Life Gets Tough

By the time Ben was four weeks old I had been diagnosed with post natal depression. Despite the fact that Ben has been the most wonderful addition to our family, my hormones and some really tough times with breastfeeding got the better of me. In working through this very rough patch we have been so lucky to have the support of our friends and family who have totally wrapped us up and looked after us. We particularly want to thank our three Mums: Judy, Annie and Aunty Chris who all put their lives on hold for a time to help us. Thanks also to Bop for knowing the right words to say. Sally for the CDs and the lovely words. We also want to thank Emma who came to visit Ben for a couple of days, found me in a mess and stayed for a week. This was a big deal; Emma's got two little boys at home and another baby on the way. Justin, thank you so much for looking after the boys so Em could do this. And a huge thank you to the Watsons. Janey, you've been a rock, thank you for listening to me and buoying me up. And Matt particularly wants to thank you for all the food ... everyone knows how he loves his food. To all of our friends thank you so much: Manda and Adam for the tulips, Amanda for the note in the cot, Emily for knowing exactly what I was going through, Liz for the biscuits, Katy for the nipple shields field trip, Libby for the long talk, Kel and Beth for being so supportive, Catherine, Renee and Veronica for the champagne, Meg for the phone calls and especially for the letter, Rachel for listening, Julie for the poo consult, Anna for the handbag book, Mel and Sylvain for the flowers, Anjanette for the risotto, Renay and Chad for the chocolate, Snooze for the empathy, Al for the wise words, Jane-Maree for the reassurance, Joclyn for the curry, Caroline for the long telephone conversation. I was such a mess and everyone's kindness really helped. Another good thing that came out of this was the fantastic support we continue to receive from health professionals. Things are much much better now. I've stopped putting Ben to the breast, but I'm expressing and Ben gets about 500mL breast milk and about the same amount of formula. I'm also taking antidepressants and feeling fantastic. Thanks to all of this we've been able to get on and enjoy our little man and we are all now on the right track.