CLEVELAND — Some days they're a big happy family, but others it's a struggle for mom Elizabeth Martin.
"Sometimes you bring the baby home and you're sad and you can't stop being sad," said Martin.
The mother of two suffers from postpartum depression.
"The first time I realized this isn't just baby blues, he was about two weeks old," she said. "I knew what it was, I guess it was harder to actually make time to get help because I already felt so overwhelmed."
Martin takes medication and sees a therapist but she's still not where she wants to be.
"I just hold him all day and I'm waiting on his mom to come pick him up because I don't feel any connection to him yet, and I feel like its been five months and I should be there, but that's why getting help is important," she said.
According to Cleveland Clinic, postpartum depression impacts one in 10 new mothers.
Martin wants to use her love of photography to show society what postpartum depression looks like and to eliminate the stigma.
"I just want to capture raw motherhood," she said.
This weekend, six women from across Northeast Ohio will gather at Martin's home studio for a photo shoot.
"I think the most fun part for me will be talking to the moms and then putting a blog post together," said Martin.
She wants these women to be a light for others.
"What helped them, what resources they wished were available," she said.
Martin also wants to potentially help moms who are suffering in silence.
"People feel so isolated with postpartum depression and you're far from isolated," said Martin. "I just hope it has the impact that I want it to."
