Postpartum Crud

As my pregnancy half way mark has come and gone I have felt myself begin to worry and stress over some of the problems I ran into after I had Elle. A lot of you probably know about my postpartum issues. That was a really hard time for me because I did not understand what was going on with me. I felt the need to constantly explain myself and why I was sad, but did not really understand it myself. It was so foreign and weird for me to feel so down. I wanted my friends and family to understand something that I did not understand myself.

Before I had Elle, a girl at church had told me that she had had it after her first daughter was born and how awful it was for her. I remember trying to be sympathetic, and then coming home and telling Jeff how weird I thought it was. I was so excited to have kids and to start my family. How could you be sad after having a beautiful perfect baby? I just did not get it! Well I am a true believer that trials happen for a reason, to teach us something and then hopefully be able help someone else. I wish there was something more I could do to help others understand this, and maybe be more prepared if it ever happens to them or someone they love.

So on and on I go. Today I was watching Oprah (I love her), she had Gwyneth Paltrow on as her guest. She was not there to talk about postpartum depression but the subject came up. I was so excited to hear her definition of what it was. It was for sure the most healthy minded view I have ever heard on the issue. Short and sweet, but right on. Don't ask me why it made me so excited, but it did, enough that I wanted to post about it right then. I am so happy that it is something that people are wanting to talk about more and are not embarrassed to share. Also, that it is not just the crazy extreme examples that are being talked about. I tried to go onto oprah.com to find exactly what she had said about it, but could not. I am not sure if there is a way to watch the episode from the website. If I find a way I will post it. So you will have to settle for my script that I wrote as she was talking :) Yes, I liked it that much!
Previous

O: In Vogue a while back you talked about some depression you had had.

G: Yeah, Yeah I did. It was very strange because I was not expecting that, not that you would expect that. After I had Apple I would characterize that as post-natal euphoria, I was on cloud nine. Then when I had him (Moses) I just didn't feel okay, I didn't feel right. He came out and I just felt very strange, it was not the same. I didn't know what was wrong with me and I just went down this kind of slippery slope with it.

O: For how long?

G: About 6 months until I felt completely normal again. I did not realize what was wrong with me, I just thought i am not myself, I am not connnected. It was a bummer.

O: You felt like a flatline.

G: I felt like a flatline, I really did. I wish I had known because I would have gone on medication, I would have addressed it in some way or done something. It wasn't until I started coming out of it that I was able to see the comparison.

O: How did you come out of it?

G: I think it was just chemical, it just started lifting...I started exercising and recomitting to eating well...

AMEN! See we are not crazy, I feel so validated! :)