Ann’s story (Hertfordshire)

After my daughter’s birth I suffered from severe antenatal obsessive compulsive disorder [OCD] and lived with a crippling fear that something terrible was going to happen to her.

At a time when I should have been enjoying being a new mum, I was gripped by panic and couldn’t even watch the news. I was so worried that my daughter would be the next Baby Peter or Madeleine McCann.

But my doctor didn’t even know maternal OCD existed. At that time, the stress of the situation was severely affecting my husband and parents as well, but none of us knew who else we could turn to.

I realised I wasn’t alone

Not being diagnosed properly meant I had to suffer for longer. It wasn’t until I started a cognitive behavioural therapy course that I slowly started to feel myself again.

I soon realised that I wasn’t alone. Being able to speak to someone who understood what I was going through was a real helping hand.

Need more awareness, better support

Because of my experience, I definitely believe better awareness of maternal OCD is needed. It would also help to have detailed literature available that explains the condition and highlights the symptoms people need to look out for. Advice and support should be readily available and accessible.

I’m positive that investing in maternal OCD education will help to achieve this and change people’s lives. I can’t express enough how important this is to so many people. But the sad thing is people will only realise this when it happens to them or someone close to them.

If the content of this story causes you to think of anything that has happened to you or someone you know and you feel upset, worried or uncomfortable, please see our support page for a list of services who may be able to help.

Peter’s story (Newcastle upon Tyne)

My daughter developed serious postnatal depression. Her condition deteriorated over a period of several months and culminated in a suicide attempt and a missing person’s search for two days.

She had left me with her baby while she went ostensibly for a jog. When she failed to return, I raised an alert with the police and other agencies.

Impact on the whole family

Following this incidence, a psychiatrist in Newcastle rapidly reviewed the situation and sorted out a speedy transfer to a mother and baby unit, where my daughter stayed for five months.

The impact of my daughter’s illness was serious on the whole family. After we received help, we also realised we’d been trying to cope without adequate knowledge of her condition and without the specialist support we needed.

Although progress was slow at the mother and baby unit, we always had the belief that my daughter was in very safe hands. The family was also encouraged to be part of the team looking after her. Thankfully, she made a full recovery.

Need a national strategy

Despite my family going through such a traumatic experience, I also think we were fortunate. There is a unit in the catchment area where my daughter’s crisis happened, but there isn’t one available where she lives.

This is why I think it’s essential we have a better provision of services and a national strategy to help mothers affected by maternal mental health problems. With the correct interventions, and by treating the problem seriously and seeking expert help as soon as possible, there is a way forward.

Unfortunately, evidence shows that the NHS cuts are affecting mental health services disproportionately. This needs to stop. We need more investment, because it is possible to successfully treat people suffering from postnatal depression.

If the content of this story causes you to think of anything that has happened to you or someone you know and you feel upset, worried or uncomfortable, please see our support page for a list of services who may be able to help.

Joanna’s story (Exeter)

Five days after the birth of my first child I experienced extreme anxiety and a sense of terror overwhelmed me. I was diagnosed with PND [postnatal depression], but I didn’t feel depressed, just incredibly anxious.

I was prescribed antidepressants and gradually I started to feel better. But when I discovered I was pregnant with my second son, the anxiety returned and this time it was even worse.

I felt suicidal

At my lowest point, I was suicidal and highly distressed. I felt unable to endure another moment of feeling so terrorised and I ended up being hospitalised and placed in a psychiatric unit.

I was diagnosed with severe antenatal generalised anxiety disorder, and after a perinatal mental health midwife arranged for me to return home, I started taking the medication that had helped me before.

Within a couple of months I had improved, but I never fully recovered. I wasn’t even able to breastfeed my second son and that was the most emotionally painful thing I experienced.

Must improve access

My husband also went through hell when I was ill. The person he loved was struggling to cope and he felt helpless not knowing what to do. It seemed as if there was no support for partners of those suffering with perinatal mental illness and this needs to change.

Greater investment in maternal mental health has to be achieved, and I would also like to see more local mother and baby units. They made a massive difference to me – people just need better access to the fantastic services they provide.

If the content of this story causes you to think of anything that has happened to you or someone you know and you feel upset, worried or uncomfortable, please see our support page for a list of services who may be able to help.

Hannah’s story (Bristol)

After the birth of my son I developed mild postnatal depression [PND] and moderate anxiety. I suffered panic attacks and was fearful of being judged as a ‘bad mother’, as being incapable of looking after my child in the ‘right’ way.

Despite regular visits to my GP, it was two years before I was diagnosed correctly. In that time, my condition led to relationship breakdowns between friends and family – all of whom could have provided endless support had I known what I was suffering with. I even started to regret my decision to have a baby.

