Feeling the ‘Baby Blues’ at Christmas Time
It feels like everyone is excited for the weekend and all it shall bring…besides you. Christmas is usually a season you enjoy, but this year it is hard to muster the joy as its just not how you pictured it in your mind. Your newest family member did arrive on time and everyone has expressed they are excited for baby cuddles and to ‘help’, but its hard to ‘get into the spirit’ on minimal sleep, cracked nipples and a baby that doesn’t want cuddles from anyone but you. You feel the pressure to plaster on a smile but instead start wondering if something is wrong. Are you spoiling your baby’s first Christmas? No, you most certainly are not!
What you might be experiencing is ‘the baby blues’, which don’t magically just go away because it also happens to be Christmas time. Baby blues are experiences of negative emotions like sadness that parents often have in the first few days after giving birth. Up to 4 in 5 new parents (that’s a whopping 80% ) experience the baby blues. It can affect parents of any age, culture, income, or education level. It mostly affects the birth parent because it is their body that is undergoing a huge hormonal change, but it is also known to affect their partners. The baby blues are not something you can just ‘will’ yourself out of. So please remember, although it is hard right now - you are not to blame. Feeling these feelings do not mean you have done anything wrong. You most certainly have not ruined Christmas.
You are experiencing a huge life transition at a time which is already out of normal routine, a time when you should have more supports and not less. What your baby needs is not more fancy clothes and toys it can’t use for a few months anyway. Their needs remain simple - for love, comfort, food, a little stimulation and a whole lotta rest. In fact, this closely mirrors the needs you have right now new mumma. So, if you can, lay aside the extra pressure and internal expectations to make this first Christmas more then it should be. You have enough on your plate right now as it is.
What are some things you can do about the baby blues this Christmas?
A few things we suggest you try:
Sleep is a great ‘baby blue’ medicine. Get as much as you can. Reach out to your support network to help this happen.
Request help from your partner, family and friends. If you don’t ask you won’t receive. Take advantage of the holiday season and request away.
Take a little time for yourself. If you need a break from your new baby, take a few minutes and ask someone you trust to keep an eye on them while you take a little stroll outside. The sun on your face can do wonders.
Don’t drink lots of alcohol this Christmas, even if you’re not breastfeeding. Although it may temporarily lighten your mood, this will likely make you feel worse more then it does better. And they can make it harder to care of your baby.
Eat! At least this one shouldn’t be too hard at Christmas. Do try and fit in some healthy choices also though, what you are consuming is directly being used by your body to heal and rejuvenate. This is why a lot of professionals put a lot of emphasis on a healthy postpartum diet.
Remember, the needs of a new parent doesn’t shrink away at Christmas, but they can grow!
And if you are worried that what you are experiencing is more then just the ‘baby blues’, or these feelings have been going on for more than a few days, please don’t hesitate to reach out to someone that is supportive and will listen with a caring heart.
Many professional supports for parents might shut for a time, but there are some still open and willing to help. If you find yourself in need of support with your newborn over this holiday period don’t hesitate to reach out. We can lend a listening ear and even if we are not the ones which can help, we will help you find someone who can.
