The Why Behind the What – Part 1
Take a good look at the woman in the photo nuzzling her little cherub. Doesn’t she look blissfully happy? Awww, how sweet!
But she does not represent me–and the following, from my novel, Not That Kind of Call Girl illustrates why.
“The new mother thing was not at all like what Baby’s First Year magazine depicted or what she’d read on the internet. Wasn’t she supposed to love, love, love his velvety skin and soft feathery hair? His little squeaks and coos? Wasn’t she supposed to feel an overwhelming sense of devotion and thank God every waking moment for their unbreakable mother-son bond?
Not so much.
She wanted to stick him in the hole from which he came.
This baby scared her shitless, with his neck all weak and wonky and his nearly crossed, unfocused eyes.”
I didn’t bond with my firstborn for at least four or five months. Sure, I cared for him: fed, bathed, changed, held him. But I didn’t love him the way I thought I was supposed to. I barely liked him. And sometimes, I wanted to stick him back in the hole from which he came.
Many moms experience the same but are too ashamed to put it out there or ask for help. According to the National Institute of Health, about one in seven women experience postpartum depression (PPD). I wrote Not That Kind of Call Girl to put it out there (the why behind the what). There were other reasons, too, and I’ll get to those in another post.
Ladies and gents. Hear ye! Hear ye! No more hiding the truth! Let’s put it out there. Send me your stories of postpartum depression—a paragraph or two will suffice. I welcome input from women and their partners. Your submission could appear on this page in the future. The more we acknowledge and discuss it, the less stigmatized it becomes.
A future post will feature an interview with Dr. Marci Nelson, a family practice and obstetrics physician who’s helped countless women through their postpartum struggles. I’m thrilled that she agreed to participate. Join my mailing list to get notified when new posts get added to the Mighty Moms’ Blog.
I NEED YOUR HELP, POR FAVOR
Tell me what you thought about the book, and if you would kindly do me a favor, post your review on every website you can think of, such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Goodreads, TikTok, Instagram, your personal Facebook page, etc. Your vote of confidence in Not That Kind of Call Girl will go a long way in helping to promote the book. ¡Muchas gracias!
PS: Knowing that many of Julia’s experiences were my own, you might wonder how my son turned out. Well, as Mary Poppins might say, he’s practically perfect in every way. I’m not biased or anything!
Author Nova García hails from Laredo, Texas. Her Mexican-American family is a source of great pride. Not That Kind of Call Girl is her first book in the women’s fiction genre.
Nova writes to dispel Latino stereotypes and recognize women for the everyday miracles they make possible with determination, smarts and a generous helping of kick-a** attitude. She knows postpartum depression first-hand and wants women around the world to know they’re not alone.