Television and movies always portray pregnancy, birth, and the aftermath as mostly happy events. The discomforts are mild and intermittent: the mom throws up once on the bus, is rushed to the hospital in a cab a few episodes later, yells at her husband, then pushes her baby out with a scream. Afterward, she?s moderately sweaty, but already “so in love,” reclining in an immaculate hospital gown, makeup and hair done. 
As for the postpartum period" It?s never part of the picture. As soon as mom is out of the hospital, she resumes life as usual, and the baby disappears from the screen.
The reality of the postpartum period is complex, nuanced and? boring. Sleepless nights go hand in hand with a lingering odor of sour milk. Messy mom buns. Heaps of laundry pile up, and so do unsolicited advice and comments: “Sleep when the baby sleeps! You must be so in love! But don’t hold her too much, you’ll spoil her!”  For many new parents, the months will go by and they’ll see the light at the end of the tunnel. This period will be somewhat challenging, but for the most part, manageable. For others?like me?anxiety and depression will creep into their daily lives, making it impossible to bond, function, and live a full life. Darkness will settle in, and so will intrusive thoughts.
As many as one in four new birthing people in the world experience some type of perinatal mood and anxiety disorder (PMAD). In Canada, 23 per cent of birthing paren...