Hi, My name is Sana and I am an Award-Winning Newborn Photographer based in Melbourne.

When I was expecting my first born, I thought I was fully prepared for motherhood. I had always loved kids and envisioned raising my babies into grown up whom I could be friends with.
But what society never prepared me for is the reality of motherhood, looking after newborn and babies who can’t fend for themselves.
I moved to Melbourne when my first baby was 6 months old. This was a completely new place for me, almost alien, as I lacked any kind of support. We were the first generation here and had no family support whatsoever to help me with my first baby. That is when the post partum depression hit really hard! I did not recognize what was happening with me since I had never been told about this phase - to live and breathe for a baby, an another human being for a minimum of 2 to 3 years is a daunting task, all on your own, with no support.
Later, in 2019, I had my 2nd born and she turned out to be a much more challenging baby than my first baby. All hell broke loose yet again. To add on top of it, lockdown happened in 2020 when she was only a year old! I felt myself spiraling down into a bottomless abyss, with no end in sight. Post partum depression hit me this time even harder than before!
Motherhood is hard, and no one prepares us women for it. Not just in my culture but I saw the lack of awareness here in Australia as well. The only time you get to hear about PPD is AFTER delivering your baby, by which time I believe it’s usually too late.
Regardless, I was able to pull myself out on my own, with my own resilience. How?
I started searching for myself again, started investing time and money on my skills and hobbies. We often end up neglecting ourselves and filling up our own cup, because who has time after those sleepless nights with a baby, right? But that was the only thing that saved me! I started setting boundaries on how much time I would invest in my family and home so I could take out time for myself.
So this blog is for you all new mums out there who are struggling with this new phase. Have hope, fight back and start filling your cup! Not only can you not pour from an empty cup, but it is also detrimental to our future well being.
And also, learn to let go! You don’t have to keep on top with house chores and other errands. It is not your sole responsibility. Do as much as you can with ease. It is okay to let your laundry sit for a bit, it is ok to let your dishes pile up, it is okay to let your house be messy, IT IS OKAY!
The only thing that is important is your rest and recovery so the baby can have a happy mom. And never forget to put yourself first, even before your baby, so the family as a whole can thrive!
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