After birth, Natalie’s insomnia quickly spiralled into a mental health crisis, with sleepless nights giving way to panic, hallucinations, and the fear she would never sleep again. At her most vulnerable, she reached a breaking point that led her to seek urgent support.

Chloe’s story moves through a series of places that marked the height of her anxiety and melancholic depression — from hospital wards after a retained placenta to the streets where she pushed her pram while fighting suicidal ideation. From emergency departments to a mother-and-baby unit admission, she navigated severe symptoms and the challenge of accepting help.

Sophie’s experience of perinatal mental ill health spanned depression, intrusive thoughts, and psychosis — leaving her feeling numb, fearful, and at times unable to trust herself around her baby. As her symptoms intensified and daily functioning became difficult, she required hospital support, and a decision to pursue TMS became a turning point in her recovery.

For the first three months of her daughter’s life, Sarah put on a brave face while anxiety and insomnia quietly intensified behind the scenes. When she could no longer hide the severity of her illness, she finally said, ‘I need serious help’, marking the beginning of her journey towards finding the support she needed.

When Ariane became a mother, she was confronted by delusions, hallucinations, and severe depression, shaped by a lifelong pull towards perfectionism and control. As a former caseworker and psychologist, her identity both masked and magnified her struggles, delaying her ability to seek help.

During pregnancy, Tessa was admitted to a mother-and-baby psychiatric unit and made a promise to her unborn baby that they would never return. But the pressures of early postpartum and perfectionism led to a return to the MBU — not once, but twice. Tessa reflects on learning to accept support, let go of shame, and recognise just how far she has come in her recovery.

After leaving the mother-and-baby unit, Sarah felt proud of her recovery — but her story didn’t end there. A relapse marked by severe depression led to further hospital admissions, forcing her to confront the reality of non-linear healing and its impact on her sense of self, including her experience as a self-confessed ‘frequent flyer’ of the MBU. In part two, Sarah reflects on the tension between progress, setback, and identity.

During postpartum, Sarah experienced anxiety, OCD, and depression that gradually eroded her sense of self. As her symptoms intensified, she was forced to confront her assumptions about mental health and recovery. Part one follows her journey towards seeking support, including medication and her first admission to a mother-and-baby unit.

As a psychologist, Gen was familiar with psychiatric wards — but she never expected to be admitted as a patient shortly after the birth of her son. Following a severe postpartum infection, her mental health rapidly declined, with delusions and hallucinations taking hold. Gen reflects on her experience of acute mental illness, the impact of stigma, and her journey towards recovery and advocacy.

After years of infertility, IVF, and complex pregnancies, Emma entered motherhood already carrying a significant emotional load. Antenatal anxiety, birth trauma, and further life stressors compounded her mental health, eventually leading to an admission to a mother-and-baby unit. Emma reflects on her journey towards prioritising her own healing, and how her experience has shaped her advocacy for other mothers.

After a joyful first postpartum experience, Tegan was unprepared for how quickly her mental health unravelled the second time. As her OCD intensified and her symptoms were repeatedly dismissed, she struggled to access the care she needed, until finally she was admitted to a mother-and-baby unit — all thanks to the help of an unlikely stranger.

Rebecca had spent most of her life imagining motherhood — but not the mental breakdown that led to a psychiatric admission just days after her son’s birth. In part two, she reflects on a postpartum experience, shaped by OCD and PTSD, that unfolded in ways she never could have imagined.