https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/17862335602862780/

It is Maternal Mental Health week , and you’ve probably already seen lots of posts about it- the reason being that mental health and mental health difficulties are one of the most Common complications of pregnancy and childbirth BUT one of the most under diagnosed & underfunded.

💙 #mmhweek2020 has attempted to shine a light & to de-stigmatise maternal mental health problems. They are so common, estimated to be 1:5 (but could be much higher) women who face the lonely road of mental illness in and around pregnancy and childbirth.

💙If these conditions go untreated, they can last a lifetime and cause a ripple effect of difficulties that is never ending.

💙The theme this year for #MMHWeek from the The Blue Dot Project (a brilliant American based alliance )is that Motherhood is not Black and White.

https://www.thebluedotproject.org/mmhweek2020

Hence, my collage of selfies I took after Felix was born. Motherhood has many faces, and although rewarding it can challenge you in ways you never even dreamt of.

💙 I have studied, been an advocate and trained specifically in recognising and helping parents with their mental health but I struggled heavily with my own during pregnancy and after I gave birth . I found it so tough to ask for help- and I’m the #Expert. There is no shame yet it’s still so difficult to admit you are finding it hard.

💙I spoke about my own journey on my instagram stories this week, something I have never done in any detail before, in the hope that it might help someone. (You can watch back at the top of this post).

💙The fact is so many people do not get the help they need – Maternal Mental Health isn’t just about people who have recently had their children, it is and can be a lifelong struggle.

💙if this resonates with you, please know you can feel better, you are not alone and you have done NOTHING wrong – there is help, support and recovery but you have to ask yourself “Am I ok?”.. if you are not sure of the answer …. Reach out 🤝