share your tips for surviving the blues with our expectant mothers. What worked well for you and what was helpful?
Thanks.
Kathy
If you have any questions or there are any topics you would like to see in future posts please don’t hesitate to get in touch.