MACON, Ga. — In our new series ‘Mental Health Mondays,’ we want to remind you that you’re not fighting your battles alone. This week, we're focusing on mothers who are dealing with something scary that experts say isn't discussed enough -- postpartum depression.
Allison Collins is a mother of two. She had her first child six months before the pandemic started, and then her 8-month-old daughter came right in the thick of it.
Collins says she thought those first few months were going to be the happiest of her life, but then postpartum depression came along.
"He changed my life in a way that I wasn't expecting. He changed everything," said Collins.
In Sept. 2019, she gave birth to her first bundle of joy, Whit.
"I'm an older mom and a first-time mom. This is something I've always wanted and have dreamed of for many years," she recalled.
But she was bewildered when motherhood wasn't like everyone said it would be.
"It wasn't... it wasn't what I expected it to be, and it was hard to have these feelings knowing that it was what I longed for and prayed for for so long," said Collins.
She had Whit shortly after she moved to Macon and then she had to transition into being a stay-at-home mom, which was even more difficult.
"I really struggled to adjust to being a mom. Everybody kept saying how wonderful being a mom was, how great it was to have your first baby, and how much you love that baby so much the instant you see him. I struggled with that," said Collins.
She told her doctor how she was feeling and she was diagnosed with postpartum depression. She then began seeing a counselor and joined Circle of Hope, a mom's support group.
"I was doing much better until the pandemic hit. What was already isolating became even more isolating," she said.
She started attending her support group and going to counseling again, which helped tremendously.
Fast forward to June 2021 when she welcomed her second child, Elle Bea. Because she already had a support network, the second time around was much easier.
"The most important thing is to activate your support system," said Brian Wright.
Wright, a resident in psychiatry with Piedmont Medical Center, says these feeling are totally normal.
"Find those people around that love you and care about you and can help you through that. The second thing is to let your doctor know that you're experiencing these symptoms just so they can monitor you," said Wright.
Collins says this is what helped her and she has a message for all moms experiencing postpartum: "You are not alone and your feelings do not make you a failure."
Some other tips for moms dealing with postpartum depression include:
- Trying to build a strong bond with your baby
- Slowly reintroducing exercise
- Creating time to take care of yourself
- Maintaining a healthy diet