I need some help.

Asking for help - in any aspect of life - can be a difficult thing. Why?

What is the barrier to saying, “hey, I just can’t do this alone and could really use your guidance”?

Is it admitting we don’t know what we’re doing that is the hard part? Is it the feeling that we have not met a challenge that cripples us? Is it the sense of not being “in control”?

At its core, asking for help brings us to a place of vulnerability. This can be a challenging emotional state when we are so often rewarded for decisiveness and independence and fortitude. Feeling vulnerable means we need to trust others to lift us up when we are not able to do that ourselves. Feeling vulnerable means we are opening ourselves up to potential hurt but also potential growth and newfound strength. Feeling vulnerable means we have realized we can’t solve it all by ourselves.

Feeling vulnerable is scary.

And it is okay.

Especially in the postpartum period which is a time of complete transformation and upheaval, it is okay to ask for help from those around you. This applies to partners too, who may feel a bit uncertain of your role - you can ask for help too. Three words: I need help. They can be hard to utter but ultimately bring great reward, relief and repair.