Articles and Information
Articles to validate your experiences and to empower you to understand and navigate the world of perinatal mental ill health informed by research, lived experience, and reflection
For informational purposes only. For medical advice, diagnosis or support, please consult a professional.
"Why is this happening to me?”: 7 gentle reasons to stop searching for the reason.
If you're struggling with perinatal depression or anxiety (PNDA), or any other perinatal mental illness, chances are you've asked yourself a question that feels both urgent and impossible: "Why is this happening to me?" Wanting to understand why you feel this way is completely natural. But when you’re in the middle of a mental health crisis, that search for a reason can actually make things harder. Here’s why it might be time to stop fixating on the cause of your PNDA - and how letting go of that pressure could actually be the first step towards real, compassionate support.
5 myths about self-compassion and why it matters to mothers.
As mothers, we are often told to ‘be kinder’ to ourselves. It sounds so simple. But the reality is, we are mothering in a society where self-criticism is believed to be the ultimate motivator of productivity and change. We are also mothering in a context where mothering itself is so heavily scrutinised. Thanks to social media, we are subjected to an abundance of information and the dissection of our every parenting decision by strangers who reinforce what we innately know and strive against: that it doesn’t take much to be considered a ‘bad mum’. In this context it’s easy to see why so many of us resist, or struggle with, this notion of self-compassion. Misgivings, or myths, about self-compassion also keep us trapped in self-critical patterns - the last thing mothers need. So what exactly are these myths and misgivings holding us back?
