Somebody’s Mama Lives Here
Multimedia story by W.P. Stacy Branum
Click here to view.
Text by Cody Brazen
Depression is a common problem during and after pregnancy. About 13 percent of pregnant women and new mothers have depression (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services).
“I’m not really a part of that world anymore and it can be rather lonely.”
Sara Branum is a 34-year-old mother who, since having her first child, has struggled to find her new identity. Branum’s newborn son, Jay, is almost three months old. Although she describes him as “the best thing I’ve ever done,” he has changed everything about how Branum sees herself.
Lucky enough to enjoy a long maternity leave, Branum has fully committed herself to raising Jay. But she has also become isolated from the outside world – from all that defined her before she was a mother.
Though she has almost no time to herself, Branum still feels lonely. She rarely interacts with other adults and often asks herself, “Who am I?” Branum always knew having a baby would change everything. She just didn’t understand what that really meant until she had one.
2 Responses to “Somebody’s Mama Lives Here”
Leave a Reply
Blog at WordPress.com.
Theme: Monotone by Automattic.
Stacy, thanks for doing such a great job capturing the early days of motherhood. It brought back many memories.
Hi Lisa,
Thanks so much! I appreciate it. I really enjoyed your piece, too. Your images are especially lovely. I hope you continue to do more of this kind of work!