Purpose

My husband and I have been overwhelmed by all the response via Facebook about this blog.
I cannot thank you enough for all of your support, comments and prayers.
I set out to write this to tell people what I went through. There are lots of people who go through this.  I want other moms to know that it is o.k. to get help and it is important to talk about it. In fact it is actually the best thing you can do for your family and yourself.

The first thing I want to do is to tell people what happened to me. The easiest way that I have found to do this is by posting my story on this blog.  www.strongermom.com I have also shared my story with others in person but this blog seems to be reaching more people than I could possibly do face to face.

Another thing I wanted to accomplish is showing that a lot of other people go through this.  One of the best books that has helped me with is Down Came the Rain by Brooke Shields.  While the book has helped me the most important thing has been the stories that you are sharing with me and my husband via email and Facebook.  Each story is powerful and there is no way I would've ever known that so many of you have had similar struggles without this blog.

The most important thing that I want to get across is that it is OK to get help.  Many people have guilt or feel ashamed or embarrassed that they are thinking and feeling like this and what we really need to do is be honest and get help.

The final thing is to show by example that it is OK to talk about our postpartum feelings, struggles, and depression with others including our spouses (even though they will never fully understand), our friends, our family, and our medical professionals.

I have always been self-conscious about what others think about me.  Through this experience I have gained so much strength and feel called to share my experiences.

Now back to the 5th floor...