Count fingers and toes. Kiss palm. Change diaper. Breast feed. Pat back to burp. Pat back to sleep. Swaddle in crib. Try to sleep? Clean. Wash Dishes. Eat food? Pump breast. Post partum exercises. Count fingers and foes. Miss talking to people. Choke on the silence. Scream when she does.
Susanna Blagrove is a Jamaican writer and poet. Beside her love affair with books and the beach, you can always find her crooning at karaoke.
Oof, as someone who suffered post-partum depression for nearly three years, I felt this one.
Well done. You’ve captured it exactly. Even after 33 years, I remember that period just as you have described. But back then you couldn’t speak about it. Thank you
Excellent – the last line lands perfectly. It sent me right back to the beginning to re-read.
Oh my. This was me 45 years ago. A newborn and no clue what to do.