Excerpt from Stefani’s story posted on www.mypostpartumlife.com:
“My rock bottom hit me in the shower. The cold water trickling over me. Tears streaming down my face. Dreaming of an escape. Praying for a cure. Ashamed that I couldn’t get better. All at once, I seemed to find clarity writing on the bathroom wall. Crying more than normal, forgetful, poor concentration, sadness and apathy, emptiness, loneliness, irritable and angry with loved ones, dysfunction at work, poor sleep, foggy thinking, slowed movement, difficulty with attachment to baby… it was all there. Stressors: anxiety in pregnancy, move, new job, poor health of loved one, C section, poor social support, lack of sleep, weaning from breastfeeding… no wonder.”
To read the rest of Stefani’s story head on over to www.mypostpartumlife.com.
About the author: Stefani Reinold is a psychiatrist and perinatal mental health specialist in Virginia. She’s an Army wife, mother of 2 and PPD survivor herself. She’s a Texas native, a Christian, minimalist-in-training, and Pinterest-failure. And she believes, it takes a village to not only raise a baby but to care for a new mother.
Think you or someone you know may be struggling with postpartum depression, anxiety, or another mental health disorder? Please contact your health provider including your OBGYN or family doctor. Need more information? Visit Postpartum Support International for great information on maternal mental health and more. If you fear you or someone you love may be contemplating suicide or facing a mental health emergency, call the Suicide Prevention Hotline and get to your nearest emergency room. Please consider buying a PPD Awareness t-shirt, all proceeds go to help mothers in need. Have questions or need support please join the discussion on Facebook.
