On Instagram, illustrator Anna Belenkiy (@annabell_illustration) depicts Disney princesses in situations of anxiety or postpartum depression that some moms experience on a daily basis, and it does a lot of good for her community.
Ariel in tears, overwhelmed with worry about her newborn baby; Desperate beauty facing her reflection in the mirror; Mulan sobbing as she breastfeeds her infant…all of these scenes represent the everyday life of women with anxiety and postpartum depression. In a series of illustrations titled “Postpartum Disney Princesses,” Anna Belenkiy shares his anxieties on Instagram, since the birth of her little Tommy, about 6 months ago. And his creativity is reminiscent of that of the artists who imagined the Disney princesses pregnant, with their children, and their prince in their role of father!
Through her beautiful illustrations, this artist bears witness to the more or less joyful moments that she has been able to go through since giving birth, in a register guilt-free and benevolent. Her new body and her new sensitivity are all characteristics that she is working to accept. His message is clear: moms with anxiety and postpartum depression are real fighters and they need to know it.
Anxieties related to postpartum anxiety
“A few days ago, while playing with Tommy, I stopped in front of the mirror and looked deep into my reflection. I was not able to recognize myself, these extra pounds and stretch marks were new to me. Suddenly Tommy laughed and smiled at me. I started crying after realizing that I will never be the old me. I am a new version of myself thanks to my little boy, and these stretch marks are my personal medal of courage. Because we moms are all heroes.” says Anna Belenkiy in one of her posts.
Postpartum anxiety is a pathology that begins at birth and can interfere in the lives of mothers for several months. It would affect around 17% of mothers who have just given birth according to one study published in 2016 by the University of British Columbia. In one of her publications, Anna Belenkiy testifies: “For me, being a new mom involves tons of anxiety, scary nightmares, and constant worrying about my baby boy. Some days I stay up all night to make sure he’s breathing and bad thoughts can take all my energy and make me cry hysterically.”
The causes of this pathology are not even today not well known. An anxious ground can favor it, but the hormonal disruption related to childbirth as well as the lack of sleep probably play their part in it. For Anna Belenkiy, this can be translated as follows: “As soon as I started breastfeeding, I began to suffer from depression and negative feelings about myself, my motherhood and my accomplishments. I ended up full of tears and self-disappointment each time and literally thought I was going crazy. A few minutes after I finished breastfeeding, I started to feel better.”
A woman suffering from postpartum anxiety can first talk to her midwife, her doctor or a psychologist, according to her preferences. Please do not hesitate to talk about it around youyou may find support from parents who have experienced the same difficulties.