This. This. Kat. 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 I am 6 months postpartum and I feel everything you’ve said. I have a therapist and I do see someone and my nurse did ask if I wanted to be on meds but I’m so scared of them. That I’ve always turned them down 😔 makes me wonder if I should get on them. I am not myself, I feel incredibly alone, exhausted, tired, disconnected from my marriage. Being a mom is the hardest and most bravest thing we do. I wish we got more respect and patience about it from the world. Thank you for speaking about this. From one mama to another, you are ❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥 keep being sooooo genuinely you on your social media bc we see you and don’t take content like this for granted ! Thank you 🥹😍🥰
As a guy, this was an incredible video. It opened my eyes to what this is. Thank for doing this. Glad you found something sustainable Kat. You are amazing.
What you said, about waking up from a dream into someone else’s life, dark and grey and stuck, is exactly what I felt. I had a very similar pregnancy/relationship situation and my post partum depression was soooo bad 😭
That was brave and I pray that your story will comfort other moms who are suffering. I experienced PD with my first but not at all with her brothers. I felt fear and an overwhelming sense of responsibility. If she would sneeze or coughed, I became consumed with fear that she would die. I also refused help. Breastfeeding was so much harder than I ever imagined! I got little to no sleep for 3 months. One day, my aunt walked thru the door and I lost it..... BIG TIME. Sobbing from my core. I explained that I was so afraid we would lose her in some tragic way. I would even dream about these horrible situations where we would find her dead. It was awful! I would not wish it on any parent!. It was bizarre! But, I had zero issues with any of my other children. Looking back, 30 years now, I believe that it was the indescribable, overwhelming, amount of love and responsibility for this little, beautiful, living, person that I was keeping alive. (My husband was right there with me and would have done anything to help me. I just felt the need to be a perfect mommy.) ~~~SO DON'T DO THAT NEW MOMMIES!~~~ ASK FOR HELP.
I struggled with PPD after having my first daughter at 20, and “worked through it on my own” because I felt so guilty for feeling “unhappy” after I just brought this beautiful child into the world. Working through it on my own was terrifying, and definitely wasn’t the way I should have handled it. Thinking I could “think” myself out of what I was feeling, almost ended in me jumping off of a bridge. I eventually made it through, thankfully, and I started feeling more like myself after I was about a year and a half PP. I recently had my second child, and my PPD feels worse than the first time & I’ve now been introduced to what postpartum anxiety is.. I am STRUGGLING. I have been under so much stress lately, my life feels completely unfamiliar to me, and I don’t feel like I am doing a good enough job as a mother and a wife. I have felt like I had to hold all of these feelings in because there is so much happening around me that I don’t want to burden anyone with my problems. I have been going back and forth between seeking help and figuring it out on my own & your video really helped me realize I don’t have to do things the hard way just because I am embarrassed to get help. I shouldn’t feel embarrassed. I am going to fill out my new patient paperwork (we recently moved while I was 2 weeks PP) & try and get on some medication. Thank you for your continuous vulnerability Kat, and helping end the stigma around PPD. This video is exactly what I needed to hear. From one mama to another, you are Heaven sent ❤️
Girl. Easier said that done but carve out some time for yourself. At least to talk to your doc about how your feeling it’s incredible how it all goes away with the right meds. Zoloft for me personally. I’m 17 weeks preg rn and currently off all meds so I really feel you… best wishes and mom strength to you ❤️
Please see your doctor and get some medication to help you for the time being. Your body and brain need to rest from all the new changes and you need to enjoy your new baby. God bless you. In my days they didn’t offer medication and it was tough. Sending love and prayers to you 🥰🌷🌹🌸
Please don’t be ashamed or afraid to ask for help. You are not weak, you are not a burden, you ARE enough. People go through shit in life and sometimes and that is NORMAL and okay. NEVER be ashamed to ask for help from family and professionals. It’s actually admirable and courageous to take that first step in admitting “I need a little help here”. You don’t have to do this on your own. Tell your loved ones and speak to a professional! Take it from someone who learned the extremely excruciating hard way that it’s okay to ask for help ❤️.
