POST NATAL DEPLETION
WITH MUM OF TWO AND SOCIAL COMMENTATOR ANGELA MOLLARD
The story is so familiar: you’ve got a beautiful new baby so why are you feeling so awful? You’re forgetful, indecisive, moody, tired, feel overweight and overwhelmed yet all anyone ever asks about is your baby?
But what if what you’re going through isn’t simply a failure to cope, but a genuine syndrome? What if you’re suffering postnatal depletion?
While postnatal depression is a recognised condition, little attention has been paid to the nutrient depletion, sleep loss and emotional shifts that occur to new mums after giving birth.
But now Australia’s Dr Oscar Serrallach has released a new book called The Postnatal Depletion Cure, which recognises the constellation of symptoms which impact a mother following giving birth to a child.
As he points out, the last time the word mother shows up in the same sentence as baby is when a text is sent out saying: ‘Mother and baby are doing well.’
Says Oscar: ‘This begins what is potentially an unhealthy dialogue in which intense focus on the baby is accompanied by a decided lack of pragmatic and emotional support for the baby’s mother.’
The three primary factors causing postnatal depletion are a loss of nutrients due to incubating, birthing and breastfeeding the baby, exhaustion from sleep deprivation and the drastic change in a new mother’s role – often accompanied by social isolation.
Instead of simply telling mothers to ‘sleep when the baby sleeps’, Oscar’s book focuses on restoring macro-nutrients through a 100-day repletion program, as well as recovering your emotional wellbeing, self-love and sex-life.
He also has tips for women in the second and third trimester of their pregnancies to try to diminish depletion.
Actress Gwyneth Paltrow, who has featured Oscar’s work on her blog Goop, says his findings show women don’t need to suffer. ‘He hit a nerve,’ she wrote, ‘particularly with the revelation that some women in his practice experience the after-effects of having a child for seven to 10 years later.’
Oscar points out that couples experience greatest relationship dissatisfaction 18 months after the birth of a child. Improving communication skills, telling partners what you need and understanding that mothers can feel ‘all touched out’ are key to recovery, he says.
‘I’M A TOUGH MAMA. I EXPECT A LOT. I HAVE A HIGH BAR FOR MYSELF AND FOR OTHERS, AND IT’S NOT EASY TO BE LOVED BY ME. BUT (WILLOW) GETS IT AND SHE’S SMART, AND THOUGHTFUL BECAUSE OF IT.’