We recently connected with Leslie Burbidge and have shared our conversation below.
Leslie, we can’t begin to explain how much we appreciate you sharing about your PPD experience, but we can say that so many in our community are suffering from or have suffered from postpartum issues including postpartum depression and so you sharing your story and how you overcame it might help someone who is going through it right now or in the future. What can you share with us about how you overcame PPD? For readers, please note this is not medical advice, we are not doctors, you should always consult professionals for advice and that this is merely one person sharing their story and experience.
Postpartum depression was deeply challenging for me to overcome yet I managed to pull myself from it twice.
At the beginning of 2016, I became pregnant with my first child after only dating my partner for about seven months and making a move from another city to be closer to him. We were married at the courthouse ten days before I gave birth to our son. All of this forced us to learn to work together very early. Breastfeeding didn’t come naturally to me, I had little support and was back to full time work within 2 months, only to be forced to step down to a part-time position due to my newly limited availability.
Healing came slowly. My inability to find joy in new motherhood lasted for nearly two years before I stumbled upon a community of women called The Wild Sisterhood who gathered for full moon ceremonies, an interest I had aligned with heavily and learned a lot about during those two rough years. Through these events I also discovered Out There Yoga, the most incredible outdoor yoga events hosted by an incredible woman named Kye, and On Our Moon, who hosted breath work at a local shop called The Ninth House, that captured and transformed my heart. Between these things I began to find myself and my light again. I formed powerful, supportive community around myself. I stepped into a new job and found confidence, stability and security. Then COVID happened.
Suddenly I was at a loss of both work and community. During this strange pause in the world, I became pregnant with my second child. I did everything I could to surround myself with other women and mothers who I hoped would support me in my postpartum. Yet, despite my best efforts, I found myself quite lonely at that time.
The loss of self I suffered was deep and isolating. I struggled with extreme weight gain and very negative self-image. My sweet daughter suffered from head to toe eczema which impacted every part our my family’s lives and took entirely too long to get under control. We hardly slept for months before we were finally seen by a pediatric dermatologist who helped us find a solution. During our battle with my little one’s skin and my PPD, I attempted to join a couple playgroups but they met far from our home and my poor self-esteem made me feel too insecure to form any kind of connection with the other mothers.
I had started to follow a mother from one of the playgroups on Instagram and she shared about a mom’s workout club called iStroll that met on my side of town. Despite a desire to walk and hike more, I was full of anxiety about doing it alone in the instance I was injured or threatened by a stranger, so I was very eager to try out this “run-walk club” I had read about online.
It was scary to show up the first time but I was embraced with welcome arms. Pushing my baby in her stroller in the cool winter weather with other mothers lifted my spirits in a truly unique way. I continued to show up weekly and was encouraged to start showing up for the other workout classes they also offered. Not only did my body transform but I fell in love with the community.
Around my second month of working out with everyone, I asked if I may photograph a class. My husband had gifted me a new camera in effort to revive a hobby from my teens I had put aside for so long. I was encouraged to keep photographing our workouts and my work was regularly shared on their social media. Quickly I received multiple opportunities which redeveloped my abilities and love for photography, something that has managed to completely consume me since. Creating connections with so many different groups and amazing people has been utterly life changing.
Having this skill and a community to share it with have enriched my life beyond measure. Having my and my daughter’s health back are gifts I do not take for granted. Having a partner who supported me and a marriage that survived through some of our darkest days are my greatest blessings.
Overcoming postpartum depression required me to do the work to receive love and light. I’m so grateful I didn’t give up and continued to seek supportive community that aligned with my heart. It took time and bravery to heal but I ended up with so much to be thankful for by the end of my postpartum journey.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
Professionally, I wear a few hats. I regularly photograph many events in my community, ranging from art classes to breastfeeding events to yoga retreats. I manage social media for a collective group of my community members with a shared goal to create and share local resources for family fun and wellness. I am in the process of becoming the assistant for an incredible musician in my community and look forward to seeing how that will alter the professional path I am currently on.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Looking back, I feel that wanting to be a contributing member of a community, a desire for personal wellness and a love of the outdoors were my most impactful qualities in this journey. To someone early in their journey, I would encourage them to fearlessly seek out opportunities to connect with the things and people that bring them joy.
Who is your ideal client or what sort of characteristics would make someone an ideal client for you?
My ideal photography client would be a community-focused business owner who hosts events that spread kindness and joy with a colorful, fun online presence that would showcase the gifts and abilities of us both.
Contact Info:
Image Credits
Katie Corley (Moon Valley Creative), Shannon Dudley
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