After having your sweet new baby, the last thing that you want to be dealing with is anxiety. This time is so sacred and sweet, how do you get back to enjoying your little one without medications? These 38 natural remedies for postpartum anxiety work even if your breastfeeding (which was really important to me.)
I will be the first to admit that dealing with anxiety after you’ve had a baby feels weird. It’s frustrating because all you want is to enjoy your precious little person, but you can’t stop worrying about everything.
My Story with Postpartum Anxiety
Before I share all the tips that helped me to work through my postpartum anxiety, I want to share my story. I think this will give you a bit of context and make you feel a little more normal!
With that being said, if you just need the tips, you can keep on scrolling!
After we brought my second daughter home from the NICU (read her diagnosis story here), I was paralyzed with fear. It felt like postpartum anxiety literally consumed me. I was willing to try ANYTHING to help quiet the noise in my head.
I’m currently 6 months postpartum and the anxiety is mostly gone. I will admit that I have episodes every now and again, but it rarely happens. My counselor says that this is completely normal and that what I experience is more like everyday stress and worry.
38 Natural Remedies for Postpartum Anxiety
At Bless Our Littles, we like to talk about things we love and think you might enjoy too. Some of the links on this page may be affiliate links (see disclosure here). This means we will receive a commission if you click on a link and make a purchase. This is no extra cost to you. There are some products we have tried and others that we haven’t but think would be helpful to you!
I hope this post gives you the confidence that you can heal your postpartum anxiety with natural remedies. It definitely takes a lot of work and isn’t an overnight fix, like medication is. BUT, I believe taking a holistic approach will help you get to the root of your anxiety versus putting a bandaid on the problem.
I also wanted to mention that I know how hard it can be (especially if you are a first time mom) to not worry about your baby. You can check out this article that I wrote about How to Stop Worrying About Your Baby... there are some really helpful tips!
With that being said, if these things don’t work for you…… Please don’t feel shame about getting the help you need. What’s most important is that you are the best version of yourself, so you can be the mother you were made to be!
Lastly, I am not a doctor, so it’s important that you run these by a medical professional before trying them. But these are the things I tried and helped me to calm my postpartum anxiety!
1. Earthley’s Calming Oil
I’m putting this first because I felt calmer within 30 minutes of taking it. Which I was beyond grateful for.
There are 2 different ways you can purchase this oil. One with CBD and one without. I opted for the one without it, since I couldn’t find too much research on using it while breastfeeding.
BUT, Earthley says that it is breastfeeding and pregnancy safe!
2. Pink Stork Postpartum Mood Support
I love Pink Stork and their mission behind creating products for women! With that being said, I haven’t tried the mood support supplement but I have had TONS of moms in the Bless Our Littles Community rave about it.
What I like is that it includes everything you need to balance your hormones, which is key to getting your mood to stabilize.
3. Try Essential Oils
I’ve never been huge into essential oils, but they’ve always been my go-to when I’m struggling with anxiety. Hands down, my favorite is lavender… I diffuse this and put it on topically!
When I purchased Earthley’s Calming Oil, I decided to give their Calming Essential Oil blend a try to. I love the smell (which is really just a bonus). But, I find that this really does take my anxiety down a notch.
Here are some other common essential oils that are known to reduce anxiety and are breastfeeding safe: Lavender, jasmine, yin-ylang, sandlewood, rose, bergamot
4. Magnesium Bath
During my last trimester, I took a magnesium bath every night. It kept my swelling down and it really helped me to relax. My chiropractor actually recommended it to me!
But after bringing home my daughter from the NICU, I didn’t make time for baths anymore. I noticed a HUGE difference when I started to take them again. Either way, taking a bath can’t hurt!
5. Magnesium Supplement
While we are talking about Magnesium, you may want to try a supplement as well. My chiropractor informed me that most of us are deficient.
I did a little research myself and found this article to be really helpful!
6. Bodywork Massage / Fascia
This was recommended to me by Kori Meloy who created the Freely Rooted Course (a guide to pro-metabolic eating). I am in her Freely Rooted Facebook group and she recommended I try bodywork and Fascia.
