Having kids is an overwhelmingly positive experience for most people, but nobody can argue that it isn't hard. Most parents will say that the job of parenting is challenging and difficult, but totally worth it.
As rewarding as parenting can be, it's also exhausting. On top of sleepless nights, poopy diapers, loads of dirty laundry, and more, many new moms experience various levels of postpartum depression and body image concerns.
According to postpartumprogress.org, one in 1o mothers experience postpartum depression. Alexandra Kilmurray, a young mom, opened up on Instagram recently to talk about her experience after giving birth to her second son.
Alexandra is a mom of two children under age 2, which any mom can tell you is basically a nightmare (a love-filled, adorable nightmare, but a nightmare nonetheless). She usually shares pictures of her adorable sons and her family with her followers, but she recently decided to get honest, sharing the photo seen below.
She accompanied the photo with the following message.
Well, I know a lot of you guys are probably thinking “Why would she post this picture?” but it took me 18 months to get here, 18 months to not cry when I look in the mirror, 18 months to finally feel beautiful in my own skin again!
No one warns you about the dark sides of motherhood and pregnancy. No one fives you a heads up on how much you change physically and mentally after you become a mother.
It’s been a long and hard postpartum ride for me. 18 months after my first son and 5 months after my second son I feel like I can finally see the light and it genuinely feels amazing. Cheers to you mamas who are battling postpartum depression and still getting up everyday for your children!
Cheers to you mamas who still cry about the marks on your skin from birthing your perfect babies! Cheer to motherhood, cheers to knowing that this too shall pass! And things will get better.
People loved Alexandra's post, sharing their positive thoughts in her comments section. One follower responded, "I opened up my phone to this in my Facebook feed after spending some time looking at myself in the mirror and hating what I saw. I'm not there yet, but seeing your post made me feel not so alone. So thank you for sharing. Really, truly, thank you."
Did you have a tough postpartum experience? Let us know in the comments, and please SHARE this article with other people who might appreciate it!
[H/T: Viral Nova]
