“I want to convey the importance of receiving support during the postpartum period.” 〜Message from the Runner〜

Hello!

Tokyo Marathon 2027 Charity

This is Yamashita, a volunteer staff member for MadreBonita's public relations team 🌷

MadreBonita will be participating as a recipient organization in the Tokyo Marathon 2027 Charity, held on Sunday, March 7th, 2027.

At the Tokyo Marathon 2027 Charity, 13 people from Japan and 30 people from overseas will run together as MadreBonita's Charity Runners🏃‍♀️

In preparation for the event in March, we have received messages from our Charity Runners expressing their thoughts and feelings about participating in the Tokyo Marathon 2027 Charity as MadreBonita's Charity Runners 💌

Starting now, we will introduce each of the messages we have received.

Today, we’re sharing another message we’ve received from one of our Charity Runners! ✨ 

The fourth person we would like to introduce is Rachel, who is joining us from the United States.

Rachel shares that she "didn't even realize she was experiencing postpartum depression."

It was only after the birth of her second child that she began to suspect what she had gone through might have been postpartum depression.

Through her message, we hope you will gain insight into her perspective—a perspective shaped by her own firsthand experience of just how vital it is to receive support during the postpartum period. 💐

When I had my first child, 10 years ago, post partum wasn’t the widely used term it is today.I recall walking over a bride with my daughter, less than 6 months old, in toe thinking about her life if I wasn’t in it. What would happen if I stepped over that bridge. 

Post partum depression, something I didn’t recognize I was dealing with until my second child came along, was real and deeply effecting me as a mother, wife and person.

Having support post partum is so incredibly important. A mother is deep in trenches after birth. She loves her child and puts all her emotions and feelings aside to care for her baby.

I wish someone would have been there to offer support and help and to tell me the feelings I was feeling were normal and ok.I would love to give back to resources to help mothers in a similar situation. Sometimes it takes a village or someone’s it just takes that one person or stranger to help and to listen and to tell you it will be ok.

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The message contains these words:

"I wish someone would have been there to offer support and help and to tell me the feelings I was feeling were normal and ok."

Shortly after giving birth, while navigating the unfamiliar world of caring for my first child, I felt as though I had to set all my own needs aside to focus entirely on my baby.

Living like that, I gradually lost touch with my own feelings. I would find myself suddenly bursting into tears for no apparent reason, or being overcome by a wave of anxiety. It was during this time that I joined a postpartum care class offered by Madre Bonita. By shifting the focus back to myself—by truly engaging with "me"—I felt a weight lift from my heart. I believe this happened because the class conveyed a powerful message: "You are not alone. It’s okay—you are allowed to take care of yourself."

I truly hope that more people—not just new mothers and their families, but as many people as possible—come to understand just how vital it is to receive support during the postpartum period. 🫧

Next time, we will continue to introduce messages from runners that we have received at MadreBonita 💌

Messages from runners are also published on MadreBonita's official Instagram and Facebook.Please check them out as well ☺️

▪️NPO MadreBonita is an official charity of the Tokyo Marathon 2027 Charity.