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"Depleted. Sad. Confused." Zoe Marshall's honest account of her first weeks as a mum.

One month ago, radio presenter Zoe Marshall and her rugby league star husband Benji welcomed their first child into the world: Benjamin Fox Marshall.

The 33-year-old shared that baby Fox had “stolen her heart”.

“It’s a love I couldn’t comprehend, challenging me in ways I didn’t expect, there have been many many tears – tears of joy,” she shared on Instagram alongside the first snaps of her baby boy.

FOX. You have stolen my heart. I’ve been deep in the baby bubble, savouring every moment. No social media, hardly any visitors, just giving myself space to get to know this new love. It’s a love I couldn’t comprehend, challenging me in ways I didn’t expect, there have been many many tears – tears of joy and pure overwhelm. Thank you everyone for all the love and support through this time. I promise I will be out of my little cocoon soon.. @benji6marshall you have been my rock through every moment since pregnancy and you stepped it up another level through the birth (literally holding me through every contraction) and now as the most wonderful father. I am so grateful to have you in our lives. You give me so much confidence and calm in this new phase. Thank you @womansdayaus @womansdaynz for coming over and taking these beautiful shots we had a chat about the birth and all things baby Fox.. you can read it at the direct link on my bio

A post shared by Zoe Marshall (@zoebmarshall) on

Since then, Zoe has shared a number of adorable pictures for her 33,000 followers.

But this morning, she shared her most honest account of what it’s like being a new mum yet.

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Sharing a selfie of herself lying in her bed, in the dark, Zoe wrote that she had been “crying in my room for an hour”.

“This is me. Overwhelmed…Benj had been playing away and I just couldn’t handle any of it,” she shared.

Zoe Marshall emotional new mum post
"This is me. Overwhelmed," Zoe wrote. Image via Instagram.

"I felt bad for wanting some space to breathe and weep. I felt scared that I didn't know what Fox needed. I was so incredibly exhausted. Hungry. Depleted. Sad. Confused."

While Fox is now a month old, Zoe shared that the second and third weeks home with her baby were "so hard".

"I hadn't left the house in days. I couldn't catch up with life. Couldn't bare to see visitors. I wasn't myself and wasn't managing," she said.

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"Why didn't parents talk about this phase? I felt so alone. Isolated."

Just had a baby? Holly Wainwright and Christie Hayes speak to experts about the best ways to streamline the process of bringing a newborn home from hospital. Post continues after audio.

Zoe wrote the post to share the "realness" of being a first-time mum with her followers.

"There are going to be so many joyful times with baby Fox shared on social media. I need to show you... the days of not getting time to eat, of poo explosions (Fox's not mine), of never ending laundry and dishes, of crying over nothing, of not being able to sleep when you get to have a sleep, of the sore neck, wrists, back, nipples, of butting heads with your partner and scrolling Google for answers.

"It's a hard hard time. As glorious as having a little miracle is we need to acknowledge the transition into parenthood and how challenging that can be.

"This isn't post natal depression it's transition and I wish I was forewarned."

Zoe ended the emotional post by asking if any of her followers had experienced similar feelings or struggles in their first few weeks of being a parent.

Zoe Marshall Benji Marshall baby Fox
Zoe and Benji with baby Fox. Image via Instagram.
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Fans instantly commented, sharing their own experiences and words of advice for the new mum.

"Good on you for being so so honest! Early motherhood can incredibly lonely," one fellow mum wrote.

"You question your own decisions, even when you've been a woman who is so sure of them in the past. You got this mumma! Be gentle on yourself."

"I'm so bloody PROUD OF U for sharing the REAL SHIT," fellow radio personality Bianca Dye wrote.

"[You]re] strong ur amazing u have a group around u that adore you - you're going to be ok... other new mums NEED to hear this too.... it's raw and real."

"Everything you wrote here I went through with both my boys!" another mum shared.

"Having a baby is the most overwhelming (and of course rewarding) experience we go through in our lives!"