Postpartum Life
My Experience with Postpartum Depression
By Oriana Montez
May 6th, 2021
Not enough people talk about what postpartum really is. Yes, there are "baby blues", but Postpartum Depression is a whole different type of animal. I waited my entire life for the day I would hold my son and then the day came to bring him home after having a traumatic birth.
I left the hospital not feeling as excited as I hoped I would. Instead I felt sad and scared. I felt alone, anxious, overwhelmed, depressed and cried when we got home. Over the weeks I felt more saddened than anything. Not about my beautiful baby but for myself. I fell into the role of being a mom and a mom only, I lost myself.
I would look in the mirror and see a blank empty face staring back at me. I felt exhausted, I would cry alone for no reason at all. Days would turn into weeks where I wasn't showering or taking care of myself. And the scariest part was I felt better not taking care of myself than trying to. It was easier to just be sad and depressed and hope it would pass than to try to fix the problem. I knew there was a problem, but I couldn't bring myself to getting help. I became so used to being depressed and constantly crying that the idea of feeling better and happy was daunting. It took me 8 months before I hit a breaking point when I finally realized I needed help and took action to get it. I didn't get help for anyone else, I did it for myself.
The Importance of a Support System
By Kimberly Peters
Feb 8th, 2021
Adjusting to changes in our lives can be fearful at times, but it is needful. The most important thing I learned during the postpartum period was the necessity of having help. After we took our newborn home, my husband was both my coach and our caretaker. He took on the brunt of the house work and cared for our son as I rested. Once I recovered, we became tag-team parents that helped, supported and encouraged each other as we took turns taking care of our son and ourselves. Although we had support from family members and friends at times, for the most part, it was just the two of us and our little angel. As the months of that first year past, we got more equipped and more adjusted to life with a baby. By our son’s first birthday, we could trace our growth and development as new parents, and how far we had advanced. It was both empowering and exciting.
Adding new members to any family is a huge adjustment. Having at least one person to help you cope with your new child truly aids in your happiness, health and sanity. I know it did for me.