Five Weeks Postpartum, I Walked Out—And It Changed Everything
Five weeks after giving birth, I was running on fumes. I was nursing around the clock, changing diapers, tidying the house, and surviving on scraps of sleep. My husband had invited his mother to stay and “help,” but instead, she took over our space—inviting guests, leaving messes, and contributing little beyond stress.
I felt invisible in my own home.
But last night changed everything.
I was upstairs, nursing our baby alone, while my husband and his mother relaxed downstairs watching TV. When I finally came down, exhausted and hungry, I found the kitchen in chaos. Not only was there no food left, but when I asked about dinner, my mother-in-law shrugged:
“You didn’t show up, so we figured you weren’t hungry.”
Then my husband added, “Just clean up the dishes. You don’t do anything around here anyway.”
The words hit me harder than any exhaustion ever could.
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