Truthfully I had no idea what this was, but THIS GAVE ME SO MUCH RELIEF.
If you haven’t heard of it you can read more about Fascia and Bodywork Here.
7. Chiropractor
Our nervous system is one fo the key factors in how we regulate our mood. I actually started chiropractic care during pregnancy and had such wonderful results that I continued on through postpartum.
The key is finding a Chiropractor that specializes in pregnancy and postpartum care. They use a technique called Websters that is gentle and really effective. You can read more about that here.
8. Acupuncture
I have a friend that swears by acupuncture to help release anxiety! How this works is it gets your “happy hormones” working which will in turn decrease stress. You can read all about how acupuncture helps anxiety here.
9. Tapping
This is something you can actually try right now. I’ve linked this quick 3 minute video below, so you can give this technique a try!
10. Adrenal Cocktail
If you follow me on Instagram, you know how much I LOVE my daily adrenal cocktail. This is something that’s really popular in the pro-metabolic space. But, I’ve seen such a difference in my mood and energy after consistently drinking this!
I’m going to link this article here that talks all about the benefits of having adrenal cocktails along with some recipes!
11. Collagen
This is going to piggy-back off of the adrenal cocktail, but collagen can also be a mood booster thanks to all of it’s minerals and such. I like to add mine to an adrenal cocktail, but you can easily add it into smoothies and other drinks as well!
I found this article helpful in understanding the benefits of collagen for anxiety!
12. Yolky Latte
You probably read this and went “huh?” I did too the first time I saw it.
But I started drinking these, thanks to Noelle Kovaray on Instagram. Here is a link to her raw eggs highlight and yolky latte recipe.
13. Eat More Carrots
When I began implementing a more pro-metabolic lifestyle, eating a raw carrots became a part of my everyday life. In short, the fibers in carrots help to eliminate toxins that are in our intestines. This leads to a healthier liver… which helps our bodies to function better. (You can read more about the raw carrot salad here)
This will not be an overnight fix, but this will help your body to be under less… which lowers cortisol… which helps to lower your anxiety!
14. Eat Enough Calories
This was suggested to me by a friend who also lives a pro-metaboic lifestyle. I honestly thought I was eating plenty and it turns out, 1,800 calories isn’t enough. On the days when I can eat 2,000-2,400 calories… I feel significantly less stressed.
I know this seems silly and kind of crazy, but it helped my mood SO much. I highly recommend doing this, especially if you are breastfeeding.
This leads me to my next tip….
15. Eat Frequently
Now that you know you need to eat more calories, this means you will need to eat more often. I found that eating every 2-3 hours kept my body feeling energized.
I know this can be tricky, especially when all your time is spent taking care of your new baby. Try making yourself a snack basket! I had one in the refrigerator and one on the counter that I could quickly pull from.
Make sure these snacks require no prep and are easy to grab! Here are some Postpartum Snack ideas that I really enjoyed.
[Check Out some of my FAVORITE Postpartum Meal Ideas]
16. Eat Within 1 Hour of Waking
I wanted to be a little more specific because I found that I was less anxious during postpartum when I ate a healthy breakfast. Make sure you do this within one hour of waking…. and no you can’t make coffee your breakfast 😉
Pin this Image to Your Pinterest Board, so you don’t lose it!
17. Get Rid of PUFAS
If you haven’t heard, Polyunsaturated Fats… cause inflammation. Keeping these relatively low is going to help your body heal and be under a lot less stress.
I was surprised to find that there were a lot of PUFAS in the foods I was eating. Here is a great resource on which oils are which.
18. Adding Omega 3s
Studies have shown that adding Omega 3s to your diet can decrease your anxiety. This is another safe supplement you could add to your daily routine.
If you don’t want to buy, yet another, supplement, you could try eating foods that are high in Omega 3s!
19. Herbs
In my desperate seach for a natural cure for postpartum anxiety, I stumbled on Dr. Emily Lesnak and her herbal remedy suggestions.
