What to do for postpartum anxiety
Are you suffering from postpartum anxiety? Are you worrying or feeling fear excessively? Many of us experience anxiety and feelings of stress as we navigate the challenges we experience as a new parent. Yet postnatal anxiety is when these feelings are not going away, and you are finding it hard to live with these feelings. These feelings of anxiety are worse when we lack sleep , which is also a symptom of anxiety and many of us as new mothers experience lack of sleep because of the needs of our babies.
What is postpartum anxiety?
Postpartum is a period of about 6 weeks following the birth of your baby. Postpartum anxiety is the feelings of anxiety that may develop in the weeks or months after birth. However, you may experience postpartum anxiety in the first year or two after birth and the causes in Chinese medicine are often because of postnatal depletion. Anxiety is an interesting experience and the way it presents is different from one person to another.
You may experience tightness of your chest, feelings of heat flushing up, butterflies on your tummy. It could even be pins and needles in your fingers and toes. Severe anxiety can present as panic attacks with symptoms such as palpitations. Or they may come as waking in the middle of the night with a jolt. There are the physical symptoms of anxiety and how they manifest.
Then there are the thoughts they go along with these sensations. We may experience difficulty sleeping, constant worry, panic attacks, compulsive thoughts and actions.
More information of postnatal anxiety can be found at COPE – the centre of Perinatal Excellence.
Postpartum anxiety is quite common, and may even be more common than postpartum depression.
What causes postpartum anxiety?
In Chinese medicine postpartum anxiety is often caused by heart blood deficiency. Though this is not always the case and having a Chinese medicine diagnosis will determine the cause for you.
In pregnancy, the volume of our blood increases to support a developing fetus. During birth, vaginal and c-sections, we lose a great deal of blood. During our postpartum time, healing and recovering after birth is vital to our health – physically, emotionally and mentally. Without this recovery, our bodies can feel depleted and we can experience postpartum anxiety.
Having well nourished harmonised blood in Chinese medicine is important for our mental health.
Modern science is now finding this too. “Recent research emphasizes the role of iron, an often overlooked nutrient, in maintaining mental health. Researchers suggest iron deficiency could exacerbate mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety.”
Your GP can check if you have low iron levels by asking for a blood test to check your ferritin levels.
How does Chinese medicine treat postpartum anxiety
Chinese medicine excels in helping with postpartum recovery and healing. Firstly, your blood needs nourishment. This can be done through diet and herbs.
Food as medicine
Women’s bodies are fragile after birth, warming easy to digest foods are ideal. In the post Tips for postpartum healing is a soup for postpartum healing and energy which has dang gui – a herb that is used to nourish blood and also help the uterus heal after pregnancy.
For food to be medicine they need to be in a form that is digestible, this is why we suggest soups and easily digestible foods as birth does take a toll on our body and digestive system. So not only do you want food to nourish blood, but also food that is digestible.
Chinese herbal medicine
Chinese herbal medicine has a long tradition of restoring blood and energy post birth. the herbal formulas are often medicinal doses of foods that may even be found in the traditional diet. For example Hong Zao is a chinese date that is common in herbal formulas for nourishing the blood and assisting digestion. It is also found in recipes and used as a tea. Here is a recipe for ginger and red date tea.
Acupuncture and acupressure for anxiety
Acupuncture is also an option for treating anxiety in women in the postpartum time. There is evidence acupuncture is effective for anxiety. Acupressure applied to certain acupuncture points is a self-help option you can do at home. However, I do want to reinforce that without proper nutrition and building blood post birth, acupuncture may not be as effective.
IF you are suffering from postpartum anxiety, please reach out for support and treatment. Please remember to reach out to your midwife, GP or mental health professionals. Chinese medicine is complimentary to other support you may receive.
If you are unable to attend Mei Hua Chinese Medicine clinic in person, you can book an initial online herbal medicine consultation for postpartum anxiety.
