1 day Ago By Damon Cronshaw
When Fletcher's Emma Britton suffered a severe injury during the birth of her first child, it worsened the mental distress she'd felt while pregnant. Login or signup to continue reading She came to realise she was suffering from perinatal depression and anxiety. The condition affects one in five new mothers and one in 10 new fathers.
Mrs Britton, 39, is sharing her story to mark Perinatal Mental Health Week. "Reflecting now over the last 10 years, I probably had prenatal anxiety as well," she said. "I was very stressed and anxious throughout the pregnancy.
I had a horrible pregnancy." It took her and husband Tim three years to conceive Oliver, now aged 10, due to infertility issues. The injury she sustained during Oliver's birth took a toll.
During his birth, she suffered a "fourth-degree tear". "It was 12 months for the main injury to recover," she said. "I'm still recovering now.
I'm having to go for more surgery in the new year." After that ordeal, doctors told her more natural births would risk her needing a colostomy bag. She had a caesarean section for her other two sons.
"My middle child Elliott was an IVF baby. I was told my fallopian tubes were completely blocked and there was no way I could conceive naturally," she said. "It took four rounds of IVF to conceive him when I was 32.
"My third son Rory was a complete surprise." He was conceived naturally, despite her being told this was not possible. "I just laugh at it now because of everything we've gone through," she said.
Her mental health worsened after Elliott's birth. Husband Tim and son Oliver almost drowned at the beach. "It pushed me over the edge and undid me straight away.
I was already struggling and feeling awful, she said. "I stopped eating and sleeping and spent all my time worrying about everybody." She admitted herself and Elliott to a private psychiatric hospital in Sydney, where they were living at the time, for a month.
"It was an amazing place. There were 12 beds in the ward," she said. "Being with other women in the same position as me, relating and talking to them - that's a massive part of it.
"I knew I wasn't alone. You go through these things and feel so alone." She said there was "a lot of stigma and embarrassment attached".
"You don't tend to speak to people and tell them how you're really feeling." Once at the hospital, she realised "all these people are like me". "We're all women with careers, families and regular normal situations where we're just having a shitty time.
" She said a key message from her story was "that people know and understand there are services available out there". This included PANDA's National Perinatal Mental Health Helpline (1300 726 306). "They're not there to judge or tell you you're being a bad parent.
They're there to support people in their struggles. "That's the only thing that got me through - reaching out and getting that help. "I don't know what would have happened if I hadn't.
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