If
you’ve clicked this page then you either have an interest in post natal depression
(PND) or perhaps you too suffered or are suffering at this time.
Post
Natal Depression is not something any of us expect to suffer with and it
can be the most devastating thing to happen to you and your family when you're
supposed to be embarking on one of the most beautifully life changing times of
your life.
Becoming
a parent changes you forever, however when you add PND into the mix, you're
changed beyond recognition. It’s one of the toughest journeys I’ve ever been on
and one I never wish to repeat. I recovered about 4 years ago when my eldest
daughter was about 4 years old. I then fell pregnant unexpectedly with my
second daughter, and sadly my mother was diagnosed with lung cancer 6 weeks
after I’d given birth.
She
lost her battle with the illness 6 months later and my greatest fear was that I'd plummet into the depths of PND again, however, something made me dig
deeper than I’d dug before and although I suffered very low moods due to the
grief and the overwhelming feelings I suffered at that time, I didn’t succumb
to the illness again and for that I will be truly thankful.
I
chose not to go the conventional route with anti-depressants and instead
changed my diet and had counselling. I'm a firm believer that diet and
nutrition play a key role in whether a woman will be predisposed to PND. There
are many other contributing factors too and it most certainly isn't black and
white, however, I do feel that more could be done to educate women about being
nutritionally healthy before, during and after pregnancy. It's key to a woman's mental as well as physical health at this time in her life.
If
you're interested in my personal PND journey, then below you'll find the
posts I've shared so far. If you wish to get in touch with me, then
please do so using my contact page here.
Wishing
you joy and love on your journey as a Mum xx
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