Send us a text

A fast, beautiful birth wasn’t the whole story. After welcoming her second son, Audrey—an OB nurse who loves her work and her people—slipped into a fog she couldn’t name. Mucusy diapers turned to blood, an elimination diet shrank to eight ingredients, COVID and croup hit the house, and a 103.9° mastitis fever forced her back into breastfeeding when her heart was done. She felt trapped: no sleep, not enough calories, a screaming newborn, and a toddler with allergies—and a growing distance from both boys that scared her.

The shift came with a phone call. A friend listened and said, “You don’t sound okay.” Those words gave Audrey the courage to collapse into Skyler’s lap and say what mattered: “I’m not okay.” A lactation consultant mapped a cold-turkey plan, her midwife adjusted meds and urged therapy, and a friend offered a surprising ritual—mark the last feed by rejoicing in concrete mercies. That simple act helped Audrey feel God’s nearness again. Then community did what community does best: eight-hour companion shifts so she wasn’t alone, meal trains restarted and husbands grabbed school pickups. Bit by bit, sleep returned, calories went up, and hope seeped back in.

Audrey didn’t keep it quiet. She started saying “I have postpartum depression” out loud at church—and woman after woman whispered, “Me too.” In that chorus, shame lost its hold. Today she’s bonding with Jacob in ways the fog once hid—more eye contact, more coos, more joy—and she’s honest about what still aches. This conversation is tender, practical, and real: postpartum depression, mastitis, elimination diets, formula, midwives, therapy, faith, and the gritty logistics of survival. If you or someone you love is treading water in the dark, this story offers a map: name it, ask early, accept help, bring in pros, and let your people carry you until you can walk.

If this resonated, subscribe, share it with a friend who needs it, and leave a quick review so more parents can find their way to support and hope.