I don’t know about you, but I love those first few early days of spring when the weather finally warms up and turns from that ugly, soul-crushing grey (That should be a new Sherwin Williams color! Tough sell though…) to bright sunny evenings! I never realize how depressed I get during the winter until spring hits and I’m thinking “Wow! I’m happy! Man, I was feeling really terrible before and didn’t even realize how bad!” Haha. So as soon as we had a couple nice days, I started itching to get out and photograph something! And for me, my happy place is taking beautiful portraits of expecting mothers! I put out a model call, and this sweet angel responded and became the absolute perfect fit! We had a gorgeous evening at The Nature Realm! Faith brought along her daughter, Kinsley, who I also enjoyed photographing! She was a hoot! Very spirited!

As we walked around the park taking photos, the in between time allowed Faith to tell me her story of Postpartum depression with her first child. It was a scary time for her and she has since become an advocate for mothers’ dealing with PPD. She has a blog you can follow called My Postpartum Season that documents her struggles, hopes and fears.

1 in 7 mothers experience postpartum depression. And unlike the baby blues, PPD doesn’t go away on its own. It might not happen right away either, it can appear days or even months after delivering a baby. PPD can make it hard for you to get through the day, and it can affect your ability to take care of your baby, or yourself.

The following are suggestions on what to do if you’re affected by PPD (From The American Phycological Association):

• Don’t face PPD alone—Seek help from a psychologist or other licensed mental health
  provider; contact your doctor or other primary health care provider.
• Talk openly about your feelings with your partner, other mothers, friends, and relatives.
• Join a support group for mothers—ask your health care provider for suggestions if you
  can’t find one.
• Find a relative or close friend who can help you take care of the baby.
• Get as much sleep or rest as you can even if you have to ask for more help with the baby
  —if you can’t rest even when you want to, tell your primary health care provider.
• As soon as your doctor or other primary health care provider says it’s okay, take walks, get exercise.
• Try not to worry about unimportant tasks—be realistic about what you can really do while
  taking care of a new baby.
• Cut down on less important responsibilities

Postpartum depression is not your fault–it is a real, but treatable, psychological disorder.

If you are having thoughts of hurting yourself or your baby, take action now:

Put the baby in a safe place, like a crib. Call a friend or family member for help if you need to.

Call a suicide hotline (free & staffed all day, every day):

National Hopeline Network
1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433)

National Strategy for Suicide Prevention: LifeLine
1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255)
Has hotlines for every state

PPDMoms
1-800-PPDMOMS (1-800-773-6667)

Amanda Ellis Photography is currently booking Spring and Summer 2017 Newborn, Maternity and Milestone Sessions. Amanda Ellis Photography specializes in newborn, maternity and family. To see my latest work please visit my FACEBOOK PAGE.

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