A Life Postpartum

A letter to the postpartum mama:
I imagine it may be difficult to even read these words with eyes so heavy from lack of sleep. No, it’s not just you; this is very hard for each of us. No one comes out of this postpartum time the same. But if this season has brought you darkness that just won’t leave, know that you are not alone in your journey, and help is available. It’s not your fault, and if you could have fixed it yourself you already would have.

You probably didn’t know, but Postpartum Depression affects 1 in 5 new moms. Not just one in a crowd, not one in a million - 1 in 5.

Resources and help are available to you, and if you can take the first step towards getting that support, there are others who can guide you and care for you on your next steps towards recovery.

If it feels too difficult to even try to find the right information, I’ve got you!

📞 If you need someone to talk to right now, call 1-833-TLC-MAMA for the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline. This is free, confidential, and available 24/7.

📱Postpartum Support International can offer you resources, support (including support groups), and a provider directory to help you find professionals in your area. Visit www.postpartum.net or call 1-800-944-4773

If you’re wondering when is the right time to seek help, the answer is now. I can assure you that healing happens, and Postpartum Depression is treatable. You can feel like yourself again - this is not the end. But it is important that you take the first step. Now.

Just like every baby is different, every mom’s journey will be different. The key is to have support along the way, and support is waiting for you if you don’t feel like you have enough right now.

Take it from me - you need to be taken care of, too.

With love and hope,
Lisa

A letter to the tired new mama,

If you’re in the midst of the newborn stage and it feels relentless - that’s because it is.

You have to hold them constantly. You have to feed them, all the time. You have to change their diaper all day and night. You have to wipe them, pick them up, shush them, rock them, walk with them, and pour into them for what seems like every waking moment of your life.

It can feel like endless, monotonous and often mind-numbingly repetitive work. If it feels hard, it’s not because you’re doing it wrong mama bear, it’s just hard.

Although it doesn’t look possible, especially when you’re in the thick of it, there will be a day when they get to feed themselves. They get to walk and then they’ll run - fast! They get to learn to bathe themselves, and clothe themselves and even wipe themselves. (Some slower than others, and that’s ok.)

Then something beautiful happens, because you move on from the have-to’s to the get-to’s. Because you did all you had to do from the start, all the relentless sacrifices you made over and over again, you get to be the one to hear “I love you mommy.”
No one else gets that, just you.

You get to be the one that they run to for the big hugs. You get to be the one for the sweetest kisses.
You get to be the first to see the picture they’re so proud of drawing, to hear the song they’re so proud of singing, to taste the cookies they’re so proud of making.

Long past the time of them needing to be held and rocked all the time, you’ll be the one who gets to still hold them and rock them because they’ve learned to love it, and you have too. They’ve learned to love you, trust you, and want you.

Raising children is sacred, holy work, but it very rarely feels that way. It often feels exhausting, and lonely, and tedious, but that doesn’t change the fact that you truly are engaged in the most important work you’ll ever do.

So when the nights are long and the days are longer, know that it will pay off. Your sacrifices will be rewarded, and soon you’ll not be the only one pouring out the love. Very soon, they’ll pour right back into you, because you, and only you, are mom.

With love + hope,
Lisa

I’m very excited to announce that I’ll be leading a writing group for postpartum mamas this fall! It will be held at the beautiful Nurture at Hyde Park in Cincinnati. This will be a fantastic way for new mamas to find community support and a creative outlet to process and own their postpartum journey.
Details and registration can be found here:

https://www.welcometonurture.com/writing

This will take all of us to make a change. 👇

Speak out: be vulnerable and honest so that other moms can find the courage to do the same. It’s up to us to break the stigma - this is a matter of life and death. 💔

Reach out: check on the new mamas in your life. You never know how they are really doing, especially in this era of social media. Bring a meal, send a text, be the light.

Share hope: Perinatal Mental Health Disorders are treatable, and help is available 24/7. Moms can contact the Maternal Mental Health Hotline at any time by calling or texting 1-833-TLC-MAMA
While this hotline is not a cure, it can be a critical step in helping a mama find care, support and resources that can very well save her life.

*Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2022/p0919-pregnancy-related-deaths.html)