What Happens when Your Postpartum Inspires a Novel? Julia's Birth story, Part I

"Need is an albatross. To be needed is to wear the weight of stones across your chest . To be wanted. That is different. To be wanted by a child is the cleanest of desires. To still be wanted once the child is fed and rested; once the diapers are fresh and the snot has been siphoned from the nostril and the gas has passed through. To be recognized not just as a body, but a person, a comfort to be loved."

That's a brief snippet from the novel The Upstairs House by Julia Fine, my guest today on war stories from the womb.

In today's episode the author Julia Fine talks about how her experience with the significant challenges of the postpartum period inspired her novel, what she's learned about the experience now that's its in the past, and how she hopes it will foster a more realistic public discussion of the challenging months that most mothers encounter in the weeks just after birth. I also include the insights of a former OB who has become a postpartum coach about signs of PPD and her advice to help women manage this often stressful, exhausting, lonely period.

For extended show notes and links to Julia's work and to Dr. Patel, see:
the War Stories from the Womb website

This is a weekly show that highlights real pregnancy, birth & postpartum stories.