What is the reason for postpartum irritability? What should I do if I am irritable after giving birth?

Many mothers will find themselves particularly restless after giving birth. They easily become irritable and angry at the slightest provocation. They don’t want to be like this. What is going on and what can they do?

Why do I have a bad temper after giving birth?

Endocrine changes

In the later stages of pregnancy, the levels of estrogen, progesterone, corticosteroids, and thyroid hormone in the mother's body also increase to varying degrees, and the mother will feel happy and joyful. However, after the birth of the child, these hormones drop rapidly, causing endocrine changes in the body, resulting in symptoms of irritability and bad temper.

Lack of sleep

Babies under one year old have very irregular sleep and rest schedules, and mothers are almost always on call 24 hours a day, especially at night, which makes mothers sleep deprived for a long time. When people lack sleep, their mental state deteriorates and they lose most of their ability to regulate emotions. Once they encounter a little negative emotion in life, they will become irritable and angry.

Excessive pressure

After giving birth, if the husband or other relatives are not satisfied with the gender of the child, or if the husband behaves badly, the mother has to shoulder the task of raising the child alone, etc., which can easily put pressure on the mother's emotions, and she will become irritable if something goes wrong.

Perfectionism

Because perfectionist women have unrealistic expectations of being a mother after childbirth and are unwilling to seek help when they encounter difficulties, they may not be able to adapt to being a new mother. And if their husbands rarely take care of the children together or women lack the spiritual support of their husbands, they will feel tremendous pressure, their tempers will become more and more irritable, and they will be easily angered.

What to do if you have a bad temper after giving birth

Exercise more

You can do some exercise after childbirth to eliminate stress and release negative emotions, such as aerobics, aerobic dance, yoga, brisk walking, etc. These can quickly restore your out-of-shape body. Exercise and sweat can clear out the blood and lochia in your body during childbirth, release tension and stress, and drive away gloomy emotions. However, do not do too much exercise after childbirth.

Learn to relax yourself

Properly adjust and change your life content. Don't pay attention to your baby all the time and ignore yourself. Leave your baby to someone else to take care of it temporarily, and take a short vacation for yourself, even if it's only two hours or half a day, you can relax yourself and recharge your spirit. Avoid psychological and emotional overdrafts. You can do some deep breathing, walking, meditation and other exercises to relax your mood.

Talk more

Talk to your friends or relatives, tell them your heart, or even have a good cry, and vent your depression and irritability. Don't forget that although you are a mother, you are still your husband's wife and your parents' beloved daughter. No one can be a full-time mother 24 hours a day, so you should change your role and enjoy the rights of a wife and daughter.

Food therapy

New mothers usually eat a lot of supplements during the "confinement period", but they don't know that these foods can easily make people irritable, insomnia, anxiety, and in severe cases, various signs of getting angry. Therefore, you should eat more light foods, eat more fresh vegetables and fruits, drink more warm water, and adjust your physical and mental state from the inside out.

Learn to encourage yourself

Having children is just one way for women to realize themselves, but it is by no means the only way. Don’t put all the pressure on yourself, as this will only make you more irritable. You should learn to encourage yourself and don’t forget that there are other potentials and needs for self-realization. Maybe you can take advantage of the maternity leave to focus on your career, and when the maternity leave is over, you will have a completely new image.