food, diets and depression

Have you thought about some other things to do to comfort yourself other than eat? Make a list of all the alternatives you can think of, and start with that. If the comfort eating is making you feel even worse, you must stop it. It doesn't benefit you in any way--it only has costs. It is a hard choice to make, to stop eating for comfort, especially when that is what you are used to doing. Instead of promising yourself that you'll stop comfort eating completely, just try one alternative for one time when you would comfort eat. Do something different for just one session. See how it goes. Go for a walk, call a close friend--that is what friends are for. Read a trashy novel. Finally, don't be afraid of what you are feeling. Allow yourself to feel it. It may not be pleasant, but feeling those feelings you're trying to numb with comfort eating is important. The only way to learn you can cope with them is to feel them. And you can cope with them. Does what you're trying to numb really feel worse than what you feel after you comfort eat?

My mom is a breastfeeding coordinator at the hospital where she works. When I can reach her I'll ask about breastfeeding vs. depression in what is better for the baby. Given I've had my own bouts with depression, and the way I react to everybody, even those I care about, I wonder if the nurse might be right. You may not realize how your depression is affecting the way you interact with your baby or what she is picking up from how you feel. But ultimately, the decision is yours. The nurse shouldn't have tried to guilt you into it. She should have stated her concerns better than it sounds like she did. Whatever decision you come to, I hope it is one that you can come to freely, having weighed the pros and cons of each option, and feel at peace with your decision. Good luck.

I've had problems with bouts of depression too but I hate taking drugs. I'm actually trying acupuncture soon to see how that works. It sounds crazy, I know, but I did a lot of research on it and there are published meta-analyses in medical journals noting that it works for many people for depression. Just an idea as an alternative to the drugs. I haven't tried it yet, but we'll see how it goes.
Also for the breast milk, I think the comment above is correct, that as long as you have breast fed for a bit, your daughter has gained those benefits (mainly immunity benefits I think). Good luck!

I'm shocked, nurses normally want you to kill yourself before giving up breast feeding. I am in the same situation and excersise really helps. I have been told a number of times excersise is the best anti depressant! I agree, it helps me a lot.