This post has been sponsored by PlaytexBaby™, however all the opinions expressed below are my 100% true and honest opinions. #PlaytexMoms #ForBetterBeginnings
It’s been a little over 2 years since I became a mom. Those days when I had my little newborn will stay with me forever; it was the most amazing experience. I can admit it was also one of the roughest times, even though you think you have prepared yourself, you read all the books, you bought all the things but nothing could prepare you for the overwhelming amount of emotions that have been so abruptly thrusted upon you. No one really warned me about it, and then I learned it isn’t until very recently that moms started to open up about it. This is how I learned how to navigate through all the new mom emotions and struggles which led me to start writing. I want to say a special thank you to PlaytexBaby™ for allowing me to write freely and openly for the #ForBetterBeginnings campaign!
The first two weeks after I had Mila bear, I felt so bipolar. I would be so happy one minute, sad the next and I would feel guilty for being sad. I had this beautiful little baby; what did I have to be sad about? I had a husband that helped with pretty much everything and I couldn’t really move without being in pain (which made me feel even more guilty). One thing that I really couldn’t shake was the guilt I had from not being able to breastfeed, and at the time I couldn’t afford a breast pump or was educated enough on how to get a free pump through my insurance. All of those things, paired with the fact that I didn’t know how or who to talk to about all my feelings, bottling it all up inside, developed into postpartum depression. The first two weeks after your baby is born you may have mood swings, trouble sleeping (not because baby is keeping you up all night), a sense of hopelessness & irritability. It’s called the Baby Blues. Talking to your doctor is the first step in preventing the baby blues developing into postpartum depression.
After going through what I felt was a nightmare delivery, I felt like I couldn’t talk to my doctor but I didn’t switch for some reason. I made myself get up every day and take a walk with Mila because it would prevent me from laying down all day and Jeff made an extra effort on the weekends to make sure he had something planned for us so we wouldn’t be stuck at home. After creating a safety net of people I could turn to when I felt like I needed help and actively doing things outside of the house as a family, I felt like I wasn’t so far in this rut that I felt like I was in the beginning. I wish that more people were open about the lows of motherhood & parenting, because it’s not all highs. Yes, it is one of the most rewarding things on this planet, but if we can’t talk openly about what we’re going through emotionally then we can’t be our very best version of ourselves for our children, because that’s what they deserve.
If you’re ever in need and have no one to talk to don’t ever hesitate to email me!
If you’ve gone through PPD, what are some things that helped you get through it?
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