A Postpartum Depression Perfect Storm

If so, please reach out for help! This was me in 2005.

I was really hard on myself when I developed postpartum depression (PPD) after I gave birth to my oldest.

I had no idea that the combination of all of these characteristics put me at extremely high risk for PPD, and instead berated myself for not being “strong enough” or cut out for motherhood 😓

While I'm so happy that there’s increasing awareness of the importance of supporting mamas during the postpartum period, aka “fourth trimester,” but we still have a LONG way to go.

The onus is on all of us to dive deeper to make sure our loved ones who have recently had babies, or will soon be having babies, are truly okay (and not just barely holding it together like so many of us have experienced). We need to be ready to help them if they are struggling. This includes being there for our neighbors, co-workers, and other acquaintances, especially those who do not have family and/or a good social network in place when they give birth.

It truly takes a village but in many cases our villages need to be rebuilt. There are many of us in the Cleveland area and Northeast Ohio who are trying our hardest to rebuild villages, but we continue to need your help and support.