I haven't blogged for a while and to be honest I'm not missing it but I know I'll invest more time on my blog once we hit the road for our BIG LAP of Australia in January. I have been enjoying our little boy, who is now 4 months old, too much and the idea of sitting in front of a computer when I could be chatting with him doesn't make sense. When he's sleeping there's the housework to catch up on - a bi-product of a home with three little tornadoes.
I thought I'd reflect on the experience of having a third child. A few friends who have considered having a third baby have asked if it's hard and those with two have remarked "how do you manage?"
It's Mental Health Week here and
World Mental Health Day tomorrow so in the interests of breaking taboos I'm going to share part of my story. Along with the ABC's programming of #mentalas across their networks
Life Matters has been encouraging people to participate in the
Exercise Challenge for some weeks now. ABC 702 posted
this photo this week and the statistics are staggering.
I've just come home from the gym and our baby is sleeping so I have time. Now before you groan about me 'dropping' the G word (gym), read on....
Just to give you some background - I wrote an article for Sydney's Child four months ago detailing my experience with post natal depression which I was diagnosed with after the birth of our second baby. It wasn't surprising given that my husband was sent to work overseas for three months just before our daughter was born. He returned for her birth but was then moved interstate for six months leaving me to manage with a two year old and an eight week old. Along with some pretty ordinary family issues, which I won't go in to detail about here, it was a very trying time for me.
The short version of this story is I managed to regain my mental health with regular visits to my fabulous GP, a psychologist and medication. One of the most fundamental medicines for me, though, was exercise. This was something I didn't write about in the article for Sydney's Child as I was restricted by a word count.
I've never been a gym person. In fact I have to admit that I've never been an exercise person. At school my friends and I tried everything we could to get out of PE. I realise now that those were wasted lessons.
Soon after I was diagnosed with PND I heard something on the radio about exercise being as good for you, if not better, that medication when it came to treating depressions and anxiety.While my PND was acute I did need medication but soon after I joined my local #fitnessfirst. My plan was to attend a few classes - yoga and probably pilates. I had no intention of working out. How does all that equipment even work?
The membership to the gym included two free sessions with a personal trainer so I thought I'd take those, given that they were free, and continue a regular GENTLE exercise class. Those two sessions were assigned to a guy who specialised in pre and postnatal fitness.
Let's just say I didn't make it to the end of either session because I was too busy throwing up in the toilet. Now - I'd always thought of myself as a fit person. I'm relatively slim. It was a shock to learn that I wasn't fit at all and I've since learned more about the #obesitymyth - essentially that a person who is bigger than me, carrying more weight, could be fitter than me, and bounce back much quicker after a serious health scare.
After those two sessions I decided that I'd reclaim my body and well being by training. I gave the classes the flick. I wanted tailored fitness training and I believe that it was instrumental in improving my outlook on life. Personal Training isn't cheap so I understand that not everyone can afford it but when I weighed up the cost of medication - the long-term affects and the financial cost it was a no-brainer for me.
My regular sessions at the gym helped me to get in to shape, increase my fitness substantially, allowed me to have productive 'me time' and get off my medication. While we didn't eat a lot of rubbish I made a decision to choose even healthier options. I was also buoyed on by the powerful endorphin kick after each session. I continued to train (carefully) throughout my third pregnancy and I have set since some goals about what I'd like to achieve for myself in the coming months.
As much as possible I want to make sure I walk a few times a week - to and from school to collect my kids, watch my portion sizes and continue to train. A breastfeeding person can consume much more than a pregnant person and maintain an even weight but I have to ensure that I don't overfill my plate or have dessert out of habit.
Thankfully I'm feeling as good, if not better than I ever have. Mothering three kids isn't easy all the time but it can be a real joy a lot of the time. Managing all their needs takes commitment and I don't always get it right but, more than ever, I believe in myself. I know my limits and I know my strengths.
You might be reading this and thinking, like I once would have, that exercise isn't for you. In my opinion - exercise is for everyone. If we want to live longer, healthier lives we need to treat our bodies respectfully and one way is to keep active. I'm certainly not saying that all mental illnesses can be cured with exercise but it can't hurt, can it?
I'm wondering if there are people out there, reading this, who have been able to improve their mental health with exercise. The gist of the Exercise Challenge was what I'm trying to get across here - you don't have to make a big change to make a difference but once you do, you might just be surprised because your body will ask for more!
If you are struggling with post natal depression or any other form of depression can I suggest you seek help from your GP or contact
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'Closed Lid Position' mix for 10 sec/
Interval speed. Finish mixing with spatula by hand if necessary.
