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April 22, 2009, 5:11 am
Flag as Inappropriate ParDunn  

I have a good friend who just had a baby and she has just not been herself lately. She was so excited to be pregnant, they had tried for years and now she's not able to enjoy it like I know she wants to.

She was diagnosed with postpartum depression and is on medication but I am wondering if there is anything the rest of us can do to help or if there are alternatives to the anti depressant medication that they currently have her on (Zoloft).

One of the best ways to help is just to be there if she wants to talk. Becoming a mother, especially for the first time, has you encountering so many things you never have before. Also, give her a break when you can by helping with the baby or helping her clean the house, even. It's very easy to get the blues when you are overwhelmed.

Christie gives really great advice above! My best friend was diagnosed with PPD and she had an absolutely terrible time of it. I think the thing that helped her most, apart from medication, was that she had me and a couple of other close friends to talk to. I believe just lending an ear, and telling her that she is not alone , made a difference for her.

Also, really good advice above about helping out with the house, etc.

One thing I did was to take my best friend out for just lunch and a movie while her mom kept the baby and it really upped her spirits a lot. Everybody needs a break sometimes!

Years ago, we called it "the baby blues" and this is a perfectly natural and normal reaction to the huge changes going on in a woman after birth. Not only is having a baby a life changing event, a woman also has to deal with major hormonal shifts. Sometimes doctors are too quick to prescribe drugs these days. I know some people slip into a more severe depression that needs intervention but I wouldn't be too alarmed yet.

Postpartum depression. To a point it is completely normal. I prefer to avoid medicinal intervention. However, I don't think I'm competent to tell someone when they need some help.

I did that when I was a young mother years ago. My mother was a sly foxy lady and she came to the house before I got home (we used to stay in the hospital for almost a week when we had a baby) and SPRING cleaned my house for me before I got home. Then she and my best friend would surprise me occasionally by coming by sometimes and treating me to a house cleaning and baby sitting by my mom and a shopping trip out with my friend. They certainly took excellent care of me and I was so very grateful for their care. Between the two of them, I didn't have a chance to get too depressed.