Pregnancy takes an enormous toll on your body. While you’re watching your belly grow on the outside, on the inside your body is undergoing incredible changes and stresses to give the developing fetus the best care possible.
You’ve likely endured morning sickness, energy that flags, food cravings, hair that is thick and shiny one day and falling out the next, skin that glows or that might suddenly develop acne, and swollen ankles. Or maybe you are one of the lucky few who have sailed through pregnancy like a breeze, feeling better and more joyful that you’ve ever felt before.
Whatever your pregnancy symptoms, and whether you feel the effects of pregnancy’s physical stress or not, your body is getting depleted because the developing fetus needs so many nutrients.
Think of your body as a plastic bag full of water. The more water in the bag, the better you feel and the better you are able to cope. Each day of pregnancy, the birth, each sleepless nights, each long day of breastfeeding is like putting needles in the bag.
When there are only a few needles in the bag, on a very small amount of water will escape the bag. And when too much water is escaping at such a fast rate, it’s going to take a while to refill. Such is your body after childbirth.
Do you have postpartum depletion?
| Never | Sometimes | Frequently | All the time | |
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Do experience severe brain fog? |
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Do you feel exhausted on waking? |
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Do you fall asleep unintentionally when putting your child to bed? |
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Are you experiencing levels of anxiety that are way above your norm? |
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Are you experiencing a significant loss of confidence and self-esteem? |
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Are you struggling to keep up with basic self-care i.e. showering, grooming, preparing meals for yourself? |
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Do you feel you are a “light sleeper” and are overly aware while you are sleeping? |
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Do you feel that “there is NO time for me”? |
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Do you feel overwhelmed and unable to cope? |
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Do you feel a sense of guilt/ shame or failure around your role as a mother? |
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Do you have a sense of isolation and lack of support? |
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Do you have any sex drive or a healthy libido? |
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Score 20 or more: Postpartum depletion VERY likely
Score 15 to 19: Postpartum depletion likely
Score below 15: Postpartum depletion unlikely
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The Good News?
Once you start to replenish the five pillars that have been depleted, the entire network of body starts to repair itself, gradually making you stronger and healthier.
1. Nutrition
Food is truly the medicine as it nourishes your body and provides the ingredients that gives you energy which will give you the ability to function and sleep. A good supplementation of Magnesium, Zinc, Omega 369 and Vitamin C will greatly benefit you mentally and physically as well. To find out if you are magnesium-deficient, do take this quiz.
2. Activity
Movement is an essential part of being healthy. With that being said, it is IMPORTANT to gradually reintroduce movement into your life after childbirth, as your body is still healing. Start by walking around your neighborhood just to get oxygen to your cells and stimulate the flow of lymph fluids from your cells.
3. Purpose
Becoming a mother can sometimes bring about a feeling of 'lost'. A strange feeling of not knowing oneself and one's purpose is normal especially during this sudden period of transition. Learn to identity your own mission statement and connect to your place and your role in the world. There are many ways to tap into this: religion, yoga, meditation, self-help groups, therapy or even deep conversations with a trusted person in your life.
4. Sleep
Quality sleep should be on top of the list for every human being. While it can be hard to get a good 8 hours sleep with a constantly waking child, there are still some things you can try. Practice sleep hygiene every night prior to bedtime such as limit blue light exposure from gadgets 1 hour before sleep, ensure the room is dim, avoid physical or emotionally stimulating activities, take warm baths with lavender essential oil to relax the body and make your bedroom as comfortable as possible.
5. Relaxation
A little me time every other day can do your mental and physical wellbeing. Relaxation can be in the form of spa dates or simply an outing to your favorite coffeeshop with a book you've been wanting to read. An uninterrupted few hours to yourself can amplify your healing efforts. Time to delegate the baby sitting duties for a while.
We recommend that you spare yourself an hour and step into a float tank. 60 minutes in our float tank allows you to replenish any depleted magnesium in your body. You will feel immensely restored and relaxed afterwards, and needless to say your sleep quality will improve dramatically.
Book your first float at TERAPUNG FLOAT CLUB in Seminyak, Bali.
