by Michelle Stein posted in Parenting

As common as it is and as much awareness has been raised in recent years, postpartum depression is still a relatively taboo subject. But one Cleveland, Ohio, mom is speaking frankly about her postpartum mental health. And she's encouraging others to do the same.
See, Kathy DiVencenzo -- mom of a nearly-4-year-old daughter and a 3-month-old son -- is done hiding the "uncomfortable" part of her reality. On May 1, she shared side-by-side photos in a Facebook post, along with an important message. The first image is one she'd typically share on social media. (You know, perfect hair and clothes, a pristine play room and a euphoric mom.) A second image depicts a starkly different scene. (Disheveled hair and clothing, a messy room and an obviously miserable parent.) The thing is, though, both of these pictures are real. Some days, she's the put-together, smiling mom of two. Other days" Her postpartum depression, anxiety and OCD make parenting an uphill battle. "The truth is, both of these pictures represent my life depending on the day," DiVincenzo wrote on Facebook. "I would only ever comfortably share one of these realities though and that's the problem. The only thing more exhausting than having these conditions is pretending daily that I don't. I work twice as hard to hide this reality from you because I'm afraid to make you uncomfortable. I'm afraid you'll think I'm weak, crazy, a terrible mother, o...