Parents get used to intrusive questions from strangers and family.
Even innocently asking, “When do you plan on having another baby?” can be very harmful.
Now, a popular blogger is speaking out about how she has been shamed for choosing to be “one and done”, and her story will make you rethink asking people when they plan to have more children.
Jen Schwartz is the popular blogger behind “Motherhood Understood”.
The blog aims to spread awareness about postpartum d********n and postpartum anxiety. It is a place where women can share their stories and support each other.
For Jen, she is no stranger to postpartum d********n.
Once she brought her son, Mason, home from the hospital, Jen began feeling the symptoms of postpartum d********n (PPD).
“All I wanted was to be the perfect mother madly in love with my son. Two weeks later I was diagnosed with postpartum d********n,” she wrote on her blog.
Thankfully, Jen overcame her PPD with the help of therapy and medication.
It’s been nearly six years since Jen was diagnosed with PPD and she’s been sharing her story since to help other moms going through the condition.
“I got better. It’s crazy to even think that’s how I felt back then,” she wrote .
Besides speaking out about her experiences with PPD, Jen has also been outspoken about her decision to not have any more children.
Jen says , “most people respond with confusion, sometimes horror when they find out you are ‘one and done'”.
In fact a lot of people, including complete strangers, have tried to shame Jen for her decision.
The shaming can come in the form of seemingly innocent questions, but these people have no idea how hurtful this can be for someone who has gone through PPD.
Jen’s experience with PPD played a huge role in her decision to not have more kids.
“If you were to ask me when I knew I was done having kids, I would tell you, ‘I knew I was done the day after I brought my son home from the hospital. The day when PPD hit me like a category 1 hurricane,'” she said .
Jen also explained that she wanted to focus on her marriage and her health.
“I made the best choice for my family. I wanted to be the best mommy I could be to my son and part of that meant taking care of my health. I chose to give him a happy, healthy mommy rather than a sibling,” she said .
This story is so important and we are applauding Jen for her honesty.
At the end of the day, it the parents’ decision if they choose to have more kids or not, and we should respect that.
Let’s stop the parent shaming and accept that some people are simply one and done when it comes to having kids. End of story.
Last Updated on February 1, 2019 by Emily McWilliams