Postpartum Depression
What is Postpartum Depression?
Many women struggle through some difficult emotions after giving birth to a child which may make them feel anxious of their new responsibility, fearful of their ability to be a good mother, or even frustrated with how much this new person is dominating their life.
These challenges are usually not a cause for concern, for within a few weeks the new mother’s emotions stabilize and she’s able to enjoy much more positive experiences with her baby. However, in anywhere from 10- to 20-percent of women who have recently given birth, these emotional difficulties can evolve into symptoms resembling major depressive disorder. This is known as postpartum depression.
Postpartum depression is a more severe, more intense version of the anxiety, fear, and frustration that often plagues new mothers. Along with feeling heightened versions of these emotions, postpartum depression can also cause the new mother to experience a lack of interest in otherwise pleasurable activities (like eating and sex), feels fatigued, experiences a sense of inadequacy and intense mood swings, has a hard time creating positive associations with the baby and has thoughts of harming the baby, or in general lack of good feeling about life.
Western medicine generally considers postpartum depression to be the result of the significant change in hormone levels associated with pregnancy and giving birth as well as having a poor support network from family and friends.This may exacerbate insecurities about a sudden change in lifestyle.
Women who are reported to be more susceptible to postpartum depression are those who consume toxic substances like alcohol and cigarettes, have a history of depression and specifically depression associated with another pregnancy, and are unprepared for the emotional challenges of motherhood as a result of an unplanned and even teenage pregnancy. Western treatment for postpartum depression reflects treatment protocol for major depressive disorder, and usually includes a regimen of psychotherapy and antidepressant medication.
How Does Ayurveda View Postpartum Depression?
We are not justcomposed of matter in the form of bones, muscles, and other types of tissue which are made up of cells, but the space, or ether, that exists between those cells. We function because of the movement that takes place throughout ourgross structure (e.g. the beating of the heart, the transmission of information through the nervous system) and being mobile in the ether that surrounds each of us (e.g. staying physically active to keep our muscles and bones functional and strong). According to Ayurveda, all of this movement is managed by the Vata element, and it’sresponsible for ensuring healthy elimination—or movement—of waste from the body through the various channels.
This correlation of Vata energy with movement and space is relevant to the act of giving birth in that childbirth requires both significant movement of the baby from within the womb to the world outside, and the sudden absence of the baby from the mother’s body leaves significant space behind.
While Western medicine specifically cites changes in hormone levels as the cause of the emotional challenges following childbirth, Ayurvedic tradition considers it to be in relation to this movement and space and thus says that is the cause a extraordinary aggravation of Vata energy.
Common symptoms of postpartum depression include anxiety, fear, insomnia, and difficulty concentrating, and these are all symptoms associated with irritation of the Vata dosha. Women who already experience trouble with Vata energy in their normal lives are likely to be more susceptible to the symptoms associated with postpartum depression. This will leave the new mother’s body feeling dry, undernourished, and strained.
How Does Ayurveda Treat Postpartum Depression?
To lessen symptoms associated with postpartum depression, an individual will be able to balance her excessive Vata energy through a Vata-balancing diet, Vata-balancing herbs, the application of oils and other substances that will help to nourish and moisturize the body, and other therapies administered by an Ayurvedic practitioner such as oil enemas. When the Vata energy is more balanced, the new mother will not just overcome challenging emotions, but she will experience a settling of thoughts, better sleep, and more regular elimination.
Lifestyle Changes for Postpartum Depression
When we neglect to establish the root cause of one illness, it can turn into another, stronger illness in the future. The first step in resolving a specific ailment or disease in the body is to assess the nature of our lifestyle and make general modifications. Living our day-to-day life with a deliberate intention to improve our health will help us to both resolve the disease we are suffering from and prevent further incidence of it and other diseases in the future. The following lifestyle changes will help to both reduce the severity of symptoms associated with postpartum depression and help to restore general balance to the body as a whole:
- Eat a Vata-reducing diet of cooked foods and oils, and avoid cold, dry items that will further aggravate Vata energy.
- Favor ghee as a source of oil and fat to help nourish the body, lubricate the colon, and ensure regular movement of bowels. Also consume sesame, almond, and olive oil on a regular basis.
- Favor slightly heavier foods and drinks to help the earth element settle the mind and body while the body is going through this adjustment period.
- Unless you are not hungry, be sure not to skip meals. A lack of food can lead to excessive lightness and exacerbate anxious thoughts.
- Create as regular a sleep routine as is possible in response to the need for attending to the baby. Attempt to follow the same waking and resting time every day.
- Avoid eating at least three or four hours before going to bed, as the body’s struggle to digest food during sleep will possibly lead to disrupted sleep.
- Take half a cup of warm milk or soymilk an hour before bedtime to foster calmer sleep.
- Eliminate caffeine and other stimulants, no matter how early in the day they may be consumed. People with aggravated Vata energy are often more sensitive to stimulants than other people.
- Eliminate alcohol and other toxic substances so as to promote more regular, healthful elimination and clarity of mind.
- Avoid TV, movies, and too much time using computers and other electronic devices, as this can over-stimulate the mind and lead to an exacerbation of symptoms.
- Avoid vigorous exercise and too much running about.
- Abstain from excessive amounts of masturbation or oral sex, and try to avoid anal sex. These various activities can lead to derangement of Vata energy.
- Avoid rapid movements and sit quietly for some time throughout the day.
- Avoid long conversations.
- Stay out of the wind and the very hot sun.
- Massage the body with slightly heated sesame oil on a daily basis.
