Is there anything that brings more joy to a family than the birth of a child? A child in the family is the arrival of the next generation, and it means a lot more love and happiness are welcomed into the household...or does it?

The unfortunate truth is that for many families, the weeks and months following the arrival of a new baby can also be somewhat marred by the onset of postnatal depression (PND), also known as postpartum depression (PPD). While the mother is the primary victim of this problem, the effects quickly spill over and impact the entire family. If you’re living and raising a family in Victoria, you might find you want to seek help in dealing with this. Below is some advice on better handling postpartum depression.

1. Get Professional Help

Even those who have heard the term “postnatal depression” are not in full understanding of the disorder and what it means. The family will benefit from a healthy injection of information and to do that they need to find a clinical psychologist in Melbourne. You should also have a conversation with your GP. With the right expertise on their side, families can make a plan of action and get started on the right path to overcoming these challenges in a safe and healthy way.

2. Take Exercise

Research done in Australia has shown that the antidepressant effect of exercising regularly can do wonders for countering the impact of PND. It doesn’t have to be very vigorous exercise. Even just walking with the baby in a stroller is an escape from the home, entry into fresh air and new surroundings. That action alone is beneficial.

Sessions of exercise don’t need to be so long, either. If you don’t have a single long period of time to take a walk, then try to exercise in three shorter 10-minute sessions spread throughout the day.

3. Eat Properly, and Well

Neither exercise nor a balanced and healthy diet are miracle cures for PND, but they both work to build positive reactions in the body, the first through physical activity and endorphins, and the second through the nutrients that home-cooked food provides. Plan meals with your spouse or significant other, and make it a family activity to prepare and eat food together. There is evidence to show that diet does have an impact, for better or worse, on PND.

The collaborative nature of the diet can make it more enjoyable and more sustainable. The more you keep it up, the more likely it is to have a positive effect on your PND. This brings us to the next point.

4. Don’t Suffer Alone

It’s easy (and understandable) for mothers to think that only they are suffering from this bout of the “baby blues,” but it can affect fathers too. The best thing to do is get back your united front and work on bettering the situation together. Knowing you have that support from your other half can be a huge boon to confidence and happiness. As the feelings of despair slip away, they are quickly replaced by ones of hope.

5. Make Time for Yourself

Sometimes PND can be fueled by a kind of subconscious resentment towards a new baby. Your life changes so much when you have a child, it’s easy to see how part of your brain makeup doesn’t quite like that. Where before you were making dinner and vacation plans, now you’re changing nappies and planning round-the-clock childcare.

It’s critical that you do your utmost to carve out a bit of each day or each week even to have entirely to yourself. If friends and family can help you for just an hour here and there, it can be all you need to feel you have a little niche to just be you.