This article originally appeared in Mishpacha/Family First (Issue 425, January 14, 2015). @Mishpacha Magazine 2015 www.mishpacha.com WHAT HAPPENS IF YOUR NEW BABY BRINGS YOU ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION, INSTEAD OF JOY AND DELIGHT? HOW TO RECOGNIZE – AND RECOVER FROM- POSTPARTUM REACTIONS “MOMMY, I WANT TO MAKE YOU A BIRTHDAY PARTY,” Shloimy said, eyes bright. “Hmm,” Leba mumbled, her head ensconced in a novel. “You know why, Mommy? Maybe if I make you a party, then you’ll smile.” An English teacher by profession, Leba Katz was as normal as they come. She was geshikt too: Despite giving birth to her sixth child just months earlier, her family always had fresh suppers, clean laundry, and sparkling floors. Which is why, despite repeated red flags, it never dawned on her that something was wrong. “My son’s remark should have been a bulletin from Shamayim,” Leba reflects. “But depression was for weirdos. I was Leba Katz, the oldest of a well-known heimishe family from Boro Park.” It took another alarming incident for Leba and her husband to realize they needed help. At 11:30 p.m. one night, Leba began walking out the door, wearing only a robe and socks. “Where are you going?” her husband […]
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