Welcome!

Hello and Welcome to my blog. I am glad that you are here.

I am a mom who has experienced Postpartum Depression/Postpartum Mood Disorder/Perinatal Mental Illness. I now advocate for awareness of, support, and stigma removal.

I entitled my blog "It Takes A Village" in reference to the African proverb that is so commonly known. I feel very strongly that we as a society have set very high standards and expectations of new mothers to take care of their children on their own, without support or help after the first week or so.

I think we have it backwards: New Mom's need respite and support whether they are well or not. We need support and encouragement, and someone to relieve us so that we can get some sleep and time to rejuvienate.


My aim with this blog is to bring awareness to the world, and support to other Moms (and Dads) that are going through this experience. I am passionate about reducing stigma as it creates the barrier that keeps women silent and suffering. I want Moms to feel safe enough to share their story and get the support and help they need to get better.


I encourage you, if you believe you may be experiencing more than the "baby blues" to seek out help. You will not be judged or criticized. The goal of all list here on this blog are to support you and help you heal so that you may live the life you dreamed of with your child.


This blog is a work in progress, please check in often to see more updates and new information!


Sunday, April 17, 2011

Gratitude

Hello fellow travellers on the path to recovery.  My trips to this blog are few and far in between. My son keeps me on my toes. I don't know how many of you are out there that are following this blog, but I hope to the women who do, you find relief here. (And any family members and husbands too)

I have so many expectations of myself, and always find they are too high to reach. I am grateful that I am aware of this aspect of myself, and lower the bar to reasonable realistic expectations. I get frustrated that there is so much I want to do and don't have the time to do it. I don't mean housework either! Reading and writing is now a luxury to me!

Today, I had some downtime while I got my hair done for my birthday. I had brought my kobo and chose to read my book.."If the Buddha Got Stuck". This time, I started at the beginning instead of flipping to a random chapter. This is what stood out for me today:

"As we recognize suffering, we recognize the suffering in the world we live in".

One of the keys to my healing was my passion to help others heal too. I would be going through emotional roller coasters, but at the same time thinking about how I could help other women I knew that were suffering too. The pain of this type of suffering can be dibilitating and this is what moved me forward.

I am grateful for my journey. I know alot of women who continue to struggle every day with this illness. I wish you all support, respite and loads of strength to take care of yourselves. This is very important. You are worth it. Take care of yourself.

hugs,

Lisa


 http://www.amazon.com/If-Buddha-Got-Stuck-Spiritual/dp/0142196282