OCD had been part of Emma’s life for many years, though it went unrecognised until early motherhood, following pregnancy loss and the birth of a premature baby during lockdown. What followed was an OCD crisis marked by depression, shame, and the challenges of accessing support. Emma reflects on the process of understanding her diagnosis and the role of acceptance, writing, and community in her recovery.

After a positive first postpartum experience, Jess never expected her next pregnancy to be any different — until she discovered she was carrying twins. As intrusive thoughts and compulsions intensified, her mental health rapidly declined, and the demands of caring for multiples compounded the feeling that she wasn’t enough. Despite support from acute mental health services, her symptoms escalated into hallucinations and psychosis.

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.

A successful economist and self-described high achiever, Kathryn entered motherhood expecting control and certainty — but quickly learned that perfectionism and motherhood do not mix. Her experience of perinatal OCD and depression challenged everything she thought she knew about herself, while her relationship with her psychiatrist became central to her recovery.

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.