05/09/2025
Thinking back to my first postpartum experience, I remember crying â a lot. I felt incredibly overwhelmed, but kept convincing myself it wasnât enough to be postpartum depression. There were so many other things going on in the world the year I became a mom (2020) that I convinced myself it wasnât. Any time I brought up how I was feeling, Iâd hear things like, âItâs just sleep deprivation,â or, âYouâve got this.â Well-meaning, but isolating. I never got the help I truly needed, but thankfully I had enough support around me to help me limp through it.
The second time I was pregnant, I knew I needed to prepare. I connected with a therapist at who specializes in Perinatal Mental Health and started seeing Heather during my third trimester. The first few months postpartum were so much better. I had time off work, no more school, and felt way more confident caring for a baby.
But about three months in, anxiety hit me like a tidal wave. Iâll never forget a day my mom was visiting â I couldnât even get out of bed because the anxiety was so heavy. This time, though, I knew it was postpartum anxiety. I brought it up at my 6-week checkup, and directly asked for anxiety medication. It made all the difference. I kept up with therapy and took Lexipro as long as I needed to and got through PPA. It was still hard at times, but was way better than the first time.
Postpartum can be messy, overwhelming, beautiful, and hard â sometimes all in the same hour. Whatever youâre carrying, you donât have to do it alone. With the right support, things really can get better. Youâre not alone, and youâre stronger than you know. đ
- Jessica P.
