Nobody has to be as perfect as a mother. No matter what time and in what situation: It is always expected that she is patient, balanced, well organized, and above all: happy. After all, she has children and, as a society, we are sure that children are the greatest fulfillment you can have.
Nobody is allowed to know the truth
Of course, the reality is often very different: raising children is a tough job that takes you to your limits. When postnatal depression is added to the "normal" burden, it is almost impossible to maintain the facade of the "happy mother".
But that's exactly what many mothers do because they don't want to be labeled as "failed" and "bad mother". The American Kathy DiVincenzo gets to the point how absurd this conflict really is with this picture, which she published on Facebook. Tired of sweeping the problem under the carpet, DiVincenzo has an important message to send to all mothers who are also struggling with postnatal depression:
"I'm afraid that the truth will disturb you"
"The truth is that these pictures both show my life, depending on the shape of the day. But I would normally only show one of them, and that is exactly the problem. I'm working twice as hard to hide this reality from you because I'm afraid it could upset you. I'm afraid you might think I'm weak, crazy, a terrible mother, something different from the millions of things my head is talking to me about, and I know it's not just me. "
"Break the silence!"
"We have to stop assuming that the time after birth is always blissful, because for one in seven women it is not. (…) We have to learn what the signs, symptoms, risk factors and offers of help for the time after birth. We have to get rid of the stigma and end the silence by telling our stories and letting others know that they are not alone. "
An appeal to all other mothers is particularly important to DiVincenco: "If no one has told you yet: You are doing a great job! You are loved and you are worth it. You are not alone!"