Perinatal Mental Health

There is a particular kind of loneliness that comes with losing a pregnancy. You are grieving. You may be grieving the baby you got to meet briefly. Or the potential of the little person you were looking forward to holding. You might be noticing the loss in the way you had already started rearranging your life around them, the version of the next family celebration you had quietly built in your head. And yet, for many of the people around you, there is nothing visible to grie

You might have heard the word "adolescence" used to describe the turbulent, transformative years between childhood & adulthood. But have you heard of matrescence? Matrescence is the developmental process of becoming a mum. It is a profound, all-encompassing transition that reshapes your body, brain, identity, relationships & sense of self. Like adolescence, it is a rite of passage marked by intense change, uncertainty & growth. And like adolescence, we cannot go back once it

Pregnancy can bring up a wide range of emotions. Alongside excitement, gratitude or hope, you may also experience anxiety, fear & moments of intense worry. Experiencing both comfortable & uncomfortable feelings does not mean that you are ungrateful or unprepared. Pregnancy is a significant life transition & it is understandable that your mind may become more focused on what could go wrong. Some worry during pregnancy is common. You may worry about your baby's health, the bir

There is a quiet kind of ache that can settle in after having a baby. It can look like sadness or it can just be a sense of heaviness. You might be going through the motions of caring for your newborn while feeling numb, exhausted or strangely disconnected from everything including yourself. This could be signs of postnatal depression (sometimes called postpartum depression). It's more than the tiredness or mood swings that come with adjusting to life with a new baby. It's a

Becoming a parent is one of life's biggest transitions. It is normal to feel some worry, especially in those early weeks when everything feels new & overwhelming. But for some parents, the worry doesn't settle, it grows, becomes constant, & starts to take over. This is what we call postnatal anxiety (also known as postpartum anxiety). It is more than the everyday concerns of new parenthood. It's a persistent, often overwhelming sense of worry, fear, or dread that can affect y

If you're reading this, I imagine there is a good chance there was something about your birth experience that hasn't sat right with you. Maybe you've felt shaken, confused or overwhelmed since giving birth. Maybe any time you're asked about your birth experience you panic, shut down or want to cry. Maybe you've been told "you & your baby are healthy nothing else matters" & yet this doesn't really soothe what you're feeling. I want to state this at the outset: your experience

The transition into parenthood can be one of the most meaningful & life-changing experiences a person goes through. Alongside joy, connection, & hope, it can also bring intense feelings of vulnerability, emotional overwhelm & isolation which are often unexpected and distressing. Perinatal mental health refers to emotional wellbeing during pregnancy & the first year after birth. This chapter of life can impact anyone; birthing parents, partners, & families. The impacts are oft