Tuesday, May 15, 2007

3 Weeks

My best friend left last night after a great visit and I am really missing her today. The first day she was here she took my two and her 4 year old to the park and I got to take a nap. I truly thought I wasn't all that tired until I woke up and realized how hard I had slept. I took a nap every day after that! The next day she cleaned my house. She swept, mopped, vacuumed, and cleaned all the bathrooms and the kitchen. I'm not a neat freak but I do like things clean and tidy. I can't tell you how much better I felt to walk around in a clean house. The next day she spent cooking. Every time I go to the basement now I open my chest freezer and just gaze inside. I have enough food to last me at least 2 months. Plus she brought me some of her favorite recipe books with easy casseroles marked for when I start cooking again. The other two days she was here we spent just having fun and getting me out and about. I was sad to see her go.

In other news, my bathroom claims that I only have 6 pounds to go to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight. Where all those extra pounds went I have no idea. I feel like I've been on a non-stop eating binge for the last 3 weeks. Nearly everyone who brought food also brought some sort of desert so it's not like I haven't been indulging in chocolate cake. I'm already wearing a lot of my regular skirts which didn't happen with Gracie until she was 3 months old. I'm not complaining, mind you; I just really wonder where it all went. Maybe when I start exercising in a couple of weeks I can actually lose that 5-10# that I wanted to lose before I got pregnant!

I talked with my friend a little about post-partum depression. After she had her 4th child she got pretty severe PPD. She swears by St. John's Wort; she said it took about 3 weeks but when it kicked in it cured her of the worst of the symptoms. I've been doing a little research and am leaning towards trying it. I want to discuss it with my midwife and get her take. Have any of you had any experience with it or know someone who does?

2 comments:

Josefina said...

My husband used to prepare himself St. John's, and it worked a bit, it's like a natural sedating and antidepressive, but it's not so strong, so if you have a more servere depression, it may not help you that much...I think yours may not be that severe, so maybe you should give it a try! I don't know its effects if you're breastfeeding though!!
Congratulations on your quick weight loss!!!
And OMG your friend's an angel!!!

Dr. Grumbles said...

Congrats on having so little weight to lose!

I am one of those scientists who researches PPD but has never had it, so I am going strictly on the lit here. St John's Wort has become a target of study, but to my knowledge there is not yet any evidence that is safe or unsafe during breastfeeding.

There are studies indicating that some antidepressants are safe. (I think Zoloft is one, but I am not sure). Awareness, social support, and talk therapy also seem very beneficial.

I hope the PPD symptoms ease up soon. Hang in there!