Perinatal Stories Australia

• 41 | Chloe - melancholic depression, anxiety, birth trauma, insomnia, history of mental ill health, MBU, ECT, medication, psychiatry, talk therapy

  It’s nearly impossible to think about Chloe’s story without thinking about all the places where she navigated the worst of her anxiety and melancholic depression: the hospital where she was left parenting in a traumatised body after a retained placenta; the inner-city Sydney suburb where, shockingly, she could not access any maternity support services; her in-law’s house on the other side of Sydney where she moved to create a village but could not sleep; and the local esplanade where she pushed the pram and fought against her suicidal ideation every day. That’s not even mentioning the emergency department, the short-stay psychiatric emergency care unit, and eventually the mother-and-baby hospital (MBU) where she was admitted for two months, all of which were integral to her story. In each setting, Chloe not only faced unenviable symptoms, but she also had to confront her own unwillingness to ask for help, the lies depression made her believe, her own trauma around electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), and the question many MBU mothers grapple with ‘when will it finally be my turn to go home?’ This is Chloe’s profound story, what she calls her real reckoning and dark night of the soul, that explores the realities of experiencing and recovering from an acute mental health episode in early motherhood. It’s a story about losing and finding yourself again in the most unexpected of places, but above all, it’s a story about finally coming home. Please note, this episode touches on suicide and suicidal ideation. Go gently.   EPISODE SPONSOR This episode of Perinatal Stories Australia is proudly sponsored by Mums Matter Psychology—because your mental health matters. Frances and her expert team of psychologists, social workers, and occupational therapists are passionate about providing affordable, high-quality mental health care for pregnant women and parents with children up to 4 years old. Through Medicare bulk-billed therapy sessions—up to 20 at no cost to you—they make support accessible to everyone. If you’re in Victoria, visit one of their welcoming clinic locations. Outside Victoria? Their nationwide Telehealth services bring care to your fingertips. Mums Matter Psychology also offers a range of online therapy groups and webinars, providing additional ways to access support and connect with others on a similar journey. Ready to take the next step? Visit mumsmatterpsychology.com to learn more and book your appointment today.   FOLLOW the podcast on Instagram and Facebook @perinatalstoriesaustralia for more maternal mental health stories, education, advocacy, and community. PLEASE leave a review or rating on your favourite apps or consider buying me a coffee (well, preferably a tea!) :) VISIT the website perinatalstoriesaustralia.com to share your story or to see more content from the podcast guests. MADE WITH LOVE by Rebecca (host, founder, storyteller) x

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• 40 | Dayna - birth trauma, PTSD, D-MER, anxiety, panic attacks, talk therapy, medication

  Dayna’s story really gives meaning to the phrase one thing after another. When she birthed her son, there was no golden hour or newborn bubble, which is something she’s still grieving. Instead, there was an emergency c-section, a dystonic reaction, mistreatment from hospital staff, over 30 hours of separation from her baby, and a special care nursery admission, not to mention flashbacks, anxiety, panic attacks, rage, and hypervigilance. More curveballs only compounded this trauma in the form of dysphoric milk ejection reflex (D-MER), ongoing physical pain, cow’s milk protein allergy, a six-month waitlist to see a psychologist, and returning to work at a hospital. The mental health impacts of birth trauma are real, and Dayna articulates this with such vulnerability and insight - and a bit of humour too. Through this conversation, she tells a story about parallels and contradictions, about mothering with trauma, about how her work as a nurse both helped and complicated her experience, and about the unforgettable experiences that will stay with her for a long time - for both the right and wrong reasons. This episode will make you feel every emotion - one after another, after another.   EPISODE SPONSOR This episode of Perinatal Stories Australia is proudly sponsored by Mums Matter Psychology—because your mental health matters. Frances and her expert team of psychologists, social workers, and occupational therapists are passionate about providing affordable, high-quality mental health care for pregnant women and parents with children up to 4 years old. Through Medicare bulk-billed therapy sessions—up to 20 at no cost to you—they make support accessible to everyone. If you’re in Victoria, visit one of their welcoming clinic locations. Outside Victoria? Their nationwide Telehealth services bring care to your fingertips. Mums Matter Psychology also offers a range of online therapy groups and webinars, providing additional ways to access support and connect with others on a similar journey. Ready to take the next step? Visit mumsmatterpsychology.com to learn more and book your appointment today.   FOLLOW the podcast on Instagram and Facebook @perinatalstoriesaustralia for more maternal mental health stories, education, advocacy, and community. PLEASE leave a review or rating on your favourite apps or consider buying me a coffee (well, preferably a tea!) :) VISIT the website perinatalstoriesaustralia.com to share your story or to see more content from the podcast guests. MADE WITH LOVE by Rebecca (host, founder, storyteller) x

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• 39 | Chloe - postpartum psychosis, mania, insomnia, depression, medication, PIMHS, psychiatry, talk therapy, occupational therapy, FB support groups, virtual mum's group

