How a Postpartum Retreat Saved Me From the Baby Blues

    This observation isn’t unique to Park. Psychologists Bridget Freihart and Maytal Eyal, co-founders of the women’s health education platform Gather, describe the postpartum period in America as a “striking gap” in care. They note that while pregnant women might see their OB-GYN 10 to 15 times, postpartum care often consists of just one or two visits. Health risks during this period aren’t negligible, either; Freihart says one in three new mothers will develop a chronic health issue after giving birth, and 40% develop a pelvic floor disorder.

    Women also tend to enter into this stage of life grossly underprepared: Eyal notes that 88% of women report feeling ill-equipped to move through the postpartum period. “It’s commonplace for an expectant mother to take a birth education class, but rare and virtually unheard of for her to receive postpartum education,” she says.

    This lack of systemic support is compounded by an absence of community, says Freihart. “Throughout human evolution, new mothers were surrounded by a robust community, not just after giving birth, but in the years that followed,” she says. “Because modern American society is fundamentally fragmented and highly individualistic, it’s extremely difficult to recreate these supportive conditions.”

    All of this leaves new mothers vulnerable to mental health challenges. Perinatal psychologist Nichelle Haynes, DO, says most women experience some form of the “baby blues” after giving birth—symptoms of which can vary, but often include mood swings, sadness, irritability, overwhelm, and fatigue—and many face even more significant psychiatric issues. Even if not, she adds, the transition to motherhood can be overwhelming. It often brings “feelings of guilt, inadequacy, and increased stress as women adjust to new roles, disrupted sleep, and the demands of caring for a newborn,” she says. “Navigating this adjustment period is challenging.”

    As an American mother, I experienced this perfect storm of neglect firsthand. While I was screened for postpartum depression the day I checked out of the hospital after giving birth, this was, in my opinion, far too early to discern anything. At that point, I was actually experiencing postpartum euphoria, which is essentially the opposite of the baby blues. I was flying but would soon crash. My next touchpoint occurred two weeks later via a postpartum follow-up with my obstetrician, who checked my C-section incision site and sent me on my way. My son’s pediatrician never asked me a question about myself, despite the fact that I cried through every appointment during his newborn phase.

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