I didn’t know what was wrong with me.
I had a beautiful, happy baby boy. I had a husband who doted on us (and did the dishes diligently). My parents had rented an apartment across the street to help take care of Rho and me.
I had just inked a book deal and was working with my best friend on a startup.
And I had just fit back in my pre-baby jeans.
My life looked perfect. And I couldn’t stop crying.
I cried in the grocery store when I couldn’t find mustard. I cried watching my son roll over on the playmat. I cried while making a grilled cheese sandwich.
And I definitely cried after spilling pumped milk. But I’m certain every mother has cried in that moment.
It didn’t even occur to me that I was experiencing postpartum depression.
I didn’t have any desire to harm myself or my son. I had no suicidal thoughts. I was generally upbeat and happy.
But at the most random moments, several times a day, I would burst into tears. I’d quickly dash to the nearest empty restroom or bench, hunch over, and hide my face as the water fell from my eyes.
Admitting that I needed help felt like admitting defeat – that I couldn’t be a good mother, or wife, or entrepreneur. I hid my bloodshot eyes behind sunglasses and quickly disposed of wet tissues when no one was looking. I’d curtly answer “fine” when anyone asked how I was doing.
Ha. Fine. Not by a long shot.
The first time I brought up postpartum depression was to my mother. She was sympathetic, but wary of my self-diagnosis. “It’s the baby blues,” she responded, rubbing my back. “We all have them.”
Why does any woman go through pregnancy twice, if every mother has this?
I continued to persevere silently. And for every moment of utter despair, there was one of pure joy.
Watching my husband and son bond made my heart explode with love. My son’s smile when I started singing never failed to bring a grin to my face.
In those happy moments, postpartum depression was the furthest thing from my mind. But the crying always had a way of weaving back into my life.
I continued to suffer silently (and sometimes not-so-silently) for the first four months of Rho’s life – the most critical for a newborn. During this period, babies mirror their mother’s every move and emotion.
Thankfully, Rho spent quite a lot of time with my parents and our nanny during this time, as I eased back into work. He was a happy cherub of a baby – but in my dark moments, even his smiling face couldn’t stop my tears from falling.
I began to hit my breaking point that July. Thankfully, my father and father-in-law – a scientist and psychiatrist, respectively – sat me down after one particularly blistering verbal explosion.
“We think you’re suffering postpartum depression. The neurotransmitters in your body are off-balance, which happens so often but is never talked about. We love you. Can we schedule you an appointment with your doctor?”
Once the words escaped their mouths, a weight lifted from my shoulder. It was exactly what I thought it was. And it was okay.
I was going to be okay.
I promptly visited my OBGYN a few days later, and left with a prescription and a mandate to exercise and meditate more. My body took a while to adjust to the medicine – it left me sluggish and as if someone threw an emotional wet blanket on me.
I wasn’t crying hysterically anymore. But the happy moments weren’t as happy as they once were.
Yet I was stable. I was centered. And I started the long journey back to the woman I always have been, and the mother I wanted to be.
Hitha Palepu is a writer, entrepreneur, and Rho’s mother. She lives in New York City with her family. Her book How To Pack is available on Amazon.
Saralyn Ward is an award-winning writer, wellness advocate, and mountain mama. She is the founder of The Mama Sagas, writes for several publications and hosts a regular parenting TV segment on Colorado's Everyday Show. When she's not huddled over edits, you're likely to find Saralyn climbing peaks or skiing down them, and reminding herself that the two little girls that call her mom are not the boss of her.