The constant doubts I was having made me believe I couldn’t care for my son and I felt very isolated and helpless.

My GP failed me

I didn’t know who to turn to after my GP failed to offer me the support I needed. Thankfully, I discovered a local charity that specialises in helping new mums and families affected by PND. It was only after contacting them that I gradually started to improve.

Looking back, my GP or health visitor should have spotted the warning signs far sooner. I remember being reassured that my behaviour was ‘normal’ and that I was ‘fine’, but it clearly wasn’t.

Surrounded by a stigma

The memories I have of my first year as a mother are a blur and no one should have to experience that. With better training for health professionals and more awareness, people suffering from PND will be diagnosed earlier.

I think mental healthcare is still widely neglected and is surrounded by a stigma. More investment is needed for better education and local specialists who can help people affected much sooner.

If the content of this story causes you to think of anything that has happened to you or someone you know and you feel upset, worried or uncomfortable, please see our support page for a list of services who may be able to help.

Hannah’s story (Thirsk)

I had a straight-forward pregnancy and gave birth to my first baby after an emergency c-section in 2009.When I started having irrational, racing thoughts and very strange behavior my community midwife sent me to my GP.  Things worsened and few days later, I saw a different GP who referred me to a psychiatrist who diagnosed ‘depression, postnatal onset’ & gave me medication. Frighteningly my condition quickly deteriorated. My condition became so bad I was sectioned in a general psychiatric ward, separated from my son and diagnosed with Postpartum Psychosis [PP]. I had no history of mental illness and developing PP was a complete shock and extremely traumatic.

Mother & Baby Unit (MBU)

I spent two distressing weeks in the general psychiatric ward until a bed became available in a specialist mother and baby Unit. I was stabilised there on my own and my baby joined me ten days later. It was enormously helpful that even with a round trip of 60+ miles, my husband could visit us each evening. This unit has now closed.

After going home three months later, I suffered extreme anxiety and lost a lot of confidence which took time to rebuild. The medication made me very tired. Thanks to the support of a care coordinator and with a series of consultant psychiatrist appointments, I gradually improved.

What should’ve been a joyful time with my new baby was terrifying and extremely stressful, not just for me, but for my family too.

Investment is needed

I had my second child in 2013 and with a care plan in place I didn’t get PP again. With my second pregnancy I struggled to access mental health services.

My message to others is, with the right support – from family, friends and professionals – you will get better. We desperately need more investment to raise awareness and more MBUs.

You can follow Hannah on Twitter @spannerb79.

If the content of this story causes you to think of anything that has happened to you or someone you know and you feel upset, worried or uncomfortable, please see our support page for a list of services who may be able to help.

Chris’s story (Huddersfield)

After my partner Joe suffered several miscarriages, we feared we would never be able to have a baby. But in 2010 we were delighted to welcome our beautiful daughter into the world.

Joe was determined to be the perfect mother, but when she struggled to breastfeed, it led to feelings of severe anxiety and extreme failure.

Suicidal thoughts

A month after giving birth, Joe admitted she was having suicidal thoughts and was diagnosed with severe postnatal depression.

She begged to be hospitalised, but home treatment was considered the best option. It wasn’t, because a few weeks later she took her own life.

The warning signs had been documented in her medical notes, but at no point was Joe referred to a perinatal psychiatric service specialist. I had also been given no information about how I should care for her.

Campaign for better services

We had been failed by the system and in 2013 the NHS finally admitted in court to a breach in their duty to care. If Joe had been admitted for treatment to a specialist unit she would have been expected to make a full recovery.

Adequate perinatal psychiatric services are still not available across the country and more investment is needed to change this. No one should have to go through the same suffering we did.

Since Joe’s death, I’ve set up a charity and campaigned for better services that would have saved her life. We need to focus on educating people about postnatal depression and make sure that everyone who needs it has access to the appropriate treatment.

If the content of this story causes you to think of anything that has happened to you or someone you know and you feel upset, worried or uncomfortable, please see our support page for a list of services who may be able to help.

Becky’s story (Dawlish)

Two weeks after my baby was born I started suffering from severe postnatal depression [PND]. I began to have suicidal thoughts and couldn’t even look at my daughter or pick her up.

The antenatal classes gave me unrealistic expectations about parenthood which I could not meet, and the attitude of one midwife the day after I gave birth crushed my confidence in relation to breastfeeding,  As I struggled with anxiety and insomnia, my mum and partner had to care for my girl.

Without the right support, the problems escalated and my partner couldn’t understand what I was going through. Unfortunately, we’ve now separated.

You will get better

Although I suffered from an eating disorder at 13 and some event related mild depression, I hadn’t consistently suffered with any serious form of mental illness before but I knew I needed help. Within weeks of seeing my GP, a perinatal mental health team in Torbay intervened and prescribed me the right medication and also offered my family support.

