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.

During pregnancy, Natalie was consumed by anxiety and insomnia, constantly seeking reassurance and holding onto the hope that things would ease once her baby arrived. But after birth, the worry only deepened and became harder to contain.

After an ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage, and baby loss, Jade finally brought her daughter River earthside — but instead of the newborn bubble she had imagined, she was met with relentless distress as her baby struggled with severe colic. Following years of cumulative grief and anxiety, Jade describes a ‘crash’ that overwhelmed her emotionally and physically. It was only when her mother-in-law stepped in that she was able to access the support she needed.

With a long history of anxiety, Rebecca did everything she could to prepare for and protect her mental health in postpartum. But in focusing so heavily on what came after birth, she didn’t recognise the anxiety escalating throughout her pregnancy.