GENA…This blog post is one that I am hoping none of you can relate to…

I have friends who wish me harm.  Oh they love me, they just think that it is completely unfair that I have two children and carry around 0 extra pounds.  If they had their way, I would be 16.24 lbs. overweight, (with this big bowl of ice cream beside me that could  happen) stretch marks that encircle my middle,  tiny boobs that hang to my belly and extra skin that can only be contained by a magic girdle.  They wish these things on me purely out of jealousy.  Jealousy over the fact that the arrival of my children into this world did nothing to ravage my body.  ( notice that I am not including any pictures today of any of our middles!) I cut my own babies umbilical cords, and even pulled my second one out with my own hands, and I did it without one scream.  (I left that up to their brave birth moms!)  I’m sure at this point that my friends are the only ones still rooting for a “miraculous conception”…but only so they can see me “suffer” through pregnancy at almost 40!  NO THANKS!!!

All of this is just a preface to tell you  that I am feeling compelled to write about something I know very little about…frankly I still try to avoid talk about the weird stuff ankles and belly buttons do during pregnancy and the crazy looking (bleep) down there that you now have from pushing out an 8 lb baby!

I know the one thing my friends would never wish on me though is postpartum depression.  So what I do know is many things in relation to new motherhood are laugh provoking, this is not one of them.

I looked up the symptoms and they “technically” begin 2 weeks after childbirth and peak slowly at 3 or 4 months.  They include but are not limited to…depressed mood, anxiety, loss of pleasure in your daily activities, appetite and weight change, insomnia, fatigue, difficulty concentration, thoughts about death or suicide, or thoughts of harming your baby…This is only a portion of a list I found so please do your own research. 

I just want  to encourage you that if you are experiencing any combination of any of these symptoms to please seek help.  There is no shame in experiencing this.  Talk to you husband, mom, friend or sister, but make sure you are being honest and open.  See your doctor right away and stand up for yourself if you know something is not right.  For you own sake and your babies, do not just wait to feel better or try to convince yourself you can handle this on your own.  This is very serious, but please know that you are not alone.  For all of you ladies that know of a new mommy, stick close to her and check in often and watch for these signs.  Lets all stick together and help each other!