Hope is thankful for having a supportive husband.

Written testimony

I’m thinking about three different women right now. One that I kind of ran into in the coffee shop and would meet up with her randomly without planning for a few weeks and I know all about her postpartum period and I actually never even disclosed mine, you know. And then another woman and so, there’s a lot of isolation out there, but I felt less isolated, because of my husband. I can’t stress the benefits of really working on your relationship to have it be good, because I mean our relationship has not always been good. We have definitely had periods where it’s done, you know, this close to walking away, but we always turn back towards each other and that pays off, so I’m glad that I have support. Yeah.

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• Seeking Help and Getting Diagnosis – Hope
  The intrusive thoughts made Hope scared to ask for help as she feared her baby might be taken away.
• Work, Finances and Mental Health – Hope
  Although it was financially challenging Hope extended her maternity leave because she felt she missed out on the first three months with her child.
• Relationships – Hope
  When Hope shared her worries with her husband that he might hurt the children, he accompanied her to find help.
• Support from Family and Friends – Hope
  Hope is thankful for having a supportive husband.
• Bonding – Hope
  Sometimes, the bond needed a little encouragement, and Hope believes that cuddling and skin-to-skin contact can strengthen that connection with the baby.
• Bonding – Hope
  With her second baby, Hope didn't feel an immediate explosion of joy after birth, and a few hours later, she experienced her first intrusive thought.
• Coping with Feeding – Hope
  Continuing breastfeeding, despite the challenges, helped Hope move past the postpartum period.
• Symptoms – Hope
  It was a huge relief for Hope when her doctor reassured her that intrusive thoughts can be normal and are treatable.
• Birth Experience and Mental Health – Hope
  After a good birth experience, Hope didn't feel the explosion of phenomenal joy she had expected.
• Before and During Pregnancy – Hope
  The first fear Hope experienced when she heard she was pregnant was that she then had to get off her medications.