'It got me': Zoe Marshall's sad reveal about post-baby struggles
Benji Marshall's wife Zoe has poured her heart out about the difficulties she's faced navigating lockdown, relocation and quarantine bubbles with a newborn child.
The Marshall's welcomed the birth of their second child in June - a baby girl named Ever.
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However, the wife of the recently retired NRL star said she has been left overwhelmed and exhausted after a year that's seen the family relocate to Queensland to be part of the NRL's quarantine bubble, away from her family and friends.
Zoe, whose podcast The Deep tackles such parenting issues among other topics, has pleaded for help after admitting that she's been left with "post natal depletion" after the birth of her second child.
“It got me. I’m depleted. I got the bloody post natal depletion!” Zoe wrote on Instagram.
“I thought I could outrun it. But it got me.
“Here we are. On and off since she was born. I know moving states, quarantine, lockdowns, etc don’t help. This overwhelming feeling, it’s exhaustion. Then getting sick, just the sniffles or a cough but it lingers, for months. Then getting frustrated because I’m missing out on getting out because I’m so exhausted.
“It’s boring. It’s really boring. And I’m not sure how to navigate it. I’ve done the bloody podcast on it! I should know! I’ve been resting. I’ve been eating. Restraining from exercise. But it’s got me in it’s clutches and I get moments of relief but it comes again in another wave.
“Supplements, rest, feeding, more feeding, cancelling plans, more rest. Benj was thinking maybe I should supplement some of my feeds? But I just can’t. I don’t want to. I’m OK to sacrifice my health for hers. But I also don’t want to feel like this for 18 months.
“Are there any magic tricks I’ve missed? Please tell me what helped you get on top of it?”
Earlier this year, Zoe detailed the struggles of relocating a young family to the NRL's Queensland quarantine bubble, in the weeks after Ever's birth.
Zoe admitted she had struggled in a different state without the support of family and friends.
The mother-of-two said she suffered a number of "breakdowns" during the "painful" relocation and was happy to come out of quarantine to see Benji.
"It’s been the strangest 2 months. Giving birth, a lockdown, 2 weeks in quarantine, another hotel for 2 weeks and finally arrived to where we will live for the next few weeks," she wrote on Instagram at the time.
"Watching our language and treading carefully around Fox. Wanting him to feel this is “normal” calling it a holiday - the way we frame it makes it true, right?
"I’ve had a few break downs - some tears. Lots of tears. And I feel for my fellow Aussies in Nsw and Vic who are slammed day in and day out with Hopeless news.
"My dad and Benji's uncle have met my daughter once. The rest of my family haven’t. My best friends haven’t. It’s weird and I shut it out because it’s wrong and painful."
Benji Marshall takes up Wests Tigers role
The family is now back in Sydney where Benji has taken up. Club ambassador role with the Wests Tigers after reconciling with his former club.
A year after his messy exit from the joint venture, Benji will return in a role where he will work closely with the club's juniors.
It means Marshall's first job after his retirement will be back at the club where his career began and where he produced his finest hour as a footballer in the Tigers' 2005 grand final triumph.
Marshall's departure from the Tigers at the end of 2020 came on ugly terms with the NRL veteran adamant he could play on.
Unwanted by coach Michael Maguire, he made no secret of his disappointment over the decision in his search for a new club.
However it became clear the bridge had been mended when he gave the Tigers early notice of his retirement at South Sydney last month, allowing them to create their own tribute.
The 346-game NRL player will now join former teammate and fellow Tigers legend Robbie Farah at the club.
Farah also has an ambassador role that includes some coaching.
with AAP
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