- Skullcap
- Passiflora Incarnata
- Eleuthro
- Ashwagandha
I personally couldn’t find enough studies to back these up, but if you are working with a Naturpath I would ask them about it!You can read her full article Here.
20. Chamomile Tea
I love Chamomile Tea, so this was a really easy thing to add to my daily life. I recommend getting a high quality loose leaf tea. I was pleasantly surprised by how much stronger and effective organic loose leaf tea was in comparison to pre-bagged.
I felt comfortable sipping on this a couple of times a day! Even if it doesn’t help with your anxiety, it will help to restore some of the lost minerals from pregnancy and birth.
[Check out my favorite 65 Natural Remedies for Postpartum Healing]
21. Red Raspberry Leaf Tea
One day, I noticed a huge mood shift after drinking some Red Rasberry Leaf Tea. After that, I continued drinking it because it seemed to be helping. I have no studies or sience to back this one up, but it helped so I thought I would share.
My theroy is that I was lacking certain minerals! Which leads me to my next tip….
22. Mineral Deficiency
I became really curious as to why my mood, anxiety, and energy would drastically change from day to day. When I started researching this, mineral deficiency seemed to be what each of these symptoms pointed to.
I’ve listened to a bunch of podcasts, but one that really helped me understand that my postpartum anxiety was rooted in mineral deficiency was this Episode by the Hormone Healing RD.
During my pregnancy, I added trace minerals to my water and began taking more Vitamin D. But after my daughter was in the NICU, I kind of fell off the wagon. A few days after I started adding these back in to my diet, I noticed a boost in my mood!
If you want to get to the root of your imbalance, I recommend getting a HTMA test done. This can tell you everything about your health!
23. Counseling
I wish more moms knew how beneficial counseling could be. Having someone listen to all of your worries and anxieties is so helpful. Not to mention they have tools and resources that can help you to navigate postpartum a little easier.
I’ve been going to counseling for over 6 years and I will never stop. It’s changed and shaped me in ways that I will be forever grateful for.
24. Mindfulness
My counselor recommended this.. and I totally rolled my eyes too. But it doesn’t have to be sitting down and meditating for 10 minutes (truthfully as a mom of 2, I don’t have time for that!).
Mindfulness can be as simple as taking a few deep breaths before starting the dishes. Maybe even just noticing and acknowledging that you are doing the dishes.
I found this article really helpful as I began exploring how to use mindfulness in motherhood.
25. Mindset
Changing how you think can radically improve your postpartum anxiety. This can be done along with counseling, but I will forewarn you, it does take quite a bit of work… but it’s so worth it!
Do you find yourself saying “I’m anxious”? I did too… and sometimes still do!
What I learned from Tessa Romero (You kind find her over on Instagram!), was that saying “I’m anxious” makes your mind look for all the ways you are anxious. Instead try catching the thought and saying “No, I’m feeling anxious.”
26. Prayer Journal
If I’m being honest with you, I struggled with prayer when I was anxious. It felt like I couldn’t sit down and be with my own thoughts or they might spiral out of control. I’ve learned that this is just the devil’s way of keeping us from having a relationship with God.
I found that prayer journaling kept my hands busy and helped me to process through many of the anxious thoughts!
[Need some verses to pray over during Postpartum? Here are 13 of my favorites!]
27. Grounding/Earthing
Another simple trick to try is grounding (or earthing). All you need to do is walk around outside barefoot.
I love doing this in our backyard as I’m gardening. Connecting to the earth is so calming and beautiful.
28. Walking
Ever since I can remember, taking a walk has helped me to calm my anxiety. This was something my counselor encouraged me to start doing once I was feeling up to it.
Notice how I didn’t suggest working out, that might add more stress to your body at this point… and that’s the last thing you need!
29. Nature Bathing
This sounds “woo-woo” doesn’t it? I thought the same thing at first!!
But I started incorporating nature bathing and walking together…. which worked beautifully together.
Essentially, you want to immerse yourself in nature. Take in every sight and sound. Notice the little details of God’s creation.
