Mama Restore

Wondering what Postnatal Depletion looks like? Insights from leader in mother care, Dr Oscar Serrallach.

Does baby brain, lethargy, baby blues, fatigue and memory troubles sound familiar?

Leader in mother care and integrative GP, Dr Oscar Serrallach coined the term postnatal depletion after seeing scores of women present to his practice with similar symptoms. Dr Serrallach discusses postnatal depletion, & explores the concept of matrescence; the transition to motherhood; and talks about how postnatal depletion can even appear years after you first start your journey as a mother.

What is postnatal depletion?

Postnatal depletion is a new and emerging concept, with research on the topic limited at this stage. The theory is that during the transition to motherhood,, also referred to as matrescence, many significant changes occur to the mother’s physiology. As Dr Serrallach explains: “The placenta passes many nutrients to the growing baby during pregnancy, tapping into the mum’s “iron, zinc, vitamin B12, vitamin B9, iodine, and selenium stores—along with omega 3 fats like DHA and specific amino acids from proteins.” It has been seen that a woman’s brain shrinks during pregnancy as it supports the growth of the baby and is socially re-engineered for parenthood”.

Dr Serrallach describes postnatal depletion as a postpartum syndrome of accumulated issues including deep fatigue, hyper-vigilance, and a feeling of being overwhelmed. Symptoms stem from physiological issues, hormones, sleep disruption or deprivation, alongside psychological, mental, and emotional factors. These are all events which can lead to the depletion of a woman’s wellbeing as explained in Dr Serrallach’s book; The Postnatal Depletion Cure.

How do you know if you have postnatal depletion?

If the following symptoms ring a bell chances are you may have, or may be, experiencing postnatal depletion - severe fatigue, digestive issues, feeling exhausted, sensitivity to bright light, low libido and brain fog to name a few. Postnatal depletion is different to postnatal depression, which is a much more commonly known condition. “This is yet to be recognised as a condition or syndrome in the medical world but as we all know this is very much part of the reality of many mothers with young children”.

Dr Serrallach’s firmly held belief is that there is nothing more important than the health and well-being of mothers – when mothers are happy, healthy, and rested, our families benefit, our communities benefit and society benefits.

While the science behind postnatal depletion is still emerging, it remains important to always consult your personal health practitioner for the best advice for your individual needs and maintaining pregnancy health.

For more information get a copy of his book as it's a brilliant read.

POSTPARTUM EXERCISE

Exercise has the following benefits for postpartum women:

It helps strengthen and tone abdominal muscles.
It boosts energy.
It may help prevent postpartum depression.
It promotes better sleep.
It relieves stress.
It can help you lose the extra weight that you may have gained during pregnancy.

HOW MUCH EXERCISE SHOULD YOU DO?
After having a baby, you should get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity every week. You can divide the 150 minutes into 30-minute workouts on 5 days of the week or into smaller 10-minute sessions throughout each day. For example, you could go for three 10-minute walks each day.

WHEN SHOULD YOU START EXERCISING?

If you had a healthy pregnancy and a normal vaginal delivery, you should be able to start exercising again soon after the baby is born. Usually, it is safe to begin exercising a few days after giving birth—or as soon as you feel ready. If you had a C section birth or complications, ask your healthcare provider when it is safe to begin exercising again.

Contact us for ore info on our online postpartum recovery programme or join our Mom & baby classes every Tuesday at 11:00. Call us on: 061 922 7037

PREGNANCY BACKACHE
Back pain during pregnancy is a common complaint — and it's no wonder. You're gaining weight, your center of gravity changes, and your hormones are relaxing the ligaments in the joints of your pelvis. Often, however, you can prevent or ease back pain during pregnancy. Consider seven ways to give pregnancy back pain the boot.

1. Practice good posture
As your baby grows, your center of gravity shifts forward. To avoid falling forward, you might compensate by leaning back — which can strain the muscles in your lower back and contribute to back pain during pregnancy & diastasis recti.

2. Get the right gear
Wear low-heeled — not flat — shoes with good arch support. Avoid high heels, which can further shift your balance forward and cause you to fall.

3. Lift properly
When lifting a small object, squat down and lift with your legs. Don't bend at the waist or lift with your back. It's also important to know your limits. Ask for help if you need it.

4. Sleep on your side
Sleep on your side, not your back. Keep one or both knees bent. Consider using pregnancy or support pillows between your bent knees, under your abdomen and behind your back.

5. Try heat, cold or massage
While evidence to support their effectiveness is limited, massage or the application of a heating pad or ice pack to your back might help.

6. Include physical activity in your daily routine
Regular physical activity can keep your back strong and might relieve back pain.

7. Consider complementary therapies
Some research suggests that acupuncture might relieve back pain during pregnancy. Chiropractic treatment might provide comfort for some women as well. However, further research is needed. If you're considering a complementary therapy, discuss it with your health care provider. Be sure to tell the chiropractor or acupuncturist that you are pregnant.

At Mama Restore we offer pre natal classes covering posture, breathing and exercises to make you stronger to squat and lift plus gentle stretching stretching and mobilising exercises. Contact us on: 061 922 7037 for more info.

Overdue or not?!

Repost @betterbirthuk ・・・ Babies know when their birthday is. Sometimes that’s after the proposed “40 weeks”. Due dates are a guess and for some, being born after 42 weeks is totally normal. Love this post from @freebirthsociety! Are you approaching 42 weeks or over? You’ve got this! 💪🏻 Repost with @make_repost ・・・ “Babies don’t have a “due date”. They’re not library books, they’re space travelers, landing on earth from another dimension, through the portal of our mystical, gorgeous yonis. When we let go of the baggage of the “due date”, we free ourselves to flow from one stage of pregnancy into the next, and to fully experience the journey as it is. The vast majority of babies decide to be born between 39 and 43 weeks’ gestation. This isn’t at all to say that prematurity isn’t an issue—it absolutely can be, but post-dates is almost always nonsense—hundreds and thousands of women in our free birth networks are living proof of this! You have every right and all authority to define your own birth-time for yourself, to establish your “due date” by whatever metric you think is most suitable, or, to completely discard the notion of a due date all together”. -Yolande Norris-Clark @bauhauswife, from The Complete Guide to Freebirth 💗 And if you want more support and like-minded women around you, join our Free Birth Society private membership (our own private social media!) via the link in my bio. #freebirth #wildpregnancy #wildpregnancyfreebirth #thecompleteguidetofreebirth #40weeks #41weeks #42weeks #43weeks #44weeks #thirdtrimester #guessdates #duedates

Sharing this gem from again. Feels especially relevant right now. And if it does to you too , know that you can do hard things and you are not alone 💜