Natural Treatment for PostPartum Depression – All You Need to Know

How can you explain the changes you may be experiencing since a newborn has been brought into your life?  Or maybe you even had these overwhelming feelings prior to birth. 

This is a complicated question in itself as there are so many unique reactions in partners that may be dealing with natural treatment for postpartum depression or a similar mood disorder.  

PPD is considered to present in individuals that have symptoms lasting longer than two weeks and have not found any relief.

A critical tool for identifying and seeking support or natural treatments is self-awareness.  The stronger awareness that a partner can manifest, the deeper connection and understanding they will have with what is going on in their overall mood change.  

Having an absolute presence with oneself can provide such an important reflection on why certain things are triggering, what makes you feel good, and other natural treatments and remedies for working through PPD.

This article will explore these options and offer a perspective through self-awareness as being the foundation for bringing back the person you were meant to be.

Conventional Treatments for Postpartum Depression

To be very clear, there is nothing wrong with conventional treatments for PPD or other mood disorders or even parenting challenges with partners.  As some cases are more serious than others, there are different protocols to follow when working with a professional medical specialist such as a therapist, counselor, or psychologist.

The traditional medical approaches to treating PPD work with medications.  These medications can be very effective and useful especially when talk therapy may not be working. 

Medications geared toward treating mood disorders work in a way of targeting the brain’s neurotransmitters. The main goal is to rebalance these levels to create a better environment for the person to be comfortable functioning with.

Anti-depressants are a very common form of medication that takes this approach.  Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are a specific form of anti-depressants that may be prescribed by a health professional.

Hormonal therapy is another medical approach using medicine to regulate hormones within the affected individual.  Some common forms, which are typically only used in very serious cases are estrogen or testosterone replacement therapy.

There are limitations to using drugs for the treatment of mood disorders and serious side effects as well.  

The limitations that should be considered are interactions with other drugs, the limited effect of specific drugs, and how each individual varies with the response.  

Certain drugs when combined with others that may be part of someone’s daily medication can create side effects or even a worse condition for the person.  For example, if someone takes a needed heart medication that can not be combined with a particular anti-depressant, this limits the individual’s opportunity to see if that anti-depressant would be effective or not.

Side effects of these drugs can sometimes increase the severity and pain that an affected individual is going through. 

While there are many tests and studies done to hopefully paint a clearer picture of what one drug may do vs another, everyone’s biological makeup is unique and could respond differently.

This is why such emphasis is placed on seeing how the patient is responding to the medication potentially on smaller doses, and if there are no issues could increase its strength of it.

It can be a scary world with medication when not handled properly or weighed heavily on each individual, creating a strong consideration for natural alternatives.  While I am not disregarding the effect of drugs in any fashion, I strongly believe that taking a natural alternative to working through some challenges can prove very effective and have lifelong changes in someone.  

7 Natural Treatment and Remedies for PostPartum Depression

Let’s take a look at the natural treatment and remedies for postpartum depression. 

Exercising

There are so many wonderful benefits to a person’s overall well-being through exercise.  Not only does exercising have an effect on somebody’s body but it also is scientifically proven to enhance your mood and improve your mindset. 

Engaging in some type of physical activity every day, whether it be a light walk outside or a high-intensity interval training circuit to really break a sweat, getting your body moving is a foundation for bettering your overall well-being. 

Finding at least 10 minutes a day to partake in some form of physical activity will help boost your mood, strengthen your immune system, and create a positive foundation for working through challenges.

Diet

Some people that are dealing with PPD or a mood disorder or even just having a bad day tend to develop bad habits with their diet.  

Eating processed foods, sugary drinks, overconsumption of alcohol or drugs, and late night munchies can lead to a distorted body image and unhealthy lifestyle.  

Eating something bad for you may feel good at that time, but usually, you end up feeling worse as time goes on.  Don’t create an unhealthy environment by filling your cabinets with junk food that is easily accessible.  Instead, buy whole foods, fruits, and vegetables you can get creative with to make a delicious and healthy snack when hungry! 

Water consumption throughout the day is vital to giving your body the proper resources to function at its highest capacity.  Shoot to drink at least ½ gallon of water each day for a week and see how much of a positive impact it will make on your cognitive functioning.

Meditation

For centuries meditation has been used as a powerful practice for bringing awareness into one’s life and a stoic sense of being for handling challenges calmly and effectively. 

 While it can be a difficult thing for beginners to start doing, it pays dividends when you stay committed and forgiving in your meditations.  

Breathing techniques

One of the most powerful practices that can be used anytime and anywhere is breathing techniques.  

Our breath gives us life and when we give it presence and focus on the inhale and exhale, it has such an effective way of lowering your stress levels and bringing things back to a state of calmness.  There are several different techniques out there that are worth trying out depending on your situation. 

 A personal favorite is taking a deep breath in, holding it, and exhaling longer as if you were doing it through a straw, holding it at the bottom, and doing six total.  

