07/05/2026
Maternal Mental Health Week ❤️
I was expecting to feel elated after my daughter was born. I hadn’t anticipated feeling anxious.
Circumstances probably didn’t help. 6 weeks before Betty was born we’d moved from London to a small village. At 36 1/2 weeks I started maternity leave, 2 days later caught flu, 2 days later gave birth. She was 3 weeks early - apparently it happens if you have flu. I hadn’t even read a baby book. I was a bit clueless. The anxiety wasn’t nice but lifted after 3 months.
I was so much worse after my son was born.
I’d felt unsettled during the pregnancy for a number of reasons. After his birth I was crippled with anxiety. It wouldn’t go, I couldn’t sleep, I felt like I was going mad. After 6 weeks we moved in with my in-laws who were incredibly supportive.
I can’t believe how awful I felt. I asked to be admitted to hospital and medicated so I could sleep. I broke down with my GP, I was scared my children would be taken from me because I thought I was a terrible mother. I felt like a failure. I had two happy, healthy children, I hated that I felt this way.
I got through it with support, love, medication and therapies - reflexology, yoga, homeopathy and walks. I appreciate I was fortunate to have such supportive friends and family. Daily chats with my mum and the help and support from my in-laws kept me on the right side of sane. Weekly chats with lovely ladies from a postnatal charity helped me realise I wasn’t alone. It was intense, my recovery felt slow but after 4 months the anxiety lifted.
Feeling like I did wasn’t a choice. Please reach out for support if you’re struggling. You are not alone and you’re not broken. At least 1 in 5 will face mental health challenges following birth. Having a baby is hard work, mentally and physically. Hormones are powerful, if the balance is off the impact can be huge.
Charlie was 3 months in this photo. I was just starting to feel normal but I still felt numb - you can see it in my eyes.
Jules x