
Mother Shares Photo Reminding Parents of ‘Silent Killer’
The Disappearing Village Of Parenthood
Tori Block, a Californian mother shares a poignant moment of her struggles with postnatal depression on Instagram, serving a reminder of what a lot of us have suffered through, and suffered in silence. The overwhelming burden of parenting and breastfeeding our children, and the heavy weight to be perfect and hit the ground running with today’s expectations of parenthood.
See Also: How To Support New Parents
“This is me, at the peak of my postpartum depression,” Block wrote on 15 February. “I was lower than low, I wasn’t even myself. Looking back at this photo I remember perfectly the pain I felt, the dread in waking up everyday, the physical pain that engulfed me from thoughts in my brain.”
Block continued: “I had never known consuming, mind-altering emotion such as this that flooded every fiber of my being, making its way through my veins like a plague.
What Are The Symptoms?
Insomnia. The No. 1 sign something is amiss. Obviously, a newborn throws off normal sleep schedules, but if Mom can’t sleep when baby does sleep, It’s a sign to watch for
Not Eating. Those suffering from anxiety can feel like they’ve “had a thousand cups of coffee,” When people are in this fight-or-flight mode, appetite is often suppressed.
Avoiding the Baby. Moms might not want to touch the baby or change the baby. When they are with the baby, they might avoiding carrying the baby, paralyzed by fear. They also aren’t going to want to drive the car with the baby alone.
Sickness. Women might suffer from chills, nausea, numbness, dizziness, increased heart rate, palpitations, chest pressure, rapid breathing and stomach problems. Some of these could be signs of a panic attack.
Tags: cannot sleep after baby, postnatal anxiety, postnatal depression, ppa, ppd, struggling as a new mom
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