This is incredible. 

I echo Deanna's sentiment about there being a stigma associated with admitting that parenthood isn't always "rainbows and butterflies". 

As a new parent myself, I can attest to the fact that it is hard. Very, very hard. My daughter is only 6 weeks old and while I don't suffer from post-partum depression, I do struggle almost daily with feelings of inadequacy, frustration and helplessness. And I feel guilty about it. I feel the need to use that phrase "but I wouldn't trade it for the world" whenever I might say that I hate the constant lack of sleep or that my daughter will cry for hours on end and nothing I do can get her to quiet down. I have gotten judgmental comments when I have said that I hate feeling like I'm stuck in the house all day constantly feeding, changing diapers, wiping spit-up and quieting fussing. 

I learned in the first couple of weeks that when people ask "how is being a parent?" they generally don't really want to hear the truth. They want to hear "Oh gosh, it's great! Nothing better in the world! I just love her little self to pieces and every day is better than the last!"

I have suffered from depression in the past and while it has been several years since I've had a relapse, I have moments where I feel that same sense of hopelessness. Because being a parent (especially, I think, for parents of very small children and babies) is a very difficult adjustment.

Thank you so much for this post!