[Compiled and arranged by researching PPD symptoms, causes, most at-risk, long term effects, and family member stories]
I’m crying over diaper blowouts,
snapping at my partner,
wishing I could just jump into my car;
drive somewhere —
anywhere —
without worrying about your next breastfeeding session.
Most new moms experience it,
but do they experience these symptoms?
The worst part;
That’s not what it feels like.
This feels like who I am.
It can start before they arrive,
or immediately after delivery.
A few hours,
maybe days
for an onset.
Most new mothers experience it;
the many immediate changes,
both physical and emotional.
A sudden change in hormones.
Stress.
Isolation.
Sleep deprivation.
Family History.
Fatigue.
Knowing my child is here forever.
There is no way for me to get away from that fact.
Most new moms experience it;
The extreme postpartum depression.
Don’t you dare call it the baby blues.
For Latina women,
For Women of color,
there is a much higher risk than white women,
a much lower chance to receive the care they need.
Is socioeconomic status to blame?
Community of residence?
Could it be the silence?
Most new moms are those who experience it.
It’s actually a leading cause of suicide.
Maternal deaths are unrecognized —
preventable —
a public health issue.
Why isn't anyone talking about it?
The baby blues are perfectly normal;
Common and treatable.
Just seek help
It’s easy.
You don’t need company
You need an advocate.
Just find someone to come to your doctor’s appointments
Most new moms experience it;
talk to one about treatments.
The reality:
It’s an illness.
Sometimes,
it impacts others
when it’s too late for anything to be done.
When new moms experience it.
Their family members do too.
My sister —
She had a baby a couple of weeks ago.
She’s not herself,
she is hurting.
I don’t want to offend her
by suggesting she get help.
My mother —
She had it since I was born.
She took her own life at 29.
When I was 33,
I almost followed in her footsteps.
My wife —
She had a voice inside her head.
“I’m a bad mom,”
it said.
She was on top of it,
She was awesome,
she was thoughtful,
she was kind-hearted.
It killed her anyway.
Dare we utter the words postpartum depression?
“Baby Blues” features work from Debra Rose Wilson, Ph.D., Eszter Klm, SickKids Staff, Ana Sandoiu, Jordan Elder, Cassie Shortsleeve, CDC, Lisa Coxon, American Psychiatric Association, Katherine Stone, and Andrea Stanley.
About the Author
Jeana Prudhomme
Jeana Prudhomme is a Communications professional, as well as the Founder and Editor of Respect Your Mother Magazine. She received B.A in Communications from Alverno College in 2017, and a M.A in New Media and Professional Writing in the Spring of 2022. After years of focusing on solutions journalism and non-fiction writing related to feminism and sustainability, she has created art from her passions in the form of this ecofeminist magazine.
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