A Co Armagh mum who experienced distressing mental health symptoms after the births of both her daughters is urging new mothers not to suffer in silence.
Anna Crawford, 29, a lifestyle and beauty vlogger on YouTube, said she experienced sudden crying when her first daughter was about three months old. She recently found herself in the same position after giving birth to her second daughter, Sophie.
Anna said she had been feeling numb during the week she took a photograph after leaving the gym. She later began crying in her car and experienced thoughts that her husband and children would be better off without her.
She said recognising that these feelings were not truly reflective of who she was helped her understand what was happening. Anna has now been using social media to raise awareness of postpartum mental health and to show that family life is not always as happy as it can appear online.
‘Women really aren’t prepared’
Anna believes many women receive too little information about what can happen emotionally after giving birth. She said mothers can leave hospital with a baby but without enough preparation for the changes and difficulties that may follow at home.
She also said some women may be afraid to tell others how they feel because they worry about being judged or having their children taken away. Anna recalled asking her own mother whether disclosing her feelings could lead to her daughters being removed from her care.
According to Anna, some people experience the “baby blues” after a few days, when hormonal changes affect their mood, but she said women are not always told that this may happen after they return home.
Messages from other new mums
After publishing a social media post about the issue, Anna said she received hundreds of messages from new mothers who felt the same way. The responses also helped her feel less alone after she had worried that she was the only person struggling.
She said the period after the initial newborn stage could be particularly difficult, when visits and regular check-ins from others reduced and she was trying to establish a routine at home. While Anna said she had strong support at home, she acknowledged that not every new mother has the same help.
Her message to mothers is that difficult experiences should be discussed more openly, so people affected by postpartum mental health problems do not feel isolated or believe they are “going crazy”.
Anyone affected by the issues raised in the report can contact the Parent Rooms through elevateni.org.