Like many first-time parents, I was totally clueless when I came home with my first baby. I had at least done enough research expect to not get a lot of sleep, but I had no idea what reality would be like. Little did I know our baby would be co sleeping with us!
My husband and I had made a beautiful nursery for our little girl, but we also had a bassinet in our room. We figured she would stay in that little crib for a few weeks and then we’d get her used to sleeping in her own room. Ha!
When I was pregnant with my first child, my friend asked me if I thought I would breastfeed. I responded, “I’ll try it and see how it goes.” So my daughter was born, and I was fortunate enough that breastfeeding came really easily to both of us.
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At that time, I hadn’t thought about how long I would breastfeed, but I knew I wouldn’t be one of those “weird” people who breastfed a kid past babyhood. I had read that some people did that in this fantastic book (seriously, if you read only one book during pregnancy, make it this one) my friend gave me, but I was sure extended breastfeeding wasn’t for me.
Little did I know that I would end up so passionate about nursing and its benefits! Five and a half years later, I have tandem nursed twice, meaning my oldest and middle nursed simultaneously and later my middle nursed at the same time as my youngest. Now, I’m breastfeeding a toddler for the third time. This means I have nursed non-stop for over five years.
There are several posts on this site about mental health and anxiety, because this is a subject that impacts so many of us, which in turn impacts our children. But we haven’t discussed a part of mental health that is unfortunately more taboo in our society: Antidepressant use. Since I want to focus on one of the more common antidepressants, I’ll focus mostly on Zoloft and breastfeeding.
I’ll be honest, I’m a little nervous to be talking about my own journey with antidepressant use for all the internet to see. But I know that when I was grappling with starting to use one, I would have liked to find an article like this. Plus, the stigma won’t go away if we don’t start to open up. So I’ll start with me.
And to provide you the most helpful information I can, I’ll also add in some of the science of how antidepressants work and how they affect breastfed babies. Heck, I’ll even talk about what it’s like to begin taking an antidepressant. (Side note: I am not a medical doctor. I have a PhD in chemistry and extensive education on people’s exposure to toxic chemicals, but that is not the same thing as a medical doctor and this post is not intended as medical advice.) Here goes…
Congratulations on your new baby! If you’re checking this post out, you’ve likely had a lot going on the past few days (or you will soon!)
The adjustment to having a new baby is huge. And while there’s lots of information on how to take care of that precious bundle of joy (in fact, we have a great post on what to expect for the first few weeks of your baby’s life), there’s a lot less out there about how self-care for new moms.
And frankly, that sucks. Your body and mind deserve better. If nothing else, your baby deserves for his mother to be treated better.
There’s a lot to cover on postpartum care! Of course, there’s the down-and-dirty, practical things to discuss (it’s not very often on this site that I’ll be talking about pooping, but today’s the day!), as well as more sensitive topics about mental health and relationships with others.
Let’s talk about what to expect after childbirth and what should be done to take care of you. You matter too. Continue Reading
When you have a new baby, everything is so new, and it’s a steep learning curve. And the stakes feel insanely high.
Plus, you’re exhausted. The first month or two with a baby is hard. But with a few newborn tips and some support, you can do it!
So what’s normal for your little one, and what is actually something to be concerned about? Continue reading to learn more about what to expect with your newborn baby.
After you give birth, let’s just say that your body has been through a lot. When you feed your baby, whether by breast or by bottle, you may be adding more stress to your body by the way you position yourself.
Want to avoid neck or back strain during feeding time? Check out this interview I had with Dr. Holly Strobel, a doctor of physical therapy who specializes in women’s health! (more…)
