Sometimes all you can do is survive **UPDATED**

To the mom battling PPD who has to let her baby cry in her crib for a few minutes a day because she just can’t handle it anymore, it’s okay. Your baby will always love you. To the mom who’s switching from nursing to formula because she’s just struggled too much with it, your baby will still grow up happy and healthy. To the single mother who has no choice but to bedshare because she has no one to take turns with when her baby wakes up every hour at night, you are engaging in a beautiful bonding experience with your child. To the mom who’s made a point not to bedshare, but does it just this once out of sheer desperation because her baby is overtired, you will get through this. To the mother who doesn’t change out of her sweats all day and hasn’t showered in a week because she has a newborn that refuses to be put down, you are beautiful.

Today was hard, but tomorrow is a fresh start. With all the negativity and the many, many opinions on how to care for our babies, I think it’s important that we build each other up and remind each other that there is no “perfect” parenting strategy. The best thing we can do for our fellow mother is offer encouragement and show grace and compassion when one of us is struggling. We are all doing the best we can for our children. My best might not look like your best, but I promise I am doing my best.

UPDATE:

Thank you all SO much for your response!! Your kindness and support gave me the courage to come out and tell the people I love about my PPD. To the people thanking me: honestly this helped me as much as it did you! It’s so encouraging to know I’m not the only one who’s really struggled with being a new mommy.

Here are some pictures of my dude just because ☺️