Being a mother comes with many trials, challenges, and difficulties at every stage. Some of them are expected, while many are not. But one mom, Laura Harrington, never thought she would experience the challenge of not wanting to hold her baby.
Laura is just one of millions of mothers who experience perinatal mood disorders. However, many of these women are afraid to reveal their postpartum depression because of the stigma attached to it.
The new mom describes her first year as the mother to Eliza as filled with fear. She and her husband were excited to be pregnant, but once Eliza was born, that joy and love disappeared.
She tells WJRT, "I was like, this was the worst mistake I've ever made, I never should have had a kid."
She fulfilled her duties as a mother, changing and breastfeeding Eliza, caring for and holding her. But she was scared and couldn't sleep at night, even fearful that the child would die in her sleep.
She remembers her lowest point as being the time she couldn't even stand to hold her baby and had to call a neighbor for help. This was certainly more than just the "baby blues," or a hard time adjusting to motherhood, and she felt like she couldn't come forward about it or else her daughter would be taken away from her.
Eventually, Laura got the help she needed to overcome her disorder, and Eliza is now a healthy and happy 2-year-old. But the mom wants other parents to know about her ordeal so they don't have to go through the same emotional difficulties she did!
Please SHARE if you know motherhood is different for every mom and if you support Laura's message!
