What you can expect: The brutal truth of me, without all the sugary coating. Here I am just me, UNCUT and UNEDITED.
If you leave me a comment, I will love you forever. :) If you follow me... well, that's just even better.
PPD Journey
As a two-time PPD veteran, I am just now starting to see the fog lift (my third son is 2 years old), and I feel the need to spread the word about post partum depression and try to help others.
Here's a little video I made for Max on his first birthday, to give you a little taste of why the first year was so hard. Despite his smiling face, he was a very unhealthy baby and was literally starving to death until we figured out why. (If you'd rather read than watch, go to this post for a written account.)Max's 1st YearMax's 1st Year from Aubrey Ortega on Vimeo.
In the spirit of being open and approachable, AKA brutally honest, I give you my Rock Bottom story.
The following posts are journal entries directly from my journal (with the names changed, but nothing else edited), dated August 3 - 4, 2010, when I was admitted to an in-patient psychiatric unit. My doctor had put me on the WRONG MEDICATION, attempting to treat bipolar (not listening to me about MY experiences/feelings), Husband was out of town, and I had a complete breakdown. Not to mention the sleep deprivation of having a baby in the house. The following are my experiences there.Psych Ward - Vol 1Psych Ward - Vol 2Psych Ward - Vol 3Psych Ward - Vol 4Psych Ward - Vol 5
The next two links are blog posts I wrote after I got home, the first few steps I took into recovery.
Lesson:UnintendedGirl, Interrupted
This is not the first time I experienced the darkness, just the most recent. Here's another example:
How Joshua saved my life... the first timeAnd a current one: PPD & Recovery
And now... for the actually important links!
PPD to Joy SpeakEasy phone chats for anyone who needs a grown-up to talk to!PPD to Joy Love Letters for Moms
Wondering if you might have postpartum depression (PPD)?
(If you think you are experiencing Postpartum Psychosis, contact a doctor or emergency room immediately. This is not something to postpone, as it can be very dangerous.)
Are you one of these guys? Don't think we've forgotten about you!
Postpartum Dads
I have a pregnant friend who has been diagnosed with pre-PPD. I admitted to her that until recently I dealt with PPD/PPA for almost 5 years. 5 years! That's my daughter's entire life. It wasn't until about +/- 5 mos ago that the fog started lifting for me. Its hard. I feel like I missed a lot and I cheated my kids out of the mom they should have had. ugh...the guilt!! This is a great post and something I care deeply about. Thanks for sharing. You rock!
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