This post is to call out a certain wrap manufacturer, sie wissen wer sie sind!

We all know that self medication isn’t the most sensible course to chart when ill. Certainly when mental illness like Post Natal Depression (PND) is on the cards, talking to a professional is always a good idea. But I held out. I gave it my best shot. I came up with my own therapy to make myself feel better. That’s right: babywearing is good for the soul.

And if babywearing is good for the soul, then FSOT (For Sale or Trade) is the pharmacopia of the slinging masses! It’s escapism! It’s esteem building! It’s a little rush to wake up in the morning and know that there is a package on the way! Long live FSOT!

On the other hand, why does shopping for wraps make me feel better temporarily? To tell the truth, I like to shop. I’m a consumer at the core, always looking for something new. However, postnatal and puffy, my shopping options are no longer what they once were before the era of toothless grins and nappy buckets.

I wear old jeans and sensible cotton jersey nursing tops, I have one pair of shoes I wear daily, my hair is either a mess or in a pre-mess state (which means I haven’t had the kids near me since I last remembered to brush it) and let’s just say that nursing two kids and no longer going to the gym daily (or, indeed, at all) means I’m not entirely the same shape I was before they barged their way into my life in a flurry of contractions and some bad tempered swearing on my part. I should also acknowledge that even if I knew how to apply makeup, no amount of it, no matter how expensive, is going to cover the bags hanging under my eyes.

So I’m tired and overworked and I look terrible like your average mother of two small children. Shopping makes me feel better. But dragging two kids through a shopping mall really doesn’t. So I’m an online shopper.

I’d buy books, which are intellectual and clever, but I don’t have time to read them (and I can go to the library). I’d buy clothes or shoes, but they’re either not going to look good right now (they will one day) or I’ll not be able to wrangle kids in them. I’d buy makeup but I have no idea how to use it and would I really spend five whole minutes applying it when I could be sleeping?

So I buy baby carriers. I can do it online at a whim, juggling the wearee on one knee. Baby carriers make my life easier. They always look good, because they’re stuffed with cute baby and hide the bits that wouldn’t pass muster on a dreadful reality TV program.

But that’s the thing. I’m hiding behind carriers. I feel better when I’m wearing them, not only because they make my baby happy and I’m happy to be close to her- I only need one or two carriers for that. But when I’m babywearing, I don’t have to be me any more. I can be The Mother At the Playground Who is Wonderful With Knots. You see, that wonderful mother Who Is Good With Knots, doesn’t have too many problems. Her kids are under control (they’re tied on), she’s organized (the kids are tied on) and she’s just a little bit annoying (the kids want to get DOWN). It’s a little sad when I think about it like that.

So, for the moment, I’m trying to remember that my “medication” is not doing me any real good, it’s just a temporary departure from mundanity. To a certain wrap manufacturer: haben ihre schlimmsten!

Other posts on postnatal depression:

• Babywearing and postnatal depression
• Butterflymama’s story

Do you have an experience with PND? Do you shop to make yourself feel good? Tell us about it, I can’t be the only one!

Earlier, we discussed Post Natal Depression and Babywearing generally. Here, we bring you ButterflyMama’s experience:

I used babywearing to help me overcome my Post Natal Depression and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder after Miss S’s nightmare hospital induction.

Truth be told I did not want her anywhere near me - had major connection/attachment issues. I had this child ripped from my body and then it would scream for me to meet its every need - most of which of my own were not even being met, because it was too difficult for me to even comprehend. For the first six months of Miss S’s life all I (barely) managed was getting up out of bed, putting on some sort of clothing, sculling coffee as fast as I could and putting on the brave poker face; I was very good at that, though. It’s amazing how easy it is to smile and pretend everything is OK when it’s not, because people expect it. PND is such a taboo subject - heaven forbid the mother of a newborn child is not totally and utterly in love with him/her and gushing to every single person she meets!

I had bought the Ergo with infant insert while pregnant after researching thoroughly and deciding it would be most likely to suit my needs - crook neck, best for bubs spinal development as compared to the Bjorn. When Miss S was 6 days old, the day after we got home from hospital, I had been crying all day long (for no *apparent* reason) and on the suggestion of the midwife that came to visit, I popped her into my “sling”. I didn’t want her near me, I didn’t want to be in such close earshot to her piercing newborn cries let alone feel her weight against me. But I did, and from that day onwards I wore her every day. We didn’t have an instant bond, Miss S and me, we had to work on it very hard. We almost had to do what I would describe as “forced parent/child attachment”. She began to have her biggest day sleeps on me and although I would hesitate to admit it, I began to really look forward to them. By about the six months of age point, we were fully fledged babywearers and I knew that on the days where I felt the worst, the best therapy (combined with CBT, exposure therapy and medication) was to have my daughter close.

I guess the rest is history. Miss S and I had to really work at our relationship to be what it is now and I can say that babywearing, although I hated it at first, had a massive hand at improving our relationship - and still does, every day. PND is such a hard thing to battle and although I think I am mainly “OK” now with regards to it, I still have my crap days and know that babywearing even a little helps, for “compulsory cuddles” (where she has no choice but be close to me even when she is, at 21 months of age, chucking darkies left right and centre). I think my daughter caught my fiery nature, poor thing, genetics can be so harsh.

I extend my support and understanding, empathy and frustration to those experiencing PND currently. It is a dark world in which it can be all-consuming, I know exactly what that is like. There seems to be no way out, but there is. So hang in there.

Thanks to ButterflyMama for sharing her story. For many of us, including myself, it’s comforting to know that someone else has made it out of the blackhole. Have you experienced Post Natal Depression? Did it follow from a traumatic birth experience like ButterflyMama? How did you get through it? Leave a comment and share with us.

Babywearing can be beneficial to women suffering from or at risk of Post Natal Depression (PND). Babywearing can assist in reducing some of the risk factors for PND, can mitigate some of its effects on the maternal-child bond and can be used as part of a range of alternative therapies for treatment.

PND is a common experience. Almost 16% of women are affected by it. For those suffering from this form of depression, the experience can be debilitating. Babywearing is not a substitute for medical treatment for this serious condition. If you believe you or someone you know may have PND, seek help. A good resource is Beyond Blue.

Some of the risk factors for PND include an unsettled baby, difficulty establishing breastfeeding and a lack of practical support. Babywearing can assist with these problems by helping settle a distressed baby, promoting the establishment of breastfeeding and offering a parent a hands-free way of caring for their baby. Babywearing cannot remove these risk factors altogether and it certainly cannot decrease the effect of other risk factors such as a previous history of depression. For a full list of risk factors for PND, see here.

Some women find that one of the effects of PND is a difficulty bonding with their child. Babywearing can assist a mother to bond with their child in a gentle way during everyday tasks. Babywearing also offers a woman’s partner a practical way to give the mother a break while also bonding with the baby. Rest and sleep are important for treating depression.

Babywearing can also be used as part of alternative therapies for treating depression such as exercise and light therapy. A walk outside with the baby each day is not only a valuable way to settle the baby, but it may also positively impact on the mother’s mental health. Babywearing is obviously not a replacement for medication where it is necessary.

In conclusion, babywearing can reduce some (but not all) of the risk factors for PND. It can reduce some of the impact of the depression itself and form a part of the treatment plan for PND.

In the following weeks, we’ll be bringing you the personal stories of women who have suffered from PND and the effect that babywearing has had on them and their babies.

What’s your experience with PND? What bought you out of the black hole? Leave a comment and share with those still searching for an answer.