Postpartum Depression And Anxiety Was My Painful Secret

I didn’t see postpartum depression and anxiety as an illness (which it is), but as a personal failure-something that didn’t happen to truly “good mums.”

I waited too long, until about four-months postpartum, to finally find a counselor. I’m so glad I did. I told the people closest to me what I’d been dealing with and was met with nothing but love and support. I rearranged my work schedule so I could be home more and have a better balance between the “old me” and the “new me,” which really helped. I also starting reaching out to other new mums. Spending time with other women in the trenches has been so life-giving. And I started taking medication, which was the right choice for me. It took nearly six months for the fog to begin lifting, and while I’m still on this journey of overcoming, I can honestly say that I adore parenthood. I’m incredibly happy, and I feel like I can cope with the challenges of this new season of life.

If this is where you’re at right now, know this: You are not alone. Being a parent is the hardest thing in the world, but you are a great mum who is doing a great job. It gets easier. I repeat, it gets easier. You figure it out, you get in a groove, and you understand your baby better. They stop screaming for no reason at all. And it really does become fun. You will feel like a human again. You will have date nights and good sex again. You will sleep again. You are not alone.

Mums with postpartum anxiety and depression are great mums who love fiercely, feel deeply, and maybe think a little too much. They are heroes for getting out of bed every day. So if this is you, don’t be afraid to get help. If you broke your leg and refused to go to the doctor because you thought that broken bone was a personal failure and you just needed to “walk it off” and live with the pain, that would be bonkers. Postpartum mood disorders are an illness like any other, and they need treatment to heal.

You are going to be OK. You are loved. You truly are a wonderful mom.

For more information, visit www.postpartumprogress.com.


Kimberly Poovey is a writer, speaker, wife, and over-caffeinated new(ish) mom. She runs a teen pregnancy prevention program for a nonprofit and is a founder of Pearls, an organization that serves women in the sex industry and fights human trafficking. You can find her over on Scary MommyThe Mightyher blog, and on Facebook.

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