Suicidal thoughts and self-harm during and after pregnancy are becoming more common.
"The crying didn't worry me as much as the rage. Having struggled with depression before, I knew the crying pretty well. I knew to let it out. I knew to take care of myself. But I had never experienced anything like the rage before."
"I was listened to. I was recognized and taken seriously."
"I was ashamed that I was struggling with depression instead of experiencing pure joy, but I was not alone. You are not alone, and there is nothing shameful about it."
It became clear to me that I needed an extra push to solidify the gains I was making.
"I felt like my child was someone else’s and I was just babysitting. I told my husband, family and friends right away."
I was disconnected from the baby and her kicking made me furious. Isolation and shame overwhelmed me. Where was this pregnancy glow I had been promised?
I expected to be sad when I stopped breastfeeding. I didn't expect to go through this.
"The reality is that recovery from this disease is not linear."
Even my own mother always says that I am “the one she never worried about.” Was that all just a self-fulfilling prophecy?
"I didn’t know much about mental health at the time, so I just handled it the best I could."
Looking back, I wish I would have made my own self-care a priority as soon as my kids were born, rather than putting my needs on the back burner.
"... I still have tough times, but I know I'm worth it and understand that to be a good mom, wife, daughter, sister and friend, I have to take care of myself."
It doesn't always look how you might think.
I know there’s a new me with pieces of the old me somewhere. I just have to find them. And I will.
Here are some of the most asked questions about therapy.
"I was exhausted and felt negative feelings I never felt with my first, which made me feel so guilty."
Because I had been through this twice before, in my mind I knew it would be OK... but when you're going through a deep depression it seems like it will never end.
More than 400,000 babies are born to depressed mothers every year.