My husband walked out of our bedroom, unable to look at me until I ‘got myself together.’ Our baby is only three months old, and I feel as if I’ve lost myself completely in the mess and exhaustion of new motherhood. This is my story of heartbreak, isolation, and the desperate fight to reclaim my worth.
Our journey to parenthood was filled with hope, but nothing prepared me for the challenges that came after our daughter was born. The struggle to accept an unexpected diagnosis tested my marriage, my sense of self, and my dreams for the future. In sharing our story, I hope to find connection and maybe help someone else feel less alone.
– My discharge from the hospital was unlike any other. My husband was busy with work and came to pick me up straight from the office. I had asked him to take some time off or at least a day off, but his boss wouldn’t allow it. I had also asked him to prepare everything for the baby’s arrival, and he assured me that we would manage everything—laundry, shopping, cleaning.
Still on maternity leave, Emma and her husband Wayne never planned on expanding their family again, but life had other plans. With the unexpected arrival of their third child, the couple finds themselves overwhelmed and reliant on Wayne’s mother, Naomi, for support.
After seven years of marriage and the birth of our energetic son three years ago, I, Jaden, found myself working tirelessly to provide for my family. Meanwhile, my wife, Kayla, seemed perpetually exhausted and disengaged from household duties. In a bid to understand the situation better, I decided to conduct an experiment, not realizing the consequences it would bring.
