It’s incredible to me how stories of new life never become less awe-inspiring. I am amazed when I hear about the walls women push through with such a raw strength to deliver their children. I am brought to tears when I hear circumstances and situations surrounding the birth of a tiny person. I know there are so many tragedies, I know things don’t always go the way they should. I know the topic of pregnancy and birth/postpartum can stir or trigger a myriad of emotional responses. It’s shaky ground! There is excitement or there is sorrow. I can’t think of any lukewarm reaction. No one is just “eh” when it comes to their personal story.
When I launched my first blog, then called Grace Broke Mom, one of the driving reasons was to be a place where the postpartum season could be talked about within an encouraging and empathetic community. I have always wanted to be a comforting presence in the birth space, whether in sorrowful situations or best-case scenarios. But after my own battle with PPD (postpartum depression) my desire to provide compassionate care as a doula and support system deepened. I became a huge believer in our need for a solid village. We simply cannot continue in the status quo of going at life alone, especially in what is potentially the most vulnerable season a mother’s experience.
Postpartum Mothers Need Help
A quick internet search reveals many countries/cultures where the new mother has only to care for her newborn while the rest of the family cares for her and her other duties (such as the practice of La Cuarentena or “the quarantine” across many Latin American countries which lasts for 40 days, or Japan’s cultural tradition that gives mom 3 weeks in bed at her parent’s house for the primary purpose of bonding, for example). American maternity leave is dangerously lacking. Huffington Post did a fantastic round-up of maternity leave laws across 43 countries and it successfully makes Denmark my favorite country ever. America has the unfortunate idea that new moms should be able to return to “normal life” within just a few weeks and that we need to do all our own preparations prior to baby’s arrival to make sure our routine doesn’t suffer. We segregate ourselves and baby from community for the fear of communicable disease and the belief that we should be able to do it all. We believe we should close the door to outside advice/help/support so we can learn to function by ourselves. What a lonely and desperate place…
A Space for You to Share
My friends, we need each other. We need people. We need relationships. We need to feel supported and encouraged. With that, I would like to invite you to share your pregnancy, birth, or postpartum stories! Feel free to share as much or as little as you’d like. Or, if you simply have questions and need to hear from moms who have been there, this is for you as well. Let’s just agree to be real! I’ve never wanted to be a lone voice and I can only speak from my perspective. There is so much more wisdom when we come together! So, if you would like your story featured on christydailey.com, please click below. I cannot wait to learn from your experiences!
I love you all!
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