As a paramedic, Rachel was used to supporting others through crisis — not experiencing it herself. During a pregnancy complicated by hyperemesis, she faced overwhelming anxiety, sadness, and a sense of hopelessness that left the ‘helper’ feeling completely disoriented.

Kristy had long coped with anxiety and depression by staying busy, but after infertility, birth trauma, and a decline in postpartum mental health, those familiar coping strategies no longer worked. As she struggled with the stillness of motherhood, an unexpected ADHD diagnosis reframed everything she thought she knew about herself.

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.

With a family history of postpartum depression, Chloe thought she knew what signs to look out for in perinatal mental illness. But immediately after both births, she experienced insomnia that escalated into psychosis — what she calls ‘the crash’. Chloe shares the intensity of postpartum psychosis, and the long aftermath of making sense of what happened and rebuilding a sense of normal.

For over a year, Ariane hid the severity of her symptoms, performing the role of the ‘good’ mother while her mental health deteriorated. When that façade finally fell, she was admitted to a psychiatric hospital and had to trust her psychiatrist to take the lead — a turning point in her recovery.

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.

After a traumatic first birth, Laura entered her second pregnancy hoping for a different experience — a ‘redo’. But complications and a precipitous labour led to a second postpartum marked by flashbacks, insomnia, panic, and depression — an undoing rather than a redoing. Laura reflects on the impacts of birth trauma, and the process of rebuilding with the support she was able to access.

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 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 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.

‘Are you feeding your baby?’ These were the words that confronted Elyse, an ICU nurse, one week postpartum when she was diagnosed with insufficient glandular tissue (IGT). Despite her relentless efforts to increase her supply, her mental health deteriorated, marked by grief, rage, and a growing sense of disconnection. Elyse reflects on the moment her need for additional support was recognised, and the process of letting go of pressure, control, and self-blame.

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.

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.

With a diagnosis of bipolar disorder, Taegan spent years preparing for motherhood, determined to manage her mental health. After a relatively manageable first postpartum, she expected a similar experience the second time — but instead experienced postpartum depression and rage, followed by an involuntary hospital admission. Taegan reflects on the unpredictability of navigating motherhood with a pre-existing mental health condition, and the role of self-compassion in her recovery.

As a self-confessed ‘flaming extrovert’, Lauren struggled with the isolating and repetitive rhythm of early motherhood. With a history of IVF, miscarriage, pregnancy complications, and traumatic births, the intense love she felt after both births was overshadowed by the onset of postpartum depression by six months postpartum.

Despite her expertise as a midwife and academic, Helen describes her perinatal mental health experience with one word: ‘blindsided’. She developed post-traumatic stress disorder following a traumatic pregnancy marked by pre-eclampsia, IUGR, and a NICU admission, compounded by baby loss and ongoing IVF uncertainty. She reflects on the profound impact of psychological trauma in the perinatal period, both personally and professionally.

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.

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.