When I became a mom in 2018 I experienced severe postpartum depression and postpartum anxiety, mental health disorders which affect up to 1 in 7 new mothers around the globe (source: www.postpartum.net). In addition to my struggle with my mental health, I suffered complications from childbirth and developed a number of infections in the first month of my life as a mom. I had never been so sick physically or mentally.

It was during that time that I experienced a depth of depression I could never have imagined before. As I sat in the darkest moments of hopelessness and desperation I clung to the scripture from Romans 8:28 “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” I couldn’t understand why I was in such deep darkness, and I couldn’t see any light ahead of me, but I was able to trust in the Word that hope was my destination, regardless of my circumstances. I didn’t have to understand it, I just had to trust.

The lord quickly sent me a loving community of fellow moms who held my daughter and I together through our first year. They spoke truth and life into me when I needed it the most. He blessed me with knowledgeable doctors who gave me a number of resources through counseling, group therapy, and medication. I had a supportive husband who never wavered in his commitment or compassion.

Even with all of that, I barely made it.

I knew I wanted to give back to the mamas who would come after me, the ones who didn’t have the resources and privileges I did. I wanted to give them a story that would help them know that they are not alone and hope is real. So, in 2020 my book was published – A Life Postpartum: My Journey Through Postpartum Depression. It was my story of redemption, of miraculous healing. I began to speak with more and more moms and heard the same message from nearly all of them:

“Being a mom feels so lonely.”

I wanted to give these moms the same type of community support I relied on as a new mom and so I founded my company, A Life Postpartum LLC, in 2021 and began facilitating support groups for expectant and new moms in the Greater Cincinnati area. We’ve brought in guest speakers to provide education on prenatal and postpartum topics, we spent time sharing the ups and downs of our journeys, and beautiful relationships have formed. It’s authentic community, where vulnerability is valued and weaknesses are shared.

Looking back, I see how God was indeed working everything together for my good. My pain was not wasted, it had purpose. My darkness brought about a new light in my life I never could have expected.
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I am thankful to the Lord for bringing me into and out of the fire, for showing me that He is in control and I am not. I pray that my story will continue to bless other moms, that our community continues to grow, and that His glory will be revealed in each and every detail.

My Advice

Seek truth in God’s Word. When we are facing difficulties it’s so easy for us to lean on our emotions and our own perceptions of the situation, and that can lead to trouble. We have to remind ourselves of God’s truth by spending time in the Bible every. single. day. The enemy will not stop lying to us, so we must constantly remind ourselves of the truth. We must live in the light and trust that “Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭119:105‬ ‭NLT‬‬