Post Natal Depletion
After my second child was born, I suffered from severe post natal depletion. That difficult time luckily led me to a wonderful job in Integrative medicine where I worked with inspiring doctors alongside wonderful naturopaths, acupuncturists, traditional Chinese medicine practitioners and other skilled therapists. I have a special interest in women’s health and postnatal care and after reading about the work Dr Oscar Serrallach was doing, I was keen to get involved.
Post natal depletion is a term coined by Dr Serrallach and is very common in clinical practice but not normal and not widely recognized. There’s very few texts written about it. Post natal depletion is a very understandable outcome of a series of less than ideal events leading to depletion at multiple levels of a woman’s wellbeing. The postnatal depletion period can last up to 10 years after the baby is born!
Postnatal depletion is a syndrome with a constellation of symptoms that arise from physiological issues, hormonal issues, and interruption of the circadian rhythm, layered with psychological, mental and emotional components. Some of the factors that contribute to postnatal depletion are that modern women are having children later in life and we go into motherhood already close to the maximum capacity of what our bodies can handle. Western society does a poor job of preparing modern women for motherhood, we are all stressed and overwhelmed with choices and multiple responsibilities in a fast paced society. Throw into the mix pregnancy, birth and breastfeeding and add a little sleep deprivation, nutritional insufficiencies, environmental toxins and lack of social support and you have a recipe for postnatal depletion.
“In clinic, I see Mothers who are exhausted, overwhelmed, stressed, anxious and having difficulty coping with something they’ve been led to believe would or should come naturally to them. ”
Some of the symptoms of postnatal depletion include baby brain, fatigue (often debilitating), insomnia or disturbed sleep, weight or hormonal issues, loss of skin elasticity, skin dryness, softer nails and thinning hair. Partners could look out for mothers who are seemingly constantly stressed or overwhelmed, sensitive to light and sound, overly emotional - I’m sure we can all relate! If you have most or all of these symptoms, you are not alone. If you are also able to experience joy and anticipation at times, then chances are you aren’t depressed - you’re just depleted.
I think it is both a case of a newly recognized condition and a rise in the incidence of mothers with postnatal depletion due to the society we live in. Western society on the whole does not offer the community or familial support in the fourth trimester (40 days after birth) like other more traditional cultures do. Our society expects women to get back to work, get your baby body back and generally just “get on with it” often without support. What these ancient cultural practices have in common is a protected time (referred to as confinement) with lots of social support for the mother to fully recover after she gives birth. She has an army of helpers to allow her to sleep and rest. Someone to do the shopping and cooking and someone showing her how to breast feed, change and bathe the baby. She can relax in the knowledge that she is in a safe and nurturing place with those who only want the best for her and her new baby. Doesn’t that sound great?
There is a difference between postnatal depletion (very common) and postnatal depression (less common). Postnatal depletion is a syndrome with a spectrum of symptoms. PND is at the most severe end of the spectrum and certainly postnatal depletion can contribute to PND but not all women with depletion will become depressed. Within the first 12 months of birth, the PND rate in Australia is approximately 13%. Some women are genetically predisposed to depression and have a history of the same as well as anxiety. One of the cardinal symptoms that distinguishes depression from depletion is anhedonia - the inability to derive pleasure from things that previously did bring pleasure. In depression, there is no joy in the experience of motherhood and no enjoyment in activities or simple tasks that would have usually brought joy.
We can prevent postnatal depletion by giving new mums more support in the early days of motherhood. Bring back the fourth trimester. Organise a postpartum doula, meal drops and practical support for the new mother. Mothers need to make self care a priority. Ask for help and accept it with grace. Get good sleep. Take good supplements. Eat good food and drink lots of water. Have a good restorative therapy as often as you can (yin yoga, acupuncture, massage), do some gentle activity, be good to yourself and don’t entertain visitors (unless they are going to help!), limit social media, slow down and simplify your life - de clutter your home, be good to your soul - make time for some meditation, do mindful breathing exercises, gratitude mantras or visualization. Enjoy life. You are amazing! You made a baby! Be proud and thrilled with your body, even when you’re still depleted. Put on some music you love, dance and sing along with your baby. There can never be too much joy in the house.
Much of this information has come from what I’ve learnt from working with Dr Oscar Serrallach and his book - The Postnatal Depletion Cure - make sure you grab a copy, it’s an excellent read packed full of knowledge and wisdom.