Research shows that over 75% of new mothers experience stress, anxiety, and depression after delivery. Among them, 15% of new mothers develop a more severe depression, known as postpartum depression.
A growing body of research evidence highlights that one in a thousand women develop a more severe and long-lasting health condition called postpartum psychosis. Whether it is a women’s first-time motherhood or her third, feeling anxious is a common emotion during this time.
A dramatic drop in estrogen and progesterone hormones after childbirth can also contribute to stress and depression. Some hormones in your thyroid gland drop significantly, which causes you to feel depressed, tired, and exhausted. Studies show that hormonal changes after childbirth can lead to emotional issues in some women.
Thanks to modern, cutting-edge technology, mental health apps can help new mothers overcome feelings of anxiousness and depression. It is crucial to choose the right app that fulfills your needs. Otherwise, it is a waste of time and money. Read on!
1. Calm
Calm is one of the best apps for anxious new mothers. As the name indicates, Calm help new mother learn different relaxation techniques to overcome stress, depression, and anxiety. The app offers a wide range of features, such as classes to improve creativity and adopt holistic health approaches.
Calm offers meditation techniques, yoga poses, stretching videos, and sounds that help a new mother sleep properly. The app has also incorporated methods and techniques that help boost self-care, self-esteem, and confidence. This app’s cost is $12.99 per month or $59.99 per year, and it is available on Google PlayStore and AppStore.
2. Headspace
Hundreds of research studies have highlighted the benefits of meditation for relieving stress, depression, and anxiety for new mothers. Meditation, mindfulness, and deep breathing are holistic health methods that can change a new mother’s reaction to negative feelings and emotions.
That’s the reason most healthcare professionals recommend the Headspace app to new mothers. The app allows a new mother to learn skills of meditation, deep breathing, and mindfulness.
As a result, she reduces stress, overcomes anxiety, and improves sleep. “Sleep Casts” is one of Headspace’s best features that soothes your mind and tranquil your heart. Likewise, you can use “SOS” meditation to stop panic attacks. It costs $12.99 per month and is available on AppStore and Google PlayStore.
3. Happify
Happify is an app designed specifically for new mothers by world-renowned psychologists. The app has incorporated cognitive therapy practices and mindfulness meditation techniques to help new mothers eliminate negative thoughts and promote feelings of joy and happiness.
Happify also helps ease stress, depression, and anxiety. It offers a wide range of exercises that you can do at home. All exercises included in the app comes with tutorials and instructions. The app developers say that these exercises increase blood flow to the brain.
As a result, the brain releases certain chemicals, such as serotonin, dopamine, and endorphins. Serotonin and dopamine reduce cortisol levels and produce analgesic effects. At the same time, endorphins suppress pain in any part of the body that causes stress.
The app likewise offers games and activities, which can boost your mood instantly. Although the app is free to download, you can buy a premium version, called Happify Plus, which costs $14.99 per month. It is available on Google PlayStore and AppStore.
4. Sound Sleeper
Improper sleep is one of the leading contributors to postpartum depression. It is crucial to address sleep problems during postpartum care. Otherwise, it can complicate your life after delivery and pose new challenges that are even harder to overcome. A well-rested mother can help her focus on managing depression and pay more attention to her child.
That’s where Sound Sleeper comes in, a high-quality app design for new mothers to promote sleep. Not only does the app allows a new mother to sleep properly, but it also contains certain features that help the baby sleep safe and sound. Sound Sleeper is an excellent app recommended for new mothers who have stress-related insomnia.
The app offers a wide variety of soothing lullabies and white noise sounds to create a relaxing ambiance in the bedroom or newborn’s nursery. Besides, you can use this app to track sleep progress. The most interesting thing about Sound Sleeper is that it is free to download on AppStore and Google PlayStore.
5. What’s Up
Finally, What’s UP is the best app for new mothers who want to develop long-term anxiety controlling strategies. The app addresses stress, depression, anxiety, insomnia, and other mental health conditions.
What’s Up is based on a variety of cognitive-behavioral therapies arranged in different sections for new mothers. Therefore, you go step-by-step and achieve each milestone to relieve stress and anxiety.
The interesting thing about What’s Up is that it offers tailored solutions to your individual needs. It provides detailed information on different mental conditions, distraction games, mindfulness meditation, and breathing techniques.
The “Personal” section is the best feature of What’s Up that enables you to track your progress. That way, you can determine whether or not your condition is improving. Besides, you can log negative thoughts and related them to certain events. Thus, you identify certain patterns and understand triggering points that cause stress and anxiousness. What’s Up is a free app!
Final Words
As mentioned earlier, more than 75% of women experience “baby blues,” including mood swings, anxiety, stress, and depression. The condition usually lasts for two weeks, but if it persists, it leads to a mental illness called postpartum depression.
The apps reviewed above can help you face your fear and apprehensions, especially when dealing with panic, anxiety, and insomnia. Each app has its own unique features and tools that follow a different approach. However, the ultimate goal is to reduce stress.
It is crucial to choose an app that best fits your needs. We recommend you to try the free versions before purchasing the premium ones. Lastly, we believe you can manage your anxious behavior with these five best helpful apps. Good Luck!
