I didn’t expect to experience postpartum depression after the birth of our third child. Having been through the newborn phase twice before, I wondered why this time was so much harder for me than the others. Disappointment and discouragement seemed to define those newborn weeks. I wasn’t performing like the strong and capable mother I thought I would be.
Maybe you’ve been taken by surprise as well. Perhaps you expected the postpartum phase to go much differently than it has. If that’s the case, your disappointment is understandable. It’s discouraging to feel depressed during such a demanding time. But even though this season is harder than you might have imagined, there is hope. God is not surprised by your postpartum struggles—and that’s really good news.
When you feel overtaken by sorrow in motherhood, it’s good to remember that you are seen and surrounded by God. There are much-needed reminders about this reality in Psalm 139. As the writer marvels at God’s omniscience and omnipresence, at least three relevant applications to the experience of postpartum depression unfold.
Maybe you’ve been taken by surprise as well. Perhaps you expected the postpartum phase to go much differently than it has. If that’s the case, your disappointment is understandable. It’s discouraging to feel depressed during such a demanding time. But even though this season is harder than you might have imagined, there is hope. God is not surprised by your postpartum struggles—and that’s really good news.
When you feel overtaken by sorrow in motherhood, it’s good to remember that you are seen and surrounded by God. There are much-needed reminders about this reality in Psalm 139. As the writer marvels at God’s omniscience and omnipresence, at least three relevant applications to the experience of postpartum depression unfold.
