When Amber-Lee found herself unexpectedly pregnant, she knew life would change — but not in the ways she experienced. Through two pregnancies complicated by hyperemesis, a traumatic birth, and a challenging postpartum period, she navigated trauma, mental ill health, and the pressure of being ‘the strong one’ while silently struggling.

After a straightforward physiological birth, Amelia experienced a sudden postpartum haemorrhage that separated her from her newborn and triggered an acute mental health crisis. She developed mania, insomnia, and postpartum psychosis, which she largely concealed from her care providers until she sought urgent help. Amelia reflects on the challenges of recognition, recovery, and preparing for a subsequent pregnancy with her mental health in mind.

Jessie’s story begins in early motherhood, when she was diagnosed with depression and anxiety and experienced vivid intrusive thoughts, panic attacks, and persistent distress. After relocating to rural NSW for family support, she struggled to access the right professional care. Jessie shares how advocating for herself helped change the trajectory of her motherhood experience.

As a perinatal and infant mental health psychologist, Ashlee expected the transition to motherhood to come naturally. Instead, she experienced severe anxiety in pregnancy and depression in postpartum, missing her own red flags while navigating feeding, sleep, and health challenges with her daughter. Ashlee reflects on the complexity of recognising mental ill health in motherhood, alongside her diagnosis of autism, and her journey towards seeking support and recovery.

With a background in social work, Gemma didn’t expect the transition to motherhood to feel so disorienting. From early pregnancy, she experienced a profound sense of identity loss and anxiety, followed by a challenging postpartum marked by guilt and unmet expectations. Gemma reflects on the barriers she faced accessing support, and how reconnecting with herself — through therapy, work, and movement — helped her find her footing in motherhood.

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.

With a history of anxiety and depression, Jess entered pregnancy with a plan to protect her mental health. But when her son required urgent medical care and a prolonged NICU stay, her own wellbeing was overshadowed by the demands of caring for a critically unwell baby. She reflects on the lasting impact of the NICU experience, and the journey of finding herself again in motherhood.

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.

Bubbly and outgoing, Nikolina had never experienced mental ill health before motherhood. But within weeks of giving birth, she was confronted by the sudden onset of perinatal anxiety and depression, with symptoms including insomnia, tearfulness, and an overwhelming sense of not being herself. As she pushed through in silence, she marked time against her baby’s milestones, hoping things would improve by six weeks — until her husband helped her recognise that she needed support.

After the birth of her son, Jade’s mental health declined amidst ongoing sleep deprivation and she was initially misdiagnosed with postpartum depression. Despite years of seeking support and trying multiple treatments, she continued to experience depressive episodes. It wasn’t until she saw a perinatal psychiatrist that she received a different diagnosis — a turning point that brought both clarity and grief.

With a long list of achievements behind her, Lisa assumed motherhood would come easily. Instead, the lack of control and constant crying from her colic baby left her feeling like she was failing. She was diagnosed with depression at five months postpartum, but through therapy, support, and learning to ask for help, Lisa approached her second pregnancy differently, creating space for a different experience of motherhood.