There was a young mom sitting in the crisp fall air reflecting on how much her world had changed during the last five years. As she watched puffy white clouds move across the blue sky, she could only hold in the tears for so long. How had she gone from a happy, cheerful newlywed to a tired, worn-out mom of three in such a short amount of time?
The Beginning
When she heard the words she had been waiting for, it was such a happy day. Her husband came home and told her, “Happy Anniversary! I think it is time to start trying to have a baby.” It was magical and exciting to go through the experience of a human being actually growing inside of her. They decided that having babies 18 months apart would help foster the closeness they wanted for their children. So 18 months later, along came baby #2. She managed her life day-to-day, even though her husband was always working and being a stay-at-home mom gave her no time outs. Then one day, she realized there was another one on the way. How would she do it? There would be more babies than hands.
After baby #3, she became more and more depressed. She pushed through sleepless nights but didn’t know how she would go on. Her body was tired and worn out. Doctors hadn’t warned her that every pregnancy breaks down a mom's body and that body needs time between babies to heal. Being pregnant three times in that many years had totally destroyed her body. Her mind was no better, going to the worst-case scenario, and her anxiety levels were beyond compare. What could she do? Was there even anything TO do?
That’s when her husband came to her and shared his concerns about her change in happiness levels. Could she talk to someone? She needed to talk to someone. He wasn't enough anymore. He knew this, and she knew it too. She reached out to her doctors. With her husband at her side, she went to an appointment. They did all the tests and talked for an hour. This was when the doctor said the words she had needed to hear: post-partum depression.
All she could think was, “There really is something wrong with me!” It was a tremendous relief but scary at the same time. How would people react? Should she keep it a secret? Was there a “cure”?
Her Life Today
This is my story. There is no specific cure for post-partum depression and most continue to feel it is taboo, but I can tell you there is hope.
I believe it is time for people to come forward and share their experiences with this awful disease. I personally have been going through this for more than six years. It was the most exhausting time of my life, and now I feel like if sharing my story helps one person come forward and say, “This is me!,” then I’ve helped. I have struggled for years with depression and anxiety that got worse after each baby.
You are not alone! Please seek the help you need. I still have good days and bad days, but now the good days outweigh the bad. This is my story, and I hope it helps you.
