As a woman and as a mother, there is a lot one experiences and goes through. There is no shame in seeking help, it is actually a courageous step.
I recently listened to a brilliant talk by a dear friend. One, it reminded me how lucky I am to have such strong outspoken, vulnerable friends and two, it showed me how brave and important it is to speak about one’s experiences.
Her series spoke about how the woman is the very base of a family. She sets the tone for the family and simultaneously how she goes through so much. Whether it is PMS, prenatal anxiety, postpartum depression, menopause, raging hormones and just normal life, all while generally taking care of the most vulnerable thing in the world – a child.
There is A LOT a mother holds herself to. In today’s world she may be valuing herself against “working” , self-judgements, society’s opinions, picture-perfect instagram, whatever it may be but it is up to us as women, to self-regulate when we don’t feel okay. One of the most important steps in self-regulation may involve asking for help and there is no shame in doing so. It is actually a courageous step. I, personally, went through anxiety during my pregnancy, something I did not even know existed and it was only when I reached out for some support that I was told that this was common. My friend’s talk also mentioned prenatal anxiety and she shared some vulnerable stories expanding on it stating that her anxiety was “crippling” and, I’ll tell you, she is one strong woman. Pregnancy had always been presented as a smiling glowing woman. Again, social media and the media has presented an idea that has been swallowed whole in a world obsessed with presenting “perfection”. I place perfection in inverted commas because I personally don’t think such a thing exists. Actually, imperfect to me is perfect because it’s real. I’d choose real any day, it would make everyone’s life a lot easier and relatable.
This is a short piece, simply stating that, as a woman, you are important and asking for help and getting help is brave and strong. Speak to those close to you, people you can be vulnerable with, trust, and who will be there for you. I’d further recommend asking for professional help. And I’m also here to say, you are not alone, you are so not alone. So many women, significant others, families, communities are going through this. You are so not alone.