Jayde (London)

I gave birth to my first son at the age of 15, and my second son at the age of 19. Both times I experienced postnatal depression and struggled with my mental health as a new mum.

At the time, though, I didn’t have the ability to identify what was going on with me. I just thought, “You’re a young mum, have the baby and get on with it.” I sort of felt like I wasn’t deserving to talk about what I was experiencing. I just listened to what everybody else was telling me.

It’s okay to ask for help

Even now, with a five and nine-year-old, there are occasions when I think this is too hard. But instead of not talking about how I’m feeling, I now know that it’s okay to call out for help. It’s okay for me to say things are getting hard and I need some support. And the good thing is, there is support out there that can help you navigate through what you’re experiencing.

A phone call or a lunchtime meet with a loved one often helped me. I also definitely recommend contacting your GP and local support services for young parents. And if you feel they’re not giving you want you want, put your foot down and tell them what you need!

We shouldn’t feel ashamed

The Maternal Mental Health Alliance has also been a fantastic resource for me. But more than that, they’ve connected me with a wonderful community of young parents and professionals that really want to support young parents.

All mums, no matter how young they are, deserve to be heard and receive the highest level of support. I think that’s one message that’s really, really important. I also think we should encourage each other not to feel ashamed about talking about our mental health and embedding it into our daily lives. It should be a top priority for everyone.

If the content of Jayde's 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 that may be able to help.