I am so proud of you for sharing. As a mama of four, PPD has hit me in many different ways and severities. I want to say you’re not alone and the fact that you are sharing your story says so much. You’re not alone and so many mamas feel this way. Please feel free to reach out if you ever need to chat. If you don’t mind me suggestion, Looking into therapy, speaking with your GP about finding the right help is a good start. I promise you that you’re not alone, you’re not a failure. The fact that you’re talking about it and thinking/ wanting to find help is such am amazing step in the right direction. I hope you know that Paige ❤
Thank you for speaking on this with such grace ! I went through a similar situation when I needed medication. After being on an ssri for 10 years I felt like I could do it on my own and was tried of just living with the side effects. I knew my quality of life could improve. When primary docs prescribe antidepressants they don’t always warn you about how difficult it will be get off of them when the time is right. It served a purpose and when it’s no longer need then it’s time to move along. It took me 8 months to wean off of 5mg. It’s no joke. The day on day off drops your levels by 60% when you should only decrease at a 10% rate not go into withdrawal. Those withdrawal symptoms will make you feel like you are not yourself or that you can’t do it on your own. But it’s just not true. It takes time and I encourage anyone to do your own research. Each medication has a hierarchy level of difficulty in stopping or weaning and there is no shame in taking control over your own choices in the matter.
Thank you so much for sharing! I haven’t had any kids yet, but I resonated with the way you described the feeling. It’s not that you want to die, but you feel like you’re barely living. The flare and excitement for life isn’t there.
I came to this video because I am so exhausted trying to figure out what’s wrong with me after I had my baby. Full on panic attacks I never had prior to giving birth. Trying to refuse meds because of fear… this made me feel so much better. Therapy just isn’t filling me up. I’m scared and suffering but so desperately wanting to feel better. Thank you
I had my son 3 years ago and just myself into therapy but I remember one day literally just getting into the shower 3 days after he was born and I burst into tears I never felt so alone and so scared in my life than that time. Mental illness is so so bad. And it’s so hard to get out of that.
Thanks so much Kat! I have a 4 month old and totally relate to the not-suicidal-but-also-not-wanting-to-live kind of experience. Appreciate you sharing, it’s comforting to know that I’m not just on an island alone in that. Keep being your sunshine-y self, we love you!
Thanks for sharing❤ My kiddo is 16 and it was just starting to get talked about openly. The more we talk about the female experience, the more we can empower and empathize and help others❤
Thank you for the PSA! It’s so important to get your experience out there. You’re not alone in lacking knowledge in advance. I’m sure you’ve helped many!❤️
Thank you for speaking about this and sharing your experience! I’m so glad more and more women are shedding light on ppd. I am expecting my first and it’s always been in the back of my mind the “what if” but it’s nice to know so many others go through it and it’s ok if you can’t do it yourself ❤️
Getting pregnant unexpectedly contributes SO much to ppd. I’ve had 3 unexpected pregnancies, 2 full term and all 3 times I had severe ppd. Thanks for talking about it, Kat
Good and needed to talk about. Was worse back ago I had a best friend who never connected with her daughter because she had no place to go. Thanks for speaking out. The stigma is still so bad
I completely agree that in some homes it’s taboo especially in Latin America. You think about how our moms were able to handle it and for myself, I felt like a failure because how I was feeling.
Cymbalta has helped SOOO many people. You are extremely brave for taking the step in the right direction! ❤️❤️❤️ It sounds stupid but a lot of people do not have the strength and courage to make that change.
Just make sure you keep track of your progress, and don’t be discouraged if you’re not feeling better. Be extremely OPEN and HONEST with your doctor! And please do not make the mistake of ever stopping it cold Turkey or on your own. If you ever get to a point where you think you don’t need it anymore, speak to your doctor and slowly ween off of it! Good luck beautiful.
I completely understand when you say that you didn’t want to kill yourself, but you didn’t want to be alive 😢 Motherhood is so beautiful but also so hard.
I felt like a horrible person because I felt like I couldn't love my child the way a mother should I did love him but I felt detached and that alone made me feel like I didn't deserve to be here and I didn't want to be here but not in a suicidal way and the thing is back when I was having my babies I was looked at and judged as a bad mother and they would claim ppd made us dangerous to alone with our babies so it felt like I was constantly being watched
I never realized how much I had PPD until I hit rock bottom to where I cried for literally no reason and I was like okay maybe a little bit even then I never fully accepted it until I looked back once my son was older and I realized how low I was for so long
Omg a month ago I left my partner with whom we had a baby girl after 3 months of being together too! But we didn't marry although we were engaged and now, when our baby girl is 2,5 , we are breaking up and it's so freaking hard
Have you gotten your hormones checked when off the Prozac? U really shouldn’t “need it” for life.. I’d 1000% goto a functional med doctor and get a full hormonal panel done. You may need HRT not an antidepressant. Just my experience.
Prozac doesn't help me no meds help me.. Also every single ob doc should let every one of their patients know about ppd. It's scary u were not warned about this or maybe u were and I misread your story...It could have been worse.. Love ur videos I just seen my first one and can't stop laughing at ur content ..