I always thought postpartum depression (PPD) was if you “didn’t love your baby”, “couldn’t connect with your baby”, or wanted to “harm your baby” .. I didn’t feel ANY of those things, I wasn’t afflicted by *those* thoughts, so surely the intrusive & negative emotions I was experiencing after giving birth to Daisy was “just depression”, - after all, I’ve been battling my mental health demons for well over 20 years now. YES, those feelings ARE signs PPD/PPA/PNDA, however there’s many more symptoms that indicate one might be suffering from more than “just depression” or “new mum blues”. For me: I was exhausted, but couldn’t sleep; my appetite all but diminished, with one week seeing me only eat two meals total; experiencing irrational rage & resentment towards my partner who was going above & beyond in the Dad Duties department; literally shoving Daisy into Dax’s arms before walking out one night, blindly wondering the streets shoeless, bra-less & phone-less because I had.to.get.out; and, at my lowest point, saying I “hated being a mother”. Urgh. It wasn’t until I took PANDA’s New Mums Mental Heath Checklist that the penny dropped that I actually may not have miraculously dodged PPD after all. Once I came to this conclusion, I made the choice to “own it”. (I take an antihistamine when I have allergies & I took insulin when I had gestational diabetes, so why suffer this affliction unequipped?). I finally SPOKE UP & SOUGHT HELP. Between psychiatry (medication), psychotherapy (talking), GP (overall support) appointments, AND with the unwavering support from my resilient partner, my persevering family, and the incredible women in my mum’s group, I’m finally seeing the light at the end of the dark tunnel. I’m by no means at the end of this journey, I still frequently have my “bad days”, but at least now I’m moving in the right direction & I no longer feel like I’m going through this alone. Services such as COPE & PANDA are vital in raising awareness about postpartum mental health. This is why Dax & I are Jumping for COPE. After all, jumping out of an airplane at 15,000ft isn’t nearly as scary as the grips of PPD without support. 100% of the funds we raise will go to directly to COPE (Centre of Perinatal Excellence), a not-for-profit organisation devoted to reducing the impacts of emotional and mental health problems in the pre and postnatal periods. The money raised will make a difference by ensuring every expectant or new mother and father is provided access to a mental health screen, helping train already accredited mental health workers with perinatal expertise, and - most importantly of all - RAISE AWARENESS. Please help us reach out fundraising goal by donating & sharing our cause within your network. The more we talk about PPD, and mental health in general, the quicker we can lower the stigma & help others experiencing what we have/are going through. To all the new mums & dads out there: You are not alone. Help & support IS available. And I, personally, will always have an ear & time for anyone experiencing PPD should they need. We Jump for COPE on March 11th. Love, Alex, Dax, Otis & Daisy —— Thanks for visiting my Fundraising Page for Jump for COPE! You can sponsor me and leave a message by selecting the donate button above. Thanks for supporting our efforts in raising money for this cause!
Love you, sis!