- Make a point of sitting quietly each day to rest the body and observe whatever thoughts come up. As the mind moves with thoughts, it is important to know what these thoughts are.
- Help others with their difficulties, as this will take your mind off of your issue and give you a perspective of another person’s problems and a sense of sharing with another human being.
Foods For Postpartum Depression
Ayurveda teaches us that disease and sickness are derived from poor digestion and inappropriate food choices. We then have the opportunity to make deliberate and more conscious decisions as to what foods we do and do not put in our body which increases the chance of resolving the body’s imbalance.
Food needs to be in season, in moderate combinations of one or two food groups, not too hot or cold, in a modest enough quantity to allow for room in the stomach later, consumed without too much liquid which hinders digestive power, and should be fresh and not left over for more than a few hours. The following foods will help to settle excessive Vata energy and therefore resolve symptoms related to postpartum depression:
Cherries
Oats (cooked)
Bananas
Berries
Plums
Mangoes
Peaches
Apricots
Beets (cooked)
Fresh figs
Pears
Olive oil
Carrots (cooked)
Sweet potatoes
Asparagus (cooked)
Zucchini
Rice (white basmati)
Whole wheat (unbleached)
Mung beans
Ghee
Sesame oil
Almond oil
Milk (in moderation)
Foods To AVOID In Response To Postpartum Depression
While some foods can help to balance an aggravated dosha, other foods can cause further imbalance. Dry and cold foods as well as pungent, bitter and astringent tastes will dry out the body and aggravate the Vata dosha.Sour, salty and pungent tastes as well as spicy foods will add more heat to the body and aggravate the Pitta dosha.Sweet, sour and salty tasting foods will add heaviness to the body and aggravate the Kapha dosha. The following foods can aggravate Vata energy and therefore intensify symptoms associated with postpartum depression:
Apples
Pears
Watermelon
Cauliflower
Broccoli
Celery
Eggplant
Tomatoes
Corn
Oats (dry)
Barley
Meat
Most legumes including green lentils and garbanzo beans
Dry cereal and other dry, crunchy foods
Raw and cold foods
Leftovers
Junk food
Processed and packaged foods
Beverages For Postpartum Depression
Generally, Ayurveda discourages the consumption of too many cold beverages, as doing so hinders the strength of the body’s digestive fire. Instead, favors room temperature or hot beverages to encourage the strength of the digestive fire.
- Hot water, especially during meals and first thing in the morning
- Warm milk with a small amount of ghee melted into it.
- Herbal teas of ginger, cinnamon, turmeric, and cardamom.
- Avoid cold and frozen drinks
- Avoid sugary or fizzy drinks that blend with the digestive juice and make it weak.
- Avoid alcohol, black tea, and coffee.
Herbs For Postpartum Depression
Herbs are used in the Ayurvedic system much like Western medicine utilizes drugs and vitamins and can be taken like tea 2 to 3 times a day. Herbs aid in the digestion of food, the breakdown and elimination of toxins, and help to strengthen the cellular structure of our system for greater vitality. Herbs become more potent once mixed with other herbs of similar properties. Mix together 2 to 4 different herbs from the below list by adding a quarter to a half teaspoon full of each, for a total of 1 teaspoon. Drink these in half cup of hot water.
Ginger
Cardamom
Turmeric
Cinnamon
Cumin
Cloves
Tulsi
Garlic
Valerian
Asafoetida
Fenugreek
Bamboo manna
Hawthorn Berries
Sandalwood (white)
Yoga Postures For Postpartum Depression
When applied therapeutically to specific ailments, yoga postures provide an opportunity to strengthen the body, rid it of toxic matter, and restore balance. The postures included in this section can be practiced as part of a more general sequence or can be focused on in short sessions. When first exploring yoga postures, it is best to only practice them for twenty minutes or so per day and buildup from there once the body becomes more flexible.
Knee to chest
Cobra
Shoulder Stand
Bridge
Plough
Corpse
Hero
Aromatherapy For Postpartum Depression
Aromatherapy utilizes the fragrances of essential oils when applied to the skin. Essential oils can burn the skin and therefore must be diluted with a base oil such as sesame, coconut, sunflower, canola, or mustard oil. Mix 1 fluid ounce of base oil with about 12 drops of essential oil before applying to skin. You can also just mix 5 drops of base oil to one drop of essential oil if using on one spot.
Postpartum depression can be treated with frankincense, sandalwood, lavender, rose, lily, basil, camphor, cedar, eucalyptus, ginger, cinnamon, musk, myrrh, patchouli, or lotus oil.
- Use a sesame oil base.
- Apply oil between the eyebrows, in the third eye region of the face.
Mantra Therapy For Postpartum Depression
Ayurvedic tradition suggests that repeating certain words or sounds can help a person suffering from an ailment to restore subtle balance to nerve tissue and enhance one’s mental clarity. Different sounds are prescribed to either repeat mentally or chant outwardly. These sounds are also used and repeated in the mind for the purpose of spiritual growth.
To help control and resolve postpartum depression, repeat the syllable “Ram” (pronounced rahm) for several minutes a few times a day and build more practice over time.
As a Vata-related disorder, it is helpful to internally repeat this syllable for the duration of time it is practiced without chanting it out loud.
Breathing Practices For Postpartum Depression
Controlling the breath is a central practice toward developing peace and stillness in the mind and body. When the breath is under our control, we are no longer at the mercy of the senses that are stimulated by everything and lead to greater fluctuations of the mind. When applied to the context of resolving specific ailments, the breath is used as a tool for developing lung capacity, heating and cooling the body and resolving mental afflictions like anxiety and stress.