‘A Depressed Mom Is Not Less Of A Mother’

Last March 2021, we asked our readers to submit their answers to this question: “How did Smart Parenting help you on your parenting journey?”

We’ve chosen the 10 finalists from all over the country. But YOU get to decide who goes home with P100,000 by voting for the story that touched you the most (scroll below to vote!).

Click here to see who got the most votes from Smart Parenting readers!

 One of the #MySmartParentingStory finalists is first-time mom Ena Marie Dizon. We asked her what she wished moms would tell fellow moms more.

She answered, “Take things one day at a time. Don’t forget to breathe and find joy in your silent moments. May your exhaustion in motherhood cause you to rejoice, knowing that you are sacrificing in beautiful ways for your children.”

Ena talks about postpartum depression in her Smart Parenting story.

A depressed mom is not less of a mother — this is what Smart Parenting Village taught me as a new mom.

After pregnancy, my life turned upside down. I couldn’t eat on time, I bled, I had to take care of the baby 24/7, I couldn’t shower on time, suffered from migraines and chills, and had to feed the new life on demand. My breasts and my stitches were excruciatingly painful.

Smart Parenting was my support system after I gave birth. In joining the village, I have encountered mothers who are silently suffering from postpartum depression (PPD).

Smart Parenting has led me to empower new moms through these 10 tips:

1. Don’t compare the past with the present. Avoid saying, “Kaya namin nuong panahon namin.” Bridge the generation gap.
2. Don’t look down on inexperienced mothers. Avoid saying, “Ang dali lang alagaan ng baby, matutulog lang, ‘pag umiyak padedehin.” Iba-iba po ang sanggol.
3. Don't just visit the baby. Talk to and pray for the mommy, too. ‘Pag nanganak na, bihira kang makakaranig ng “kamusta ka na?”
4. Offer help even when she doesn’t ask for it. Madalas nahihiya o natatakot kasi baka isiping nagdadrama lang.
5. Understand that she cannot do it altogether. In a world full of criticism, be her support system.
6. Be sensitive with your approach to how she feels and looks. Don’t expect her to look fabulous after giving birth. She carried a human being.
7. Don’t tag her as lazy if you see her on her phone. You have no idea how a chat or a meme can keep her sane.
8. Be patient with her. She's tired but she tries. ‘Pag anak umiyak, kailangan patahanin. ‘Pag ang nanay umiyak, walang nagpapatahan.
9. Pray for her.
10. Share inspiring messages to encourage her. We do everything to protect ourselves from physical diseases, but we forget that we also battle with the mental and spiritual aspects.

To all who suffer from PPD, you are not less of a mother. You got this, Mommy.

Love Ena’s story? Click her name below to vote, so she brings home P100,000!

Want to read the other finalists' stories before voting? You can find all 10 entries here! Voting is until May 15.

While you can vote multiple times using this poll, the results you see do not reflect the actual validated numbers. Did you vote 10 times for one candidate? That will only be considered as 1 vote. So we highly encourage you to vote once and ask your friends to cast their votes as well.

 

The final winner will be based on the number of unique votes at the end of the voting period. Here's where the voting is so far according to unique votes.

As one of our 10 finalists, Ena will receive:

• An ible Airvida Wearable Air Purifier worth P8,795
• P2,000 worth of gift certificates
• A chance to win P100,000, tax-free, of course!

Submitted entries are edited only for spelling, punctuation, grammar, and formatting.