Is Postpartum Depression Preventable?

Photo credit: Ben White

Postpartum depression is much more common than you think. Recent studies show that 1 in 7 new moms experience this condition—in addition to all those women who don’t get diagnosed because they’re afraid of talking about how they feel.

So, is postpartum depression and anxiety preventable? The answer is YES, and let me tell you why.

I’ve been there. I had postpartum depression and anxiety, and I know how it feels. And I know that you, mom-to-be, are afraid of it. Before I get into the reasons why postpartum depression is preventable, I want to reassure you. You have inside of you all the strength and power you need to heal.

Postpartum depression is not only hormones

Most professionals in the field will tell you that this condition is affected by the hormonal shifts that occur during the journey into motherhood. Yes, huge hormonal shifts may cause a variety of emotions that are hard to control, but there’s more to the story. Every mental health condition has a root.

Postpartum depression has a deep root

I strongly believe that most women who go through postpartum depression have unresolved issues in the past that may be connected to the way they grew up and/or past experiences/traumas, including difficult pregnancies and birth traumas. The hormonal shifts bring these things to the surface and make things worse.

Postpartum depression is not you

If you identify with your emotions, you give them more power. Postpartum depression becomes serious when you wake up every day and you feel that depression and/or anxiety are part of you. It’s okay to talk about how you feel, but when you constantly say things like: “I’m depressed,” you give more power to that emotion.

How to avoid postpartum depression

The only way to avoid postpartum depression is to work on yourself before having a baby.

We all have been through traumas. It doesn’t have to be something terrible. We have all been through something that affected the way we feel about certain people or situations. Traumas may create addictions, defensive mechanisms, and a sense of unworthiness and unsafety.

I know it’s probably hard to hear, but you can pass unresolved traumas to your children. If you want to prepare for motherhood, don’t focus only on the practical stuff, like taking your vitamins and preparing the nest—work on yourself. Take time to get to know yourself and the patterns in your life, and transform traumas into learned lessons.

You can do this by bringing awareness to your emotion and thought processes, journaling, and meditating. If you need external support as you work on yourself, I’d be happy to help. The objective of my mom coaching programs is to help you transform anxiety and trauma and get ready for motherhood.