Baby Blues

The journey into motherhood has been a whirlwind of many emotions and sentiments. It has been a blessing and miracle all in one. It has been terrifying and also exhausting. During my prenatal period with my second child the baby blues has hit me hard. I have a beautiful one year old daughter who was born prematurely due to me developing pre-eclampsia. That experience in itself was chaotic, but out of it came a strong willed, courageous, persistent and independent little girl. Now, my husband and I are on to baby number two and pretty soon after my first. That being said...emotionally I have been in a rut. In a rut trying to be a new wife, mother and also figure out who I am as this new and improved women. I can tell you that, wifehood and motherhood is nothing like how it gets depicted on television. There are women who suffer with mental and emotional battles. Women who are trying to hold down the home, when in reality it looks more like a war zone...

"According to the Centers for Disease Control, 11 to 20% of women who give birth each year have postpartum depression symptoms. If you settled on an average of 15% of four million live births in the US annually, this would mean approximately 600,000 women get PPD each year in the United States alone."

I do not recall ever being depressed before. I have had moments of sadness, doubts and worries but those feelings have never lasted long enough for me to think of it as depression. With this pregnancy and the end of my first pregnancy I think the baby blues has hit me. Adjusting to being a new wife and mother at the same time can be overwhelming. All the ideas and expectations I envisioned about being a wife and mother seem even more unattainable as I am actually experiencing it. I am learning to release my plans, expectations and ideas and allowing God to show me His will and His way. The process is slow and sometimes I just feel as if I cannot go on, but then there is always a glimpse of Hope that this too shall pass. Emotions and feelings are fleeting and change in an instant. As of now my journey to overcoming the baby blues is in the beginning stages. Just today I was crying out about how overwhelmed I am and how hard being a mother can be at times. I am fortunate to have a tribe of people who are willing and available to help me through this journey. However I am oftentimes quiet and keep my inner struggles to myself, but God did not create us to experience life on our own so I have to push past  my embarrassment, shame and guilt often to receive the help and hope that I need...my HOPE is that you will also embark upon your own journey to overcoming the baby blues and depression. You are not alone...

According to postpartumprogress "Only 15% of women with postpartum depression ever receive professional treatment. This means about 850,000 women each year are not getting the help they need."