We can confirm our role as a Mother is miraculous! We can grow a whole new human being and birth it from our body (either naturally or via the sun roof). And then continue to nourish that baby for months, maybe even for years. Then, like many of us, you’ll probably do it again. And again.
Exhaustion and sometimes even overwhelm can be a regular part of parenting as you learn to adjust to your new role as mother, but if you have ongoing disturbing thoughts and/or feelings of worry and tension that are hard to live with and/or affect your ability to manage from day to day, then you may be experiencing postnatal depression or anxiety.
Remember your baby’s body is formed and made entirely of nutrients donated by your body. If there is a lack of vital nutrients, the mother’s body is the first one that is deprived because her developing baby is Mother Nature’s priority.
You may be deficient in some nutrients that are required for neurotransmitter or hormone synthesis.
Omega-3 are good fats needed to build the brain’s neural connections as well as the receptor sites for neurotransmitters such as serotonin. Research has shown people with depression appear to have lower levels of omega-3, supplements can improve symptoms significantly. Approximately 7 grams of fat pass from mother to baby each day! This high transfer of DHA fatty acid is essential for the baby but can leave the mother depleted. This is why I have my clients on practitioner grade DHA.
From one Mum to another I can tell you that being a mum is overwhelming and it is, at a certain level, entirely normal and appropriate for mums to be anxious or down from time to time.
What is not normal or appropriate is for mums to be anxious or depressed all the time or for these feelings to interfere with daily life. When this happens, it tells us that there is something else going on outside of the normal strains of being a mama.
Just remember you are always there underneath all of this, this is all just surface stuff and not who you truly are.
Seek support from a qualified professional & I am here to help support those vital nutrients necessary for optimal mental wellness.
Gina xx
