In this compelling memoir, Brooke Shields talks candidly about her
experience with postpartum depression after the birth of her
daughter, and provides millions of women with an inspiring example
of recovery hen Brooke Shields welcomed her newborn daughter, Rowan
Francis, into the world, something unexpected followed-a crippling
depression. Now, for the first time ever, in Down Came the Rain,
Brooke talks about the trials, tribulations, and finally the
triumphs that occurred before, during, and after the birth of her
daughter.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Excerpted from Down Came the Rain by Brooke Shields:
Once upon a time, there was a little girl who dreamed of being a
mommy. She wanted, more than anything, to have a child and knew her
dream would come true one day. She would sit for hours thinking up
names to call her baby. Eventually this little girl grew up. Though
she'd met and married her Prince Charming, she was having trouble
conceiving. She began to realize that her dream wasn't going to
come true without a great deal of medical help. So she went on a
long journey through the world of fertility treatments. When none
of them worked, she got frustrated and depressed. She felt like a
failure. And then one day, finally, she became pregnant. She was
thrilled beyond belief. She had a wonderful pregnancy and a perfect
baby girl. At long last, her dream of being a mommy had come true.
But instead of being relieved and happy, all she could do was
cry.
In an attempt to gain control, I decided to unpack immediately and
tidy up the house. Chris kindly reminded me that I'd just had a
baby and the tidying up could wait. He ordered me to bed and added
that once we all got some sleep, I could neaten to my heart's
desire. He was under the impression that the baby would drift off
into a peaceful slumber and we would all get caught up on the sleep
we had been deprived of in the hospital. I must admit that I, too,
naively believed that because we were home and away from constant
interruptions, rest was imminent. Almost every mother I knew had
let her new baby sleep at least one night in the hospital nursery
before going home so the mom could launch into baby land slightly
rested. Since we were too afraid of the press or even of a staff
member sneaking photos of Rowan, we never let her out of our sight.
Consequently, neither Chris nor I had really slept in five days,
and we were feeling quite beaten up because of it. Unfortunately we
soon found out that being home hardly provided the respite we
craved.............