The pregnancy journey can occasionally be stressful to the body, and to the mind. Pregnancy hormones can affect your emotions and cause a variety of emotions which you have never or rarely felt before. It is crucial to recognise and acknowledge such emotions. These emotions are usually temporary. They
may improve as the pregnancy progresses. However, they may reappear or worsen after delivery as you cope with the arrival of the new baby.
If you are encountering emotions that you are unable to explain, such as feeling lost, easily irritated, getting angry or crying for no apparent reason, or are unable to feel rested and cannot sleep well at night, take ONE step back, and breathe. You can do the following:
- Allow yourself some time to rest and do things that you enjoy
- Try to have some alone time even if it is just to go for a walk or read a magazine
- Eat well and exercise
- Talking to your family about your thoughts and feelings is a good way to release pent-up emotions
- Writing down your thoughts could help you gain a better perspective of what happened and how things affected you
- Changes to your body is part of the birthing experience
- Start a gentle exercise routine like walking to help you get back in shape
- Do not compare yourself to other mothers
- Low mood, irritability or tearfulness
- Poor sleep, loss of interest, poor appetite or poor concentration
- Loss of energy
- Excessive self-blame or guilt
- Feeling hopeless or that life is meaningless
Take care of yourself
Share how you feel with your loved ones
Write your thoughts down
Accept changes to your body
Recognise symptoms of depression
Speak with your doctor immediately if you experience any of these symptoms.
Don’t forget or neglect your husband. Some fathers may feel left out of the caring process. Encourage your husband to do things like changing diapers and checking on the baby during the night. Communicate with him; it is helpful to understand that you are both in this together.
It is also important to remember that in Islam, any pain (emotional or physical) has a spiritual component to it. Men are afflicted with trials and tribulations for their sins to be expiated and to be rewarded abundantly by God. In addition to seeking appropriate therapies to relieve symptoms of postnatal depression, Islam teaches us that duas are a medium to help us make sense of the chaos in our lives. Duas also allow us to recognise that there is a wisdom and order behind our experiences that may not be fully understood by us.
The Prophet s.a.w has prescribed a dua that can be recited during periods of grief and anxiety:
Whoever is afflicted with grief or anxiety, then he should pray with these words, “Oh Allah, certainly I am your slave, the son of your male slave and the son of your female slave. My forehead is in Your Hand. Your Judgment upon me is assured and Your Decree concerning me is just.
Musnad Imam Ahmad: 3712
I ask You by every Name that you have named Yourself with, revealed in Your Book, taught any one of Your creation or kept unto Yourself in the knowledge of the unseen that is with You, to make the Quran the spring of my heart, and the light of my chest, the banisher of my sadness and the reliever of my distress.”
Reference: KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Office of the Mufti (MUIS)
Emosi ibu hamil boleh menjadi tidak menentu bila-bila masa sepanjang kehamilan itu. Perasaan ini boleh berlaku tanpa sebarang simptom. Ia boleh pulih secara berperingkat. Ia juga boleh menjadi berlarutan sekiranya tidak dikenal pasti terlebih awal dan tidak ditangani dengan baik. Perubahan hormon sepanjang hamil membuatkan anda mudah tersentuh, tersinggung, atau membenci sesuatu tanpa sebab. Elakkan diri daripada perbuatan yang memudaratkan kesihatan seperti merokok dan mengambil arak.
Sebaliknya, banyakkanlah berzikir dan berselawat. Cara-cara menangani stres:
- Kenal pasti punca stres
- Rehat dan tenangkan minda
- Berkomunikasi dengan suami dan ahli keluarga yang tersayang
- Jumpa doktor dan minta nasihat
