Zoe Foster Blake reveals she had “some dark days” after birth of daughter
She welcomed her second child, daughter Rudy Hazel, with comedian Hamish Blake in July, but Zoë Foster Blake has only now revealed the “dark days” following the birth of her daughter.
The 37-year-old opened up about her labour, birth and post-natal experiences in a candid blog post on ZoTheySay.com that quickly crashed her website.
“There were some dark days around week six and seven, though. Like all mums, when my infant hit peak crying and restlessness, all the bliss that carried me through the newborn era slipped quietly out the back door, and I began floundering,” she said.
Zoe admitted that she struggled with coping with a newborn and a toddler.
“After three years parenting just one (pretty chilled) kid, I felt totally unequipped and out of my depth. Parenting is, without a lick of competition, the hardest thing I’ve ever done, and the hardest job there is. They were the toughest few weeks of my life, I reckon,” she admitted.
“The fact that two children need you constantly, and at exactly the same time, was an entirely new and wildly challenging experience. After three years parenting just one (pretty chilled) kid, I felt totally unequipped and out of my depth.”
She added: “I don’t think I was anywhere near PND [post natal depression], (I have several girlfriends who were diagnosed after their second baby; so be alert for the symptoms), it was simply, as a friend pointed out, PND. Gah! The same acronym, how awkward! But this PND stands for Post Natal Depletion. Being hormonally, physically, and emotionally depleted…. Or in other words: being a mother.”
Crediting her support network, including a night nurse, to help her get some sleep, the mum-of-two offered invaluable advice to new mums.
“Tip: when your parents ask what they can give you for your new baby, ask for a night nurse voucher,” she revealed. “Cos when mum gets sleep, the whole family benefits.”