Coleen Garcia opens up about her motherhood journey and her struggles with postpartum anxiety.
What can you read in this article?
- Coleen Garcia’s postpartum journey
- Symptoms of postpartum anxiety
- Tips on how to overcome anxiety as a mom
As mothers, we all struggle with insecurities. We wonder if what we’re doing for our child is enough, or if we’re ever good enough as a mom. We worry about our children almost 24/7. It’s part of motherhood and no mom is spared from this, even celebrities. One example is celebrity mom and actress Coleen Garcia.
Last Mother’s Day, May 9, Coleen uploaded a vlog on their YouTube channel entitled “My Postpartum Journey.”
Coleen gave birth to her son, Amari last September.
Coleen Garcia’s postpartum journey
In her vlog, Coleen wanted to share a raw and authentic view of motherhood. She even began by apologizing for her look because she had just put 7-month old Amari to bed and hadn’t even showered yet.
“Pasensya na if I look tired and haggard, it’s because I am,” she says (we can definitely relate to that, and TBH, she still looked gorgeous sans makeup).
The new mom wanted to talk about her journey and experience with the hope that other moms would realize that they are not alone with what they’re going through.
“It’s only been seven months, but I feel like I’ve grown and been stretched in many different ways,” Coleen said.
She talked about giving birth as one of the most beautiful things she has ever experienced, and feeling like she was at her most vulnerable but most empowered state. “Never have I ever felt so weak and so strong at the same time,” she added.
Of course, she gushed about the undeniable love she felt for her baby. “I have never felt a love like this and I have never felt a connection like this, and it’s just the most amazing thing ever,” Coleen shared.
Image from Coleen Garcia’s Instagram account
The new mom also shared about her struggles with labor and breastfeeding. “I knew all of that was hard and I was expecting that already, but what I didn’t expect was all of it happening at the same time,” she confessed.
Coleen also spoke about per postpartum woes. “Imagine, you’re trying to recover from childbirth, but at the same time, kailangan mo nang alagaan iyong bata. In the time that you thought you would be recovering, you’re actually not sleeping. You’re excited, you’re anxious and you’re just clueless,” shared the actress.
“No matter how much I try, I wasn’t doing good enough…,” Coleen added.
What no one warned her about – postpartum anxiety
One of the topics that Coleen talked about in her vlog is one of the things that a lot of first-time moms go through after giving birth, but has not been talked about much – postpartum anxiety.
“I wouldn’t say I had postpartum depression, but there is something that nobody talked to me about, and I only realized what it was in one of my mom groups when somebody opened up about it way after I gave birth, and that is postpartum anxiety.”
Coleen shared that before she even got pregnant, she already had anxiety. Her easy pregnancy allowed her to stop thinking about the things that worried her, however, the anxiety came back as soon as she gave birth and had her son to take care of.
“It’s different ‘pag andyan na talaga ‘yong baby. I am a worrywart, so that has been my struggle.” she said.
Coleen experienced instances where she would be so anxious about things related to taking care of her newborn, that it would take its toll on her body.
“My mind takes me to places na hindi na talaga normal, honestly, and I would get so nervous, so stressed and so anxious over nothing. And it would get me drained – physically and mentally.” she shared.
She confessed that she felt tired every day because her mind was racing thinking of things that seemed highly unlikely to happen.
“Ang dami kong iniisip na parang imposible namang mangyari. My mind just comes up with different scenarios na, sa totoo lang, masasabi mong praning na talaga.” she revealed.
The young mom shared that people warned her about postpartum depression, and she felt that she was able to overcome it, but she really had a hard time dealing with postpartum anxiety. Part of it also stemming from her own insecurities of feeling not good enough.
“When you just really want to be so good at something, and you just want to do so well, the feeling of insecurity does come in every now and then,” shared Coleen.
Coleen’s husband, Billy Crawford also appeared towards the end of the vlog to affirm what his wife talked about.
“Postpartum anxiety, depression, everything that women say they go through, believe it. It’s 150 percent real,” he said.
Image from Coleen Garcia’s Instagram account
Symptoms of postpartum anxiety
What Coleen shared about being so worried and thinking of different scenarios that keeps her up at night are symptoms of having postpartum anxiety.
While it’s normal to worry about your child after giving birth, it’s a different thing when you’re feeling on edge all the time. Postpartum anxiety is described as an irrational fear or exaggerated worry that something is wrong, usually related to caring for the baby but is not based on any real problem or threat.
Some of the symptoms of postpartum anxiety are the following:
- constant or near-constant worry that can’t be controlled
- feeling apprehensive about things you fear will happen
- sleep disruption (while sleep deprivation may be common in parents of newborns, sleep disruption caused by anxiety means having trouble sleeping even when your baby is sleeping peacefully)
- racing thoughts (you can’t stop thinking about something)
Like Coleen mentioned, having anxiety can take a toll on your body. Here are other physical symptoms of postpartum anxiety:
- fatigue or extreme tiredness
- heart palpitations
- hyperventilation
- excessive sweating
- nausea or vomiting
- shakiness or trembling
Women who had anxiety even before pregnancy, those who have a family history of anxiety, or mothers who had a traumatic experience with miscarriage or loss of a child are at a higher risk of postpartum anxiety.
READ MORE:
Vlogger Camille Co opens up about her ‘breaking point’ while taking care of her newborn
Laging kinakabahan at nag-aalala – normal ba o may anxiety ka na?
Coleen Garcia to Baby Amari: “Nakakaiba ng mood when he’s around.”
Tips on how to overcome anxiety as a mom
It’s important to go to your postpartum checkup with your OB-Gynecologist so she can gauge if you’re experiencing postpartum depression or anxiety. Or if you’re experiencing the symptoms mentioned above, best to check in with your doctor so she can refer you to a mental health specialist and advise you on the proper treatment.
However, there are some certain activities that you can do at home (Coleen even mentioned some of these tips in her vlog) to help you manage your anxiety while taking care of your baby:
Coleen shared that light exercise has always been a huge stress reliever for her. Exercise reduces stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline that cause anxiety.
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Mindfulness and relaxation techniques
Let anxious thoughts pass through your mind, but always go back to your center and focus on what is happening at the moment.
Of course, you can have goals, but quit trying to prove yourself to other people.” Coleen shared. “Embrace things for what it is and accept that you can’t always change things or be in control. You may not be the best, and you know what? You don’t have to be.” she added.
Image from Coleen Garcia’s Instagram account
“Strengthen your relationship with your partner and seek help when needed,” shared Coleen. She confessed that she initially wanted to do everything by herself. But she realized that is making her lose time for herself, her partner, and other things.
During the pandemic, what helped Coleen was joining mom groups and seeking the advice of other mothers. “I learned that you can benefit from the wisdom, expertise, and experiences of other moms out there, so be open to that. It can be golden.” she shared.
“Protect your peace,” said Coleen. When you’re a young mom or a new mom, there will always be comments and unsolicited advice coming from all places. But at the end of the day, you’re the only one who has control on what affects you and your family and you have the last say on how to take care of your child.
Coleen’s final thoughts on anxiety:
“You’re never going to be perfect, and you just have to accept that you’re going to make mistakes. So give yourself grace.”
We’re with you on that, Mommy Coleen! We admire your honesty in sharing about this topic!
If you’re often feeling intense emotions and anxiety two weeks after giving birth, it’s best to get in touch with your doctor so you can be screened for a postpartum mood disorder.
