Most moms will tell you that the most dreadful days of motherhood are those immediately after she has given birth, especially to her first child.
In these moments, moms struggle to deal with the changes in their body, the changes in their circadian rhythm as the baby’s pattern kicks in, and the changes in her emotional state of mind as she deals with motherhood.
Many moms will tell you how difficult it can be to care for the baby, encourage it to suck on the milk (especially from sore nipples), and move slowly as her body heals itself.
Even moms who are lucky enough to have loving partners and very supportive friends who help share the burden of feeding and diapering the baby while she gets her much needed rest can still experience postpartum depression.
This is probably the main reason why the photo of new mother Danielle Haines and her baby quickly went viral mere hours after she posted it in a Facebook group for moms.
This is a picture of me 3 days postpartum. I was so raw and so open, I was a fucking mess. I loved my baby, I missed…
Posted by Danielle Haines on Saturday, September 12, 2015
Haines admitted she had a “magical postpartum” yet there were moments when it was not easy.
The first few days were particularly difficult, especially because her nipples were cracked and bleeding. Her emotions are wrung tight and did not sleepwell.
When friend Sarah Carter visited three days after she gave birth, Haines admitted she was already tired and overcome with emotion.
When Carter asked whether she could take a photo of Haines and the baby, the new mom thought it was “pretty crazy” but allowed the shot, anyway, thinking she might thank her friend about it someday.
Well, she was right. Though the photo remained private for 10 months, Haines would later share it to an FB group of women in a birthing class. Within hours, the photo was viral!
Haines thanks her close friends and fellow midwives for the support they gave her throughout her pregnancy and postpartum, allowing her to “survive” well and enjoy great moments with her baby.
Her advice to people with pregnant or new-mom friends is this:
“Just feed the pregnant moms, reach out to your friends and be there for them. That’s what I had and it was amazing to be witnessed through it.”
(via ktla.com)
