Postpartum Depression

You never, ever thought it would be like this.

You thought it would be the happiest time of your life.
You had this image of yourself in that rocking chair with your baby, soothing her, loving her, feeling peaceful and connected. It would be so nice.

And now you find yourself faced with the jarring reality that it’s not at all like that. It’s way, way harder. You wonder what you’re doing wrong. You’re exhausted, irritable, sad, scared. You think, I don’t even know who I am anymore.

Postpartum depression has a way of being so incredibly difficult it can shatter us to the core. It is hard, lonely, and terrifying. Just when you’re most depleted and unsure of yourself, the demands have never been greater and the stakes have never been higher, because there’s a baby in the picture. It’s an epic scenario in which you are at your most upset when you least expected it and the challenges have never been greater.

You might be asking yourself

• What does it mean if I’m not loving this, if I’m struggling so much?
• Am I bonding with the baby?
• How can I stop feeling guilty and inadequate all the time?
• Am I failing at this?
• What will happen if I tell others how bad this is?

And most importantly :

• Am I a good mom?
• Will I ever feel like myself again?

In the postpartum period, you’re dealing with massive change, which can include:

• Sleep deprivation, creating exhaustion and emotional overload
• Breastfeeding difficulties
• Disappointment or trauma in your birth experience
• Pain of physical recovery
• Hormone fluctuations, causing irritability, anxiety, difficulty thinking clearly, and mood changes
• Changes in your marriage
• Insufficient help from others, questioning of your relationships
• Loss of normal self-care routines, difficulty finding enjoyment

What no one tells you beforehand is, in the postpartum period, you might be dealing with a surprising sense of loss. Yes, you have this beautiful baby and you love her; we wouldn’t suggest that that’s not a wonderful thing. But you also have lost, at least for a time, your normal structure, routines, ability to take care of your own basic needs, your job, your sense of who you are. It’s understandable to have a hard time coping with this amount of change.

Our question to you is, while you’re so busy caring for your baby, your other children, your spouse, and everyone else, Who is taking care of you? We like to believe that counseling is a way for you to feel cared for. Because you need that right now.

Counseling for postpartum depression can help you :

• Explore, in a safe space, all of your feelings, and learn that they’re okay
• Learn that you won’t be judged, that you’re doing a good job
• Learn that even though you feel really bad, you’re doing just fine
• Feel supported, reassured, and validated for your experience
• Feel less guilty for wanting things to be different
• Let go of perfectionism
• Give yourself permission to take care of yourself
• Ask for what you need from others
• Let go of unreasonable expectations of yourself
• Feel hopeful about your future
• Restore your sense of yourself and regain self-esteem

You may not know how you can possibly even get help for yourself, you’re that busy and overwhelmed. But we believe you can, if you can make just that one phone call or send that first email. We’ll guide you through the process, and it will be easier than you think. With a caring, competent therapist with the expertise to guide you along the way, you can be on a path toward reclaiming yourself and being the mom you always wanted to be.