by Brandi Riley posted in Pregnancy

I thought what I was feeling was normal.
Going from having one child to having two was a challenge for any mom, right"
And not having the desire to get dressed or do my hair was typical for a new mom.

I had a tough pregnancy that included a hyperemesis gravidarum diagnosis and anemia. There were a few complications during my scheduled c-section that led to a hard recovery. I didn't expect my son to be such a different baby than my daughter was, and there was a learning curve as I learned to mother a baby who needed a lot of attention.
Oh, and I got mastitis.
The feeling of being overwhelmed all of the time, not being able to sleep even though I was exhausted, and not ever being able to do or be enough  was surely something that all moms felt, right" According to my doctor, wrong.
After nearly a year of trying to find my footing with a new baby, I finally talked to my doctor about it a couple of weeks ago. After talking and a short assessment, she diagnosed me with postpartum anxiety.
I was relieved. Finally I had an answer for what was wrong with me.
Postpartum anxiety doesn't always come with tears.
Whenever I thought about postpartum anxiety or depression, I pictured sadness and despair. I've had friends who championed through it and there were times when they were puddles of tears. That isn't what it's been like for me.
I'm not alone.
I'm not sad.
So what's the problem"
I never really felt depressed during this postpa...