Prioritizing your Mental Health: Ohio Pregnant and Postpartum Moms
Happy 2021! Here we are… new year, same pandemic. I think it is incredibly safe to say that we have all felt the weight of COVID-19 in some way, shape, or form over the past 10 months. Whether we have had the virus ourselves, had a loved one with it, lost a loved one to the virus, or are really feeling the effects of being cooped up and stuck in a bubble. This virus, this pandemic, and the ripple effects into our lives, work, family, and more are more prevalent than ever. This blog will be all about how to be protective of, and how to prioritize your mental health in 2021 (and really any year). Because I mainly work with the perinatal population (read: conception, pregnancy, postpartum, birth trauma, and everything in between), this blog will be centered around this audience. If you know a mama of a young little one, feel free to pass it on!
Having a baby in the healthiest of times (such as not in a pandemic) can be hard enough as is. So much change is happening in such a little time frame. Combine this in with our Ohio weather of snow, blazing heat, rain, or ice, it can be hard to really find your footing (quite literally in the winter). With everything changing so quickly around you, it is easy for your mental health to become a back-burner thing. For the pregnant population, you are likely busy at home getting things ready, maybe parenting older kiddos, attending doctor appointments, and more. For the postpartum moms, you are likely busy trying to change the third blowout of the day, the onesie covered in spit up, all the while trying to take care of your basic needs of eating, sleeping, showering, and exercising.
So how do we prioritize our mental health amidst the chaos of being a pregnant or postpartum mom in Ohio? Here are a few practical tips to incorporate into your daily routine. Whether you are feeling good, feeling crappy, or somewhere in the middle. Protecting your mental health is an active effort every day, not just the bad days.
- Move your body! This doesn’t have to be fancy. You don’t need to structure in an hour of morning cardio every day or attend the Pilates class 3x a week at the gym. This can be as simple as, if you do nothing else, you can get up and move for 5-10 minutes in the morning, and 5-10 minutes in the evening. Have an intense dance party with the kids. Do some jumping jacks or squats. Jog in place.
- Don’t be afraid to say no. Maybe you have been looking forward to that home movie night with your partner all week. When others ask to come over and see the baby that night, it is ok to say no. Sometimes protecting your mental health is thinking of the impact such decisions will have in your overall functioning and weighing the pros/cons of that.
- Take breaks. This one is tough, I get it. Breaks are far and few between when you are postpartum or pregnant. Rather than waiting for them to happen, try structuring them. For example: every night from 6-7, my partner will watch the kids while I do something relaxing for myself (read a book, take a bath, go get a coffee). The next day, my partner can take that time to do something refreshing.
- Let your emotions flow. This one is likely the hardest of them all. When the emotions come, allow yourself the space to feel them. Try treating yourself as you would your best friend coming to you with those same emotions. Validate them and yourself.
- Listen to yourself. This one is crucial. Whether you need to take a half day off from work, get takeout for dinner rather than cook a meal, or need to call a loved one to chat. Listen to your body, both physically and mentally. Being in tune with your needs and following through on those needs is imperative in protecting your mental health.