It’s amazing how much gratitude I felt the more I did this. I even found myself praying and praising God for creating such a beautiful and wonderful earth!
30. Sunlight
While we are on the topic of nature, sunlight is another awesome way to boost your mood and lower your stress levels. We all know that natural vitamin D is the best!
My midwife recommended sitting outside for 15-20 minutes a day to get all the benefits of the sun! It’s winter here right now, so I don’t always get to do this…. BUT I do take a walk when it’s warm enough. Sometimes I love to just notice what it feels like as the sun hits my face.
31. Slow Down
When your head is spinning with postpartum anxiety, all you want is for everything to slow down. But how?
Find space to slow down in your every day life. For instance, instead of rushing through a diaper change, notice your baby’s chunky rolls or maybe tickle their little toes.
I found that I was rushing through dishes and running frantically around the house to get all the chores done. So, I started slowing all of this down. It sounds counterintuitive I know!
32. Focus on Sleep
THERE IS NO WAY THIS IS POSSIBLE. This is what I told my counselor. But she reassured me there was a way.
Since I also had a toddler, I thought this was impossible… but I found that allowing her to have a little screen time or sleeping when they were both napping was a priority. I had to let go of the messy house and focus on sleep… this really helped calm my anxiety.
33. Beef Liver
If you are taking a prenatal, many moms replace it with beef liver! It’s known as nature’s vitamin.
I started taking it and noticed I felt much better! I would recommend buying a high-quality beef liver capsule, so it’s easy. (Ancestral Supplements is one of my favorite brands!)
34. Turmeric
There are so many moms that have SWORN by turmeric for postpartum anxiety. You will want to get a capsule because the spice will not be potent enough. You can read this article here for more information!
35. Castor Oil Packs
This may seem like an old fashioned remedy, but it really works!! Castor oil has so many wonderful uses, but using it as a pack can help your body detoxify and get rid of toxins, so you can lower stress and get rid of anxiety!
Check out this video, it was really helpful in teaching how to use the pack and what you will need!
36. Milkmoon “No Worries”
A few moms on my Instagram recommended this! My anxiety improved before I had the chance to try it, but I’ve heard it’s amazing.
This tincture actually includes both Skullcap and Passiflora Incarnata, which I mentioned earlier! It’s definitely worth a try.
37. Limit Blue Light Exposure
Did you know that simply changing your lightbulbs to a warmer color can improve your mood? I didn’t think it would, BUT this made a huge difference for our entire family.
I also started wearing my blue light glasses for about an hour before bed….. and I found that I was sleeping a ton better too!
This article has a lot of good information about blue light exposure and it’s link to anxiety!
How can I calm my anxiety after having a baby?
The most effective way to calm your anxiety after having a baby is to find ways to calm down your nervous system. This means you will need to find mental, emotional, and physical ways to allow your body to calm down.
This took my body about 5 months to get into a good rhythm after we came home from the NICU. Every week I noticed small differences in how I felt physically and emotionally.
I have done a mixture of almost EVERYTHING on this list. It first it feels overwhelming.. I totally get it. But as I started to incorporate all of these natural remedies, I noticed my body began to heal.
The most helpful things I did to help with postpartum anxiety were bodywork massage, counseling, chiropractor, eating enough calories, drinking daily adrenal cocktails, and ensuring I’m getting enough vitamins and minerals. When I start to have a flair-up, my first go-to is chamomile tea followed by Earthley’s anxiety calm oil and essential oil roller.
How long can you have postpartum anxiety?
Postpartum anxiety isn’t something that lasts forever. It’s important to be proactive as soon as you start to notice worry. Sometimes, moms will leave it untreated and it doesn’t get better.
The good news is that since you are reading this, you know you have postpartum anxiety which means you are already on the road to recovery!
My thoughts…
Being consumed by constant worry is the last thing you want to be doing right now. But it’s, important to remember that your body is still healing from pregnancy and birth…. That means we need to nourish our bodies and not worry about “bouncing back.”
As you start to implement these natural remedies for postpartum anxiety, you will find yourself enjoying your precious little baby more and more each day!
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