PPD as a mom of six

 I was so surprised to read that 85% of mothers experience postpartum blues and about 13% of mothers experience postpartum depression.

 

It can feel so isolating and yet so many mothers are experiencing it in one form or another. I've been sharing a little bit more of my PPD journey over on instagram lately ( @theoilsmarket ). I think the weather being so cold and the sleepless nights have intensified what I'm going through. I was recently talking to my husband about it all and he encouraged me to share more about it instead of just trying to power through. My hope is that, as I share, other mamas who struggle will find encouragement and feel seen in an otherwise very isolating battle.

I'm determined to fight back and do whatever I need to do to be strong mentally, physically and spiritually as a mother. I want to show my kids how to get back up, how to fight the demons, how to battle the darkness, how to seek Jesus with everything you've got and how to find victory. Focus Areas: Emotionally: Eyes on Jesus. Breathing in specific essential oils that support emotions. Prioritizing sleep. (That helps a ton!) Keeping my eyes and energy off of things that cause anxiety and stress.   Physically: Daily exercise. Weights in the mornings and some form of cardio, preferably outside. Taking my supplements consistently. Daily Ningxia. I need it to be a nonnegotiable.   Spiritually: Daily listening to the Bible on audio. Starting the day with intentional prayer. Meditating on God's Word and reminding myself of truth over and over.

This is something I've had to fight through for almost 20 years now as a mama to 6 kids. It's been the fight of my life. I want my children seeing what it looks like to fight for health, healing, victory and strength. I want my children seeing their mama get back up after failing. I want my children having a tangible visible example of a mama desperately dependent on Jesus.   I have good days and really bad days. But I fiercely love my children. I fiercely love my husband. I fiercely love Jesus. And I'm committed to fighting through the heaviness while clinging to Jesus and showing my children where our hope and strength and freedom and healing is ultimately found.   If you're a mama in the trenches, whether it's PPD or discouragement or isolation or depression, take one day at a time. Keep your eyes on Jesus moment by moment. Meditate on God's Word. Get outside. Move your body. Take your supplements. Put your oxygen mask on first SO THAT you can help your kids too. I’m determined to fight through, regardless of my feelings. I am not my feelings. You are not your feelings. I am a child of God, deeply loved and seen by my Heavenly Father.  You are a child of God deeply loved and seen by your Heavenly Father. He gives new mercy and new grace each morning.  So today, in my own personal fight, my weapons are the Word of God, exercise, worship music, prayer, praise, taking care of my physical body as well as my emotional and spiritual body.    “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.“ Isaiah 26:3 ❤️