cowboyup
Well-known member
I get very quiet, keep to myself, sulk, cry, am sad - so I know (to an extent) how it feels.
I don't want to step on anyone's' toes but my SIL seems depressed. It appears she may be suffering from postpartum depression. She cries easily, and has been very quiet. I tried talking to her and she'll answer but that's it. She is usually a very opinionated person. She is usually not this quiet. Today she was in her room (as she has been most days) all day, and was folding clothes so I went in there and tried to strike up a convo but nothing. It was just awkward silence.
This may sound strange but lately she has done the dishes and laundry. Even the kids' laundry. Now, what's odd is that I am the one that does the kids' laundry and dishes. How do I word this...ok, when her family was visiting I let them do their thing. They cooked meals, helped with the kids, etc. Now that everyone is gone, though, SIL has been quiet, sad, hard to explain. But it's almost like since she's had to do laundry and dishes, things she's not used to doing, that she's become more depressed. I get the feeling she's like, "oh, this is what a wife and mother does" kinda thing.
For her, this is new and different. My brother cooks, and occasionally he will clean when I am "off duty" and she usually (before baby) watches tv and reads books. Before the baby was born, she would just leave all the household things up to others - more like me.
Hope you can make sense of what I'm trying to say. Sorry.
I know with a newborn there's no sleep and for SIL, every 2 hours she is pumping. (it's like a surplus of breast milk in freezer about a gallon a day)
and adjusting to a new person - all that good stuff, but her personality is different, don't laugh, but it's like I can feel it. I think I'm too empathetic sometimes.
Should I just leave her alone or should I try to talk to her, or tell my brother or what?
I don't want to step on anyone's' toes but my SIL seems depressed. It appears she may be suffering from postpartum depression. She cries easily, and has been very quiet. I tried talking to her and she'll answer but that's it. She is usually a very opinionated person. She is usually not this quiet. Today she was in her room (as she has been most days) all day, and was folding clothes so I went in there and tried to strike up a convo but nothing. It was just awkward silence.
This may sound strange but lately she has done the dishes and laundry. Even the kids' laundry. Now, what's odd is that I am the one that does the kids' laundry and dishes. How do I word this...ok, when her family was visiting I let them do their thing. They cooked meals, helped with the kids, etc. Now that everyone is gone, though, SIL has been quiet, sad, hard to explain. But it's almost like since she's had to do laundry and dishes, things she's not used to doing, that she's become more depressed. I get the feeling she's like, "oh, this is what a wife and mother does" kinda thing.
For her, this is new and different. My brother cooks, and occasionally he will clean when I am "off duty" and she usually (before baby) watches tv and reads books. Before the baby was born, she would just leave all the household things up to others - more like me.
Hope you can make sense of what I'm trying to say. Sorry.
I know with a newborn there's no sleep and for SIL, every 2 hours she is pumping. (it's like a surplus of breast milk in freezer about a gallon a day)
and adjusting to a new person - all that good stuff, but her personality is different, don't laugh, but it's like I can feel it. I think I'm too empathetic sometimes.Should I just leave her alone or should I try to talk to her, or tell my brother or what?
