Nourish your body and mind
Take a good multi vitamin and mineral supplement tablet once a day. Do not go on a strict diet or go for long periods without food. Hypoglycemia - low blood sugar - can make things worse for a depressed mother. If you need to diet cut down on sweet and starchy foods and eat plenty of fruit or raw vegetables when you are hungry.Exercise
Yes, it is very difficult when you feel like this, but exercise has been shown to have real benefits for depression. Exercise reIeases endorphins often known as "happy hormones" which lift your mood in the short term and help to reset your brain patterns in the longer term. A brisk walk with the pram would be a good start.If you find it difficult to do anything and just feel like sitting on the sofa all day (when the children allow it), try also doing one task each day. The challenges you set yourself may be as simple as walking to the post office, making a phone call, writing a shopping list, or dusting the lounge. Choose everyday simple things... however mundane it seems, just achieving one thing each day is a really positive step forward.
There is no such thing as the perfect mother
A weird and paradoxical symptom of post-natal depression is the guilt that you are being a bad mother. Stop wanting to be a perfect mother and aim instead to be a "good enough mother". Try to let the housework go a little...it really doesn't matter. And children do not need homemade organic food every day either. Tell yourself what a great mum you are. All the evidence shows that mothers with post-natal illness are at least as good at mothering as those without. The fact that you feel guilty shows your love for your child. Keep a secret notebook or diary and write the things you do each day that make you a good mum, just the little things like cuddling, kissing, feeding, playing. Remember these little moments and write them down. Read back every so often and you will be amazed how many "good mother " moments there are.(published with permission in writing from:http://www.netmums.com)
