“When my daughter was about a week old I was at the grocery store and a woman asked how old my baby was, I told her one week with a smile. Her response was “well you don’t look like you f***ing had a baby a week ago.” and turned and walked away from me. It hurts to be ostracized by…
-
-
Mothering the Mother, Part II: How Postpartum Care Helps Us Love Our Bodies
“A safe pregnancy is a human right for every woman regardless of race or income.” – Amnesty International “I have horrible [postpartum] stretch marks that I feel the need to cover and of course my breasts are nowhere near where I would like them to be.” – Courtney, Beauty Revealed Project. So here I am, sitting cross-legged with a computer…
-
Pregnancy After An Eating Disorder
I have tried to write this at least a dozen times. It never turns out the way I want. In the beginning I tried to approach it like an informative article, a place people could go to find facts, research and information… but I get caught up in my own experience, and it ends up a jumbled mess… No, I…
-
Mental Illness and Pregnancy
“I’ve debated telling this story. I’m afraid of being judged and perhaps even… yelled at. But my story is just as important as yours. My story is the one that no one talks about. My story is about being pregnant with a mental illness.” -B My story starts a good 10 years ago, when I was officially diagnosed with Borderline…
-
Infertility, Loss, Cesarean Birth, and PPD {A Mother’s Story of Two Births}
{Editor’s Note: This story comes to us from Rachel. This is the story of infertility, loss, and two Cesarean births – one which was not empowering, and a second that was positive and healing. This is also the story of two experiences with Postpartum Depression and the effects on bonding and motherhood.} My story starts almost five years ago, it…
-
The Magical Menstrual Cycle
{guest post by Samantha Bice} When did you first hear an explanation of your menstrual cycle? Apart from asking my mom or step mom what pads or tampons were upon seeing them in the cabinet, I don’t have a memory of an explanation until third grade. We all had to get a permission slip signed so that we could learn…
-
A Mother Fights Through PPD After Induction and Cesarean Birth
{Editors Note: This story comes to us from a strong young mother. When our births take a turn we did not expect, it can effect how we feel as mothers and women. Postpartum Depression is real. Mothers – you are not alone. Seek support and help in the best way possible to help you heal.} At nineteen, I found out…
-
From The Darkness Into The Light {A Story Of Postnatal Depression}
Here is my PND story. Well, the early days. If someone had sat me down and told me that the days and weeks following the birth of my baby were going to be harder than giving birth to a 4210g baby at home, drug-free, I’d have told them they were crazy and sent them on their way! We made it though…
-
“I figured this was just how things were supposed to be.” {A Story Of Postpartum Depression}
I know that postpartum depression isn’t something that people LOVE to talk about. It’s uncomfortable for so many reasons. Some people like to carry on as if it doesn’t exist and harass and insult women struggling with it. For some reason, there is an extra stigma attached to it. Having depression is ‘acceptable’ but having postpartum depression isn’t, apparently. People…