Maternal Mental Health Week - In solidarity 💙

🌿 Motherhood is supposed to be magical. But what if it starts with a life-or-death diagnosis and a head full of thoughts that won’t let you sleep?

In 2009, my daughter was diagnosed with MCADD after a metabolic crisis at just two days old. Many babies don’t survive that first crisis – a miricle of epic proportions meant that my baby did and I still thank and pray for the NHS team who worked their magic that day.

MCADD (Medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency) affects 1 in 10/20,000 babies in the UK. It means her body can’t convert fat to energy, and one missed meal or illness could be catastrophic. So, I became a sleep-deprived, adrenaline-soaked human alarm clock, convinced that if I closed my eyes for even a moment, I might lose her.

We were lucky. And yes, she was okay. But I wasn’t, here’s the part that really blindsided me: postnatal depression. It was so much more than sadness. It felt like falling into an abyss. Like terror. Like staring at my baby and wondering why I couldn’t feel the joy everyone kept saying was inevitable.

And of course, I didn’t know I had ADHD back then either, which – fun fact – only made the whole ‘trying to be the perfect, ever-watchful mum’ thing even more of a wild ride. Turns out, relentless anxiety, insomnia, and obsessive thoughts weren’t just part of the ‘new mum package.’

Peer support helped so much. But, what saved me was being supported by a psychiatric nurse who took one look at me and said, “You don’t have to feel like this.” And that tiny thread of connection became my lifeline and for a year she stayed by my side .

Here’s some places to go for support:

ℹ️ You’re not alone. Mind has resources for postnatal depression, anxiety, and trauma – and they’re not just for mums.

🤝 Help looks different for everyone. For me, it was a psychiatric nurse. For someone else, it might be therapy, medication, or a local peer support group. Find your local support Chasing the Stigma

🪧 You don’t have to pretend you’re okay. The Maternal Mental Health Alliance (MMHA) is pushing to make sure every mum, regardless of circumstance, can access the support she needs.

🎗️ Genetic Alliance UK can link you up with support of your child is diagnosed with a rare genetic condition.

⚖️ Postnatal depression (PND) affects up to 1 in 5 new mums in the UK, but the impact isn’t felt equally. Black and racially minoritised women are 13% more likely to experience PND but far less likely to get the help they need. The Motherhood Group are working to change this.

It’s #MaternalMentalHealthWeek and I’m sharing this because there’s still a lot we don’t say about #PND. And if you’re staring at the ceiling right now, counting the minutes until the next feed and wondering if you’ll ever feel like yourself again – you’re not alone. And you don’t have to do it alone.

👉 Read my story with Centre for Mental Health https://www.centreformentalhealth.org.uk/experiencing-postnatal-depression-sarahs-story/