Perinatal Depression and Anxiety Blog Collection

It’s Perinatal Depression and Anxiety Awareness Week, and rather than just sharing my own experience with Postnatal Anxiety (which I have the last two days, here and here) I wanted to give people the opportunity connect with a range of other voices, to show that if you are going through Perinatal Depression and Anxiety that you’re not alone, and also that individual experiences with Depression and Anxiety can vary.

So I put a shout out in a blogging group and this is what they gave me.

Toni from Finding Myself Young shared “Dealing With Postnatal Depression“

“This post is very hard for me to write. I have thought about writing it over and over for the past few weeks. Each time I talk myself out of it. I come up with numerous reasons not to write it – I don’t want to open myself up to judgement, I don’t know if I want people to know that this happened, I still carry too much guilt, I don’t want my daughter to think she wasn’t loved… the list goes on” Read more

And also “I’m glad I got Postnatal Depression”

“It may sound like a weird statement to make, but I am actually glad I got postnatal depression. Don’t get me wrong the experience at the time was horrible and confusing, but with hindsight I can see the many benefits it brought into my life. Most of which may never have happened if I didn’t have PND.” Read more. 

Kimberly from Kimberly Rose Blog shared “Postnatal Depression – My Story“

“Hello my lovelies! Today I have decided to write a different kind of blog. I have been going back and forth contemplating whether to write this for quite a while now. Many of you know if you’ve read my previous blogs that I have struggled with mental illness since having my son. I’ve finally mustered up the courage to share my story of struggling with Post-Natal Depression (PND).” Read more 

And also “Suffering in Silence – Living with Anxiety“

“This is a blog I have been contemplating writing for a very, very long time, however I have never had the guts to do so…until now. Today I have realised how serious my battle with anxiety has gotten & I feel like it is something I can’t hide anymore. The reason I have been so hesitant to share this is that a lot of people won’t understand and the fear of people mocking me or thinking I am insane.” Read more 

Robyn from Mrs D Plus 3 shared “Don’t Forget Dad!“

“After my first child was born I was very unexpectedly struck down with Post Natal Depression.  I know ‘struck down’ sounds a bit dramatic, but that’s how I felt.  I went from a perfectly normal pregnancy where I was counting the minutes until I’d meet my little boy, to almost not being able to be in the same room as him when he cried.” Read more 

Fiona from Little Lioness shared “Lunch Out Loud to support those with Perinatal Anxiety and Depression“

“I went to a fabulous long lunch at The Bach Eatery in Newtown. The event was for the start of PNDA (Perinatal Depression and Anxiety) Awareness Week (November 15-21). Ten ladies lunching over the “Trust the Chef” menu ($45/head or $55 with dessert), listening to some amazing women who have been through anxiety and depression brought on by, or exacerbated by, the birth of their children.” Read more

Claire from Life On Wallace shared “My Sister Had Postnatal Depression”

“I’ll always remember the day my niece was born. The phone rang one morning as I was doing the dishes. It was my little sister Lauren. She said, with no joy, ‘you have a niece’. The baby wasn’t due for about another four weeks. I panicked, firing off random questions, mostly about whether everyone was ok. Lauren said ‘calm down, everything is fine’. But I knew, even then, that everything was not fine.” Read more