A mum was brought to tears when she came across a postpartum photo of herself that showed “no attachment” to her baby.
Lacey Barratt, a photographer from Melbourne, Australia, had initially shared a photo of her standing to the side with her eyes closed on her Instagram.
But when she found the frontal image from the same shoot, she realised how many emotions were tied up in that picture.
“I *saw* my soul. In a picture. I cried,” Barratt wrote on Facebook on 6 January.
“I didn’t want to look at it anymore. I saw a woman standing next to her birth affirmation bunting less than 24 hours post-birth. There was no attachment.
“It looks like someone just dumped a baby in my arms.”
Barratt continued: “I saw a woman who felt like, after four biological births in five years and five children total, that this was her job - like she was good for nothing else other than birthing babies.
“Pregnant, birth, postpartum, baby cries, boob baby, baby poops, change baby, raise baby.... just going through the motions.
“I felt no warmth when I looked at this. Then, I felt guilty. I felt vulnerable. And I debated if I wanted to share.”
The mother continued that her newborn was only three days old and she was already shutting herself in her room, crying.
“Now, after some soul searching, placenta encapsulating, sharing with other women, and naked snuggling with all of my kids, I am ready to say it,” she wrote.
“Feeling disconnected after a birth, whether it be positive, supported and empowering or traumatic, disempowered, or poorly supported, is normal.
“Our emotions are everywhere. The stories I have received is a strong reminder that I am not alone, and I am very normal.
“So for my mamas out there, don’t be discouraged. You are not alone and you are doing fucking fabulous.”
The post has had more than 1,000 likes in four days.
“Finally a word I’ve been searching for to describe my first three months of being a mum.... disconnected,” one mother wrote. “Thank you.”
Another commented: “It hit me right in the feels the moment I saw your face in that top picture. I *know* that feeling.
“Thank you for encouraging others. We need more people like you in this world.”