The Five Words That Helped Me Beat Postpartum Depression

To the mom that has come face to face with something many mothers deal with but are ashamed to speak about: Postpartum Depression.

I can’t help but think about how far I have come since I’ve become a mother.

Soon after my son was born, I came face to face with something many mothers deal with but that some may be ashamed to speak about…

Postpartum Depression

Honestly, motherhood hasn’t been the easiest transition for me.

I was staying with my mom during my pregnancy while my husband was away at work.

I also stayed there the first few weeks after our son was born.

My husband had to leave us and go back to work (which was two hours away) a WEEK after our son was born.

Unfortunately, we wouldn’t be able to reunite for another month or so due to follow-up doctor appointments and moving arrangements.

While I appreciated all of my mom’s help during that time (Hi Mom!), I was truly devastated that my husband and I had to spend so much time apart during those first few weeks.

I cried ALL the time and missed my husband like crazy.

I hated that we weren’t living out this ‘picture perfect’ scene that I had envisioned for us once our son was here.

On top of that, my heart ached for my husband because I could not imagine how hard it must’ve been to have to leave your newborn son so soon.

I was also extremely frustrated because I could barely do anything for myself since I was still recovering from my c-section.

To make matters worse, my son had trouble latching so breastfeeding wasn’t an option for us.

However, I was determined for him to have breast milk and as a result, I was constantly exhausted because I pumped ALL.THE.TIME.

This was NOT the beautiful world of motherhood that I thought would be waiting for me after I gave birth.

Through it all, I tried my best to remain positive.

I just knew that once we reunited with my hubby, things would start to look up.

However, once we did finally move, as bad as I wanted to be relieved, I felt empty.

I felt like I was failing at being the wife and mother that I wanted to be.

I would become so frustrated that I would cry at night if I couldn’t get my son to sleep or if I didn’t pump enough milk.

I still remember the day that I looked in the mirror and asked myself

 “Do I have REALLY have postpartum depression?”

Surely not…right?

At the follow-up appointment with my OBGYN, I remember her asking if I felt depressed at all, and if I did, she said she would be willing to prescribe something that would help.

Although I was unhappy at the time, I chalked it up to my current circumstances.

I thought that since I had finally gotten my staples taken out, got on a legit pumping schedule, and was gonna be reunited with my hubby, that I’d feel better.

Plus, I’m just not a huge fan of taking medication anyway – unless absolutely necessary. (read about why I stopped using birth control here).

The day that I finally recognized admitted that I really was dealing with something bigger than frustration and anxiety, was the day that I realized that I had to be extremely intentional about motherhood and aware of my limits.

I remember breaking down one night to my husband and telling him how I really wasn’t sure that I could do this.

And by this, I meant motherhood.

I remember my hubby embracing me, patiently waiting for me to calm down.

When I finally held my head up, I remember him wiping my tears and telling me “You were made for this. It’s gonna be okay.”

He’s always been such a safe place for me emotionally but that day I really grabbed onto his words.

He put our son to sleep that night and I sat there on the floor, in front of our bed watching them sleep, and silently praying for God to help me overcome this.

Progress didn’t come easy, but little by little my husband was there pushing me along.

He continued to show me grace in moments where I wanted to hide my head in the sand.

So one day I decided to do the same for myself.

I promised myself to take it one day, one moment at a time.

My secret?

I don’t have one.

I pray continually and I always take a few moments out of the day for myself.

Motherhood is such a life altering experience, and although we strive for perfection, we’ll never be perfect.

Simply being present in the moment sometimes is enough.

So what if the sink is full?

Who cares if the laundry needs to be done?

Sometimes taking the time to indulge in your favorite snack/hobby/tv show while your little one naps is all it takes to regroup.

Getting out of the house also helped me tremendously!

I’ll be the first to admit that being a young, married, SAHM comes with challenges that I hadn’t even considered.

That said, I’m pretty sure that I can’t even begin to fathom the challenges that I will face in the future.

BUT I’ve learned that there’s no blueprint.

There are no secret formulas or perfect routines, you just have to take it one day at a time.

And remember, 

YOU WERE MADE FOR THIS

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19 Comments

  1. I agree, taking time for yourself is really important! It can make or break your day! Ice cream helps too! I almost always finish a hard day with ice cream

  2. Fantastic post! My BFF had postpartum depression and I was clueless as to how to help her! I’ll be sure to share this to help others!

  3. That was beautiful! It is so important to lean on someone through those difficult times. Your husband is a special man. Not everyone has someone who is willing to be supportive like that. I am lucky to have found a husband like that as well. I love those five words ‘you were made for this’! Thank you for sharing your experience 💕

  4. Um wow! I would never have guessed those were the words. Your hubby is and incredible guy to say that and encourage you to keep going!!!!

  5. cupcake1007 says:

    Amazing post. You are doing fabulous. PPD is such a hard thing to go through especially since it is so different for everyone. No two moms feel it the same. Thank you so much for sharing! You’re doing an awesome thing by raising awareness and ending the stigma.

    I did a series on PPD in May if you’d like to check it out: http://mommyinflats.com/category/we-are-motherhood/

    1. Thank you! There is such a stigma around it and I hope my post can help other mamas who may be dealing with PPD. Definitely gonna check your series out!

  6. Great post. Thanks for being so honest. We were made for this! 🙂

  7. Shawna | MISHMASH MOMMY says:

    I love this. I think we all build up this picture perfect fantasy of what motherhood is going to be like, and when it’s the complete opposite sometimes, it really throw us for a loop. It takes a lot of courage to admit that there may be something more going on, and even more-so to ask for help. And you are so right…we were made for this!

    1. YESS! Once I admitted that I really was dealing with PPD, I was able to take steps to be proactive and move forward! Once I really started to believe that I was made for this, my outlook on things finally started to change.

  8. This is a really encouraging post. It can be such a tough transition and it is so critical to have support from those around us!

  9. Such a beautiful post. Thanks for sharing the raw and honest truth. I too dealt with postpartum depression and it is a real and extremely challenging season.

  10. Oh my gosh :'( This legit made me cry… I’ve been looking forward to reading this since I saw your post on Instagram and I’m so glad I did. I know the feeling, and your husbands sweet words are so true and so encouraging! Those are some rough circumstances, and it was a very similar situation for me when I was experiencing PPD… What a beautiful post :’) Love this.

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