My message to people experiencing the same pain I did is that you will get better, I promise. Be open and honest about your condition. Go and get help, and if your GP is not sympathetic, see a different one or speak to your midwife until you are referred to a health professional who can help you.

Better training for professionals

To make sure fewer people experience the devastation I went through, more investment is needed in perinatal mental health services and also better training for all health and social care professionals.

The specialist community services available were my lifesaver, but these would still benefit greatly from being expanded so they can offer all types of support to mothers, their families and particularly fathers.

If the content of this story causes you to think of anything that has happened to you or someone you know and you feel upset, worried or uncomfortable, please see our support page for a list of services who may be able to help.

Sally’s story (South Lanarkshire)

I was diagnosed with severe postnatal depression [PND] after the birth of my second child in July 2013. The NHS only offered me medication and referred me to its Crisis team, who sent me home to listen to relaxation music.

I was also told it would take 21 weeks on the NHS to see a counsellor, but there was no way I could wait that long, so I visited a dedicated PND counselling service provided by the voluntary sector in Glasgow.

Feeling suicidal

At my lowest point I was ready to end my life. My condition was affecting my whole family and my husband felt completely helpless. I could not be left on my own and felt like I couldn’t cope.

If I hadn’t had the counselling I received in Glasgow, I would not be here today. Thankfully, I am no longer taking any medication and the support I was given definitely saved my life.

Time for change

Since my illness, I have campaigned tirelessly for better NHS mental maternal health services. I have also taken up my case with the Scottish Parliament and met with the Health Minister, Michael Matheson.

If you broke your arm you would go to the hospital to get it ‘fixed’, but mental health doesn’t have that luxury, as there is still a huge stigma attached to mental illness and PND.

I strongly believe that there needs to be improved community services to support mothers and their families. If that help had been there, my family wouldn’t have had to seek private counselling. I feel the NHS has an enormous lack of understanding of mental health and better training is needed. We can save lives by investing in maternal mental health.

If the content of this story causes you to think of anything that has happened to you or someone you know and you feel upset, worried or uncomfortable, please see our support page for a list of services who may be able to help.

Lyn’s story (Kent)

Losing my beautiful daughter, Rebecca, to perinatal suicide came as a complete shock. She had no history of mental ill health and no problems. She had everything to live for, and yet she took her life. What chance then do mothers with existing mental health difficulties or a previous history have?

We must learn from this and better support mothers by detecting the first signs of not coping earlier and preventing this from escalating. 

Making a difference together

As a family, I can’t begin to describe the trauma and loss we have felt. It is so desolating and knowing that Rebecca can’t enjoy her baby son growing up is incredibly difficult. That’s why it was such a great relief to come across the Everyone’s Business campaign and become a champion for the Maternal Mental Health Alliance. 

By campaigning alongside other people with similar experiences, I feel like I’m doing my part to ensure that all women in the UK who are affected by perinatal mental health problems receive the care they and their families need, no matter what their level of need is or where they live. 

End unnecessary suffering

For me, my participation in the campaign is a way I can honour the loss of Rebecca and try to make things better. I want to ensure essential information is shared and vital services across the care pathway are funded so the unnecessary suffering of mothers, their babies and families is avoided.

If the content of this story causes you to think of anything that has happened to you or someone you know and you feel upset, worried or uncomfortable, please see our support page for a list of services who may be able to help.

Michelle’s story (Bridgend)

After the birth of my child I went into a downward spiral of thinking I couldn’t cope with having a baby. I was so distressed I was unable to sleep and even had to force myself to eat. I’d just had a son and desperately wanted to be happy, but I struggled through the days and felt constantly tired.

My life became a blur, and after a few weeks I was diagnosed with severe postnatal depression. I was also advised I should be placed inside a secure unit, but as there was no mother and baby unit available, my husband, Mark, talked me out of going.

He hid his depression

I’m sure if we had been given better information about how serious my condition was, the outcome would have been different. Instead I was prescribed medication, started cognitive behavioural therapy and returned home.

Over time, my life started to improve, but I could tell Mark was also suffering. He had thought I was going to die during childbirth and went through hell as he tried to hide his depression for six years.

It was only after he had a breakdown in 2011 that he asked for help.

Better education needed

I was fortunate my community psychiatric nurse realised I was losing control, but others might not be so lucky. In the future, I would like to see more mother and baby units open around the country and for there to be better training for maternal mental health professionals.

Since recovering, Mark has set up his own charity that helps other fathers who have suffered. But we still need to raise more awareness and make sure that people have access to specialist support near them.

If the content of this story causes you to think of anything that has happened to you or someone you know and you feel upset, worried or uncomfortable, please see our support page for a list of services who may be able to help.