Our bodies are going through immense changes and for me that period was a blur. I remember telling my best friend I felt really overwhelmed and later when she had her own emergency delivery and serious complications with her new son, she doubted her ability to be a mother. Such are the ebbs and flows of post pregnancy.

On day twelve, after crying daily for a week, I remember sobbing to my mother about the injustices of the world and why had I brought such a perfect specimen to the planet? I also remember crying about how wonderfully small and delicate my daughter was and how I didn’t want her to get any bigger! On day 12 a friend called through to check up on me (it’s important those little chats friends, don’t think your sensitivity and strength isn’t valued by a new mother) and I told her about my persistant crying…. “don’t worry, by day 13 it will go….” I was lucky, it did go, and for 80% of women that is usually the case but approximately 10-15% will go on to experience some form of mood disorder ranging from extreme depression to anxiety disorders such as panic attacks.

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February 20th, 2006 | Permalink