Natural Remedies to Help Postpartum?

Exercise really helps me. Also with PPD time helped me...it just took about a year and a half for me to start feeling normal again. For me keeping busy and having something exciting to look forward to helps as well. I know you can take supplements and eat certain foods, but I do not know what they are. Good luck and hang in there.

I don't think their is a natural remedy for post partum depression. If you are depressed, having suicidal thoughts, or thoughts of harming your child, I would advice you to take medication. If you aren't experiencing those symptoms, then you can try to utilize relaxation techniques, or other ways to relax. Their is nothing wrong in taking an anti-depressant during this time. Even a low dose. You want to be able to enjoy this time with your little one. If you aren't feeling right, it won't be healthy for your relationship with your child.

Excellent answer by S.H.

I do know that red raspberry leaf tea or red raspberry leaf tincture can help. I don't have depression, but I have a very stressful situation and have experienced some severe anxiety and the tea helped me. Don't confuse red rasberry leaf tea with regular raspberry. It needs to be the leaf!

Sunshine and exercise will also help! Sunshine will give you the vitamin D you need to enhance your mood.

Please don't feel like you absolutely need to handle this on your own. Do you have an outlet for your feelings or an adequate support system? A naturopath can be a part of your support team.
Good luck!

Then what you should do, is see a Naturopath Doctor.
They have medical and alternative care background.

Don't guess at it.
They can assess you and then recommend the proper things for you to take. Properly. Not by guessing.

Believe it or not--exercise is great for this! Put your wee one in a stroller and get out for a walk :)

Progesterone cream it's a natural anti despressant & anti inflammatory. Most women lose something like 80% of their progesterone within 24 of having their baby which leads to postpartum. I call it the "happy cream" for many reasons :). I hope this helps. Make sure to get a bio identical one. Arbonnes prolief is the one highly recommended. Www.naturallylovely.myarbonne.com

This won't help now, but if you have any more children look into placenta encapsulation. Eating your placenta can really help with PPD. I know it sounds a little out there, but at least for me after having PPD twice if we have any more kids I am willing to try anything.

I second Rae's advice. Please see a medical professional and go from there. As some one who as been through PPD and has a mother who suffers from mental disorders, I hate that there is such a stigma on mental illness. Not too long ago cancer was treated the same way - now people proudly wear t-shirts proclaiming "Save the Boobies" - when will that day be for depression, mania, OCD and other mental disorders?

I understand there are many reasons for not wanting to take medications - I do - but in the long run you need to do what is best for you and your child, even if that means taking an anti-depressant or anti-anxiety med. Breast may be best, but nothing beats a happy mama.

Fish oil...(Omega 3), a good brand like Fisol or Carlsons (both are tested to be free of impurities and mercury and studies support the mood stabilizing effect.)
Vitamin D...if not from the sun, a daily supplement (usually 2000iu is good)
Exercise if you can get it in...even a quick stroll.
"meditation"...not to sound quacky...but just a few moments of quiet time ALONE to close your eyes and clear your mind.

Hi honey-

I went through this--there's lots of things you can do. I could give you a list, but really it depends on the underlying cause of the symptoms. I'm sure it's probably your endocrine system, but it could be sourced from your thyroid, adrenals, or ovaries, or it could be an imbalance in the brain. All these things have different treatments. I'd be happy to discuss this further with you--I can usually tell from symptoms what the underlying cause is and then I could tell you how to help yourself. OR I could also recommend a great natural doctor in the area.
Let me know if I can help! (Really, it's no imposition!!)
J.

I take VITEX it is an herb that balances your hormones. Do you have a homeopathic doctor in your area? I would try to find one, if you can't go to www.daveshealth.com he is a homeopathic dr here in Utah and I know he can do over the phone consults. He is AMAZING and has helped my family with a variety of ailments.

Good luck!!

This may sound stupid, but I survived my bout with PPD without meds, herbs, creams, etc. I was determined to do mind over matter (which I realize isn't possible for everyone) because my body does NOT respond well to messing with chemical/hormonal levels by taking medicine.

I talked about the thoughts going through head, I wrote and wrote and wrote (often just the same two or three words line after line since that was the only coherent words my brain could muster), I surrounded myself with inspirational quotes, I kissed my kids cheeks as much as I could, I made countless lists of all the things I was grateful for, I tried (but didn't always succeed) to eat healthier, and I tried to train as much of my focus as I could AWAY from myself.

It was slow, but constant improvement. I feel so much better than I ever did trying to solve things with medicine.

I really hope you find something that works for you too! If your body doesn't like outside interference either, you might try what worked for me. Sending good luck and happy thoughts your way!!