Oh, the seasons of motherhood! Nothing quite prepares you for them. Just when you think you’ve survived one season, BAM, the next adventure begins. The one thing that has lingered with me through all my seasons of motherhood is postpartum anxiety.
Having never dealt with anxiety prior to having a baby, I didn’t quite understand the signs. I thought it was normal to feel the flutters, rise in heart rate, and uncontrollable panic just to name a few.
I finally asked a few of my mom friends if these feeling were indeed postpartum anxiety, and they said yes. I felt ashamed at first. During my pregnancy, I was naive and thought that PPD and PPA would never happen to me. I felt like something was wrong with me. That I would be a horrible mother because I was all of a sudden faced with these new feelings.
Although I still deal with anxiety, it has really helped me to talk about it. It has also helped me to walk away from whatever situation I’m dealing with and regroup.
When anxiety overcomes me, I say it out loud: “I’m having anxiety right now.” Then I follow with saying what is causing it. I don’t allow anxiety to dictate the rest of my day. This may not work for everyone, but I do hope it helps someone out there. Remember, you are not alone.