Journaling

A very effective form of practicing self-awareness is through journaling.  Having self-awareness, in my opinion, is a foundation for identifying what can trigger you, what feels good, and being able to work through challenges efficiently and calmly.  

Journaling is an incredible way of giving yourself the time to reflect on the day or write about something that has been bothering you, or even all the things you are grateful for and why.  

Combing a practice of gratitude in your journaling sessions will give you a stronger feeling of appreciation for the smallest things in life, allowing for an abundance of positive things to flow into your life.

Sleep

As challenging as it may be to get adequate sleep, especially with a newborn, it is something to be made a priority when life feels like it is becoming unraveled.

Creating a routine with your partner for taking shifts for sleeping is an effective way of making sure that everyone gets some type of rest to help cognitive functioning. 

Having a calming bedtime routine with no caffeine or blue screens is a good avenue for bettering your chances of getting a healthy night’s sleep.

Support groups

Finding a support group to join is an awesome way for you to share your story/feelings/whatever may be on your mind with other like-minded individuals going through similar conditions.  

The power of talking about and through your emotions is very effective in not only getting things off your chest but in working through and processing what is going on.  

Support groups are massively beneficial in providing positive feedback and also just a set of ears to talk to and feel comfortable doing so.

These are some of the best natural treatment options for postpartum depression.

My personal experience with PPD

After the traumatic birth of my first daughter, I was confronted with a position in my life I had never really felt before.  I felt lost, guilty, angry, and anxious about what happened to my wife and the careless procedure that caused this to happen.

Having the ability to help my wife stripped away from me instantaneously distorted my identity of being a husband and father for our first daughter.  I became anxious as well as the trauma brought up some previous traumatic experiences that began to haunt me and follow me throughout my day.  Anger at the healthcare system and a lack of trust in ever having another child again engulfed me and my confidence to trust doctors. Being grateful was difficult as what seemed like a beautiful moment in childbirth was turned upside down into a life-saving surgery and a chaotic mess of staff running in and out of the delivery room.  

How was I going to move forward and past what happened?  At the time I didn’t really know and decided to take the traditional approach of seeing a therapist.  While it was helpful to have someone to talk to, I did not have an empathetic connection or a path forward with moving past what happened.  

I hid some feelings as I didn’t know how to be vulnerable and felt ashamed of some things that were affecting me.  I had to take matters into my own hands and decided to get back to something that had changed my life prior to this, and that was exercising.  

I loved the way I felt after a hard intense workout either at the gym or through cross fit.  The hard workouts, competition with others, and change in my physique and overall mood brought my confidence back.  

I started meditating as well which gave me the tool of self-awareness and being more connected with why I was feeling a certain way. Meditating also helped lower my anxiety and stress as it gave me a deeper connection to handling difficult situations with a neutral and calm approach.

My diet changed at the time to pescatarian which provided more mental clarity, lowered my cholesterol, and made me feel stronger and healthier. 

All of these methods and techniques to help work through PPD or some form of mood disorder or even parenting challenges have proven very effective for me and can be for you too.  

These are some examples of the foundation for the signature coaching program that I have created to help overcome obstacles, work through challenges, bring back confidence, establish gratitude, and share a love for your family.  

While this isn’t a one-hit-wonder solution and will take you on a journey to live your compelling future, these are lifelong habits and routines that will prepare you for the road ahead of uncertainty.  Take 30 minutes and schedule a call with me to see how I can support you with what you are going through.  

YOU ARE NOT ALONE, and reading this is starting in the right direction, now come take the next step with me.

Conclusion 

The last thing I want this article to highlight is that drugs and medications are bad.  As mentioned earlier, they can prove very effective and drastically change the overall well-being of an individual.  

While some people are wonderful candidates for medication, others may not. For those who are considering alternative, natural treatment for postpartum depression options, you are in the right place. 

If you have tried medications before that did not work, or maybe don’t feel that you are on the serious spectrum of what you are going through, then I encourage you to try these options out.  

There is no need to overwhelm yourself and feel the need to try all of these at once, that would be contrary to what my goal is here.  Start with one or two and see how they fit.  

Set aside 10 minutes in your morning to go outside and walk or do a home workout routine.  Getting your body moving in the morning puts your mind and attitude in a positive place for the rest of the day.  

Start being thankful for waking up every time you get up in the morning! Something that we overlook and can take for granted is the fact that you woke up and have the opportunity to live another day in this incredible world. Unfortunately, there are many people who will not have the chance to say this so treat life as a gift!

Having the presence to be connected with your emotions and focus on your breath can alleviate overwhelming sensations that you may never have experienced before becoming a parent.  Something so easy and accessible as focusing on your breath can be so powerful in managing stress and bringing everything into a more neutral perspective.

If these options seem helpful and you want to explore more, take 30 minutes and let’s create a connection and potentially navigate you on a journey to live the compelling future you are deserving of, filled with love, confidence, and gratitude for your family!