Inspiring Post-Delivery Photo Shows The Dark Moments No One Talks About

Having a baby is one of the most emotionally, physically, and physiologically taxing experiences a woman can endure.

It also can be an incredibly joyous event, where you are elated by the blessing you have just received.

In some cases, however, there are factors that come into play affecting your ability to take in all the moment has to offer, and you are crippled by the weight of everything that ensues post birth.

Mothers often feel ashamed to talk about these moments after birth. The moments where you are supposed to feel a certain way, where people expect you to wear a smile.

Conversation has begun about the reality of the fourth trimester, where hormones, responsibility, and fatigue can grip your entire body, as Mommy Underground has previously reported.

The spark that has ignited a flood of comments is a photo posted to Facebook by Alex Dovel, of Alex Michele Photography, of her friend Tammy Wright after the birth of her baby boy.

A black and white photo shows Wright holding tight onto the hospital bed rails, with her head bent down and a look of exhaustion and anguish on her face.

Dovel tells Good Morning America the scenario surrounding the pic that has accrued over 170,000 shares on Facebook:

There were quite a few people in the room and everyone was surrounding the baby. I was taking photos and I turned around and I see Tammy [Wright]. She was [still] in a lot of pain. Nobody talks about that — what’s actually, physically going on. It’s not pretty. It’s messy, and postpartum is hard. People need to love on the moms.”

As for the taking the picture Dovel adds, “I had to photograph her. This was part of her story.”

Labor and delivery are a tough and painful process, but it doesn’t stop there.

There is still all the uncomfortable and painful aftermath that has to be dealt with by the mother after the baby is delivered, but now it has to be handled while holding a tiny human that depends on you.

According to Science Daily, childbirth pain has been linked to postpartum depression, but new research has discovered it is the pain experienced by the mother after the birth rather than during labor and delivery itself.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that 1 in 9 women are affected by the burdensome symptoms of postpartum depression- extreme sadness, low energy, anxiety, crying episodes, irritability, and changes in eating or sleep patterns.

On top of this mountain of trials, postpartum depression can lead to “lower rates of breastfeeding and poor bonding with the baby,” according to Science Daily.

Knowing that the fourth trimester, or the first three months of the baby’s life, is the most turbulent for a new mom or experienced mother, we should be available to offer the most support during this time.

In a powerful caption below the heartfelt picture of Wright on Facebook it brought much-needed attention to this truth:

I saw you, mama. I saw the pain in your eyes and in your face and in your body. Because this is now a new season called postpartum. We tend to forget our mamas when babies are around. We ask how baby is, what does baby need, can we hold the baby, can we buy this for the baby but… what about mama?”

Wright reported to Good Morning America, that while she has three children, it wasn’t until her third that she had a natural delivery.

Wright shared how she felt in the moment the viral photo of her after delivering her son, Christian Robert, was taken:

I felt like my whole entire body was giving out on me. I was a little anxious because I knew there was going to be so much on mine and my husband’s plates with three kids.”

Some women would be embarrassed to have their most intimate moments shared with thousands of people on Facebook, but Wright is excited that the photograph got women talking about the realities of postpartum.

It was that bond of womanhood and respect of everyone knowing it’s not an easy transition,” the Floridian mom said. “It’s not talked about enough in society. [W]e act like we’ve got it all covered, but we need help. I think if it was talked about more, there would be less postpartum depression.”

Judging by the flood of comments on the photo, Wright may be on to something.

Many women shared their admiration for Wright not hiding the pain as society expects you too, while others used the board to give thanks to all the people that made their postpartum transition a success.

One Facebook user commented, “When our bodies don’t seem to go back to normal and your emotions so sensitive,” she wrote. “This is hard.”

Another commenter gave praises to her helpers after delivery writing, “Thank for you every load of laundry you washed and folded and put away.”

If you or someone you know is about to give birth, look at this photograph as a reminder that mothers need special care after giving birth, just as the babies do.

Maybe with a little help and encouragement, mothers can bask in the delight in having a baby, and all the immense love that is shared with the new, precious little soul.

Please let us know in the comments section if you have a special way you show new moms extra TLC.