  With a family history of postpartum depression, Chloe thought she knew what signs and symptoms to look out for when it came to perinatal mental illness. But, as she says, she didn’t know about the ‘opposite side’. Immediately after birth, Chloe couldn’t sleep, and within five days, she was experiencing a psychotic episode - or what she calls, ‘the crash’. Like clockwork, the same thing happened within five days of her second birth. In this episode, Tassie mum of two, Chloe, vividly recounts the insomnia, euphoria, mania, hallucinations, and delusions that consumed her early postpartum days, as well as the crippling and juxtaposing depression that unfortunately followed her second episode. Above all, Chloe takes me on a journey through the aftermath of her experiences: the loneliness she felt, the need to make sense of what happened, discovering her new ‘normal’, fostering support and connections, the trial-and-error that comes with recovery, and all the ways she is determinedly trying to make peace with it all. This is Chloe’s not-to-be-missed story about the highs and lows (and everything in between) of parenting and surviving postpartum psychosis.   EPISODE SPONSOR This episode of Perinatal Stories Australia is proudly sponsored by Mums Matter Psychology—because your mental health matters. Frances and her expert team of psychologists, social workers, and occupational therapists are passionate about providing affordable, high-quality mental health care for pregnant women and parents with children up to 4 years old. Through Medicare bulk-billed therapy sessions—up to 20 at no cost to you—they make support accessible to everyone. If you’re in Victoria, visit one of their welcoming clinic locations. Outside Victoria? Their nationwide Telehealth services bring care to your fingertips. Mums Matter Psychology also offers a range of online therapy groups and webinars, providing additional ways to access support and connect with others on a similar journey. Ready to take the next step? Visit mumsmatterpsychology.com to learn more and book your appointment today.   FOLLOW the podcast on Instagram and Facebook @perinatalstoriesaustralia for more maternal mental health stories, education, advocacy, and community. PLEASE leave a review or rating on your favourite apps or consider buying me a coffee (well, preferably a tea!) :) VISIT the website perinatalstoriesaustralia.com to share your story or to see more content from the podcast guests. MADE WITH LOVE by Rebecca (host, founder, storyteller) x

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• 38 | Sophie - depression, psychosis, psychiatric hospital, MBU, medication, TMS, Circle of Security

  There are SO many parts of Sophie’s story that I want to emphasise. Like how depression made Sophie feel so numb that she didn’t know what to say when a nurse asked her if she loved her daughter. Or like how intrusive thoughts made her feel so scared that she didn’t want to go near her baby. Or like how the symptoms of psychosis made her feel so confused that her husband had to write her detailed instructions to be able to shower. Or like how she panicked, instead of celebrated, when her ‘involuntary’ label was lifted in the MBU. Or, or, or… you see what I mean?! Among the MANY topics we cover in this heartfelt episode, Sophie and I discuss: how sleep and feeding challenges can become a fixation the ‘stickiness’ of intrusive thoughts how self-doubt affects our mental health and parenting small acts of kindness that aren’t small at all how the difficult decision to undertake TMS was Sophie’s turning point …and so much more! With some tears and laughs along the way, Sophie shares with me the long road to get to where she is now: a PANDA Community Champion, a facilitator of the Circle of Security program, the heart and soul behind AttachED, and most of all, pregnant and ready to welcome baby number two. I could say so much more, but just listen to this episode - trust me, you won’t regret it.   EPISODE SPONSOR This episode of Perinatal Stories Australia is proudly sponsored by Mums Matter Psychology—because your mental health matters. Frances and her expert team of psychologists, social workers, and occupational therapists are passionate about providing affordable, high-quality mental health care for pregnant women and parents with children up to 4 years old. Through Medicare bulk-billed therapy sessions—up to 20 at no cost to you—they make support accessible to everyone. If you’re in Victoria, visit one of their welcoming clinic locations. Outside Victoria? Their nationwide Telehealth services bring care to your fingertips. Mums Matter Psychology also offers a range of online therapy groups and webinars, providing additional ways to access support and connect with others on a similar journey. Ready to take the next step? Visit mumsmatterpsychology.com to learn more and book your appointment today.   FOLLOW the podcast on Instagram and Facebook @perinatalstoriesaustralia for more maternal mental health stories, education, advocacy, and community. PLEASE leave a review or rating on your favourite apps or consider buying me a coffee (well, preferably a tea!) :) VISIT the website perinatalstoriesaustralia.com to share your story or to see more content from the podcast guests. MADE WITH LOVE by Rebecca (host, founder, storyteller) x

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• 37 | Sarah - anxiety, depression, insomnia, medication, social worker, PIMHS, MBU, Mum for Mum, FB Group

  Sarah put on a brave face for the first three months of Isla's life but behind closed doors, the all-consuming anxiety was only getting worse. It wasn't until her husband was home over Christmas that she could no longer hide the severity of the illness and she finally said 'I need serious help'. Many things stand out to me about Sarah's story: the pervasive anxiety that invaded her early postpartum experience; the insomnia and inability to switch off that added to her stress; the eventual depression that overwhelmed her capacity to cope; and the challenges she faced navigating an unfamiliar mental health system. But what stands out to me the most about Sarah's story is Sarah herself and her willingness to find and accept the right support. From joining Facebook groups to connecting with a social worker, from writing to inpatient MBU stays, from in-home support to unlikely friendships with those who have walked this path before us, and more, this is a powerful story about one mother's determination to feel connected to her daughter once more. Please note, this episode discusses suicidal ideation. Go gently.   EPISODE SPONSOR This episode of Perinatal Stories Australia is proudly sponsored by Mums Matter Psychology—because your mental health matters. Frances and her expert team of psychologists, social workers, and occupational therapists are passionate about providing affordable, high-quality mental health care for pregnant women and parents with children up to 4 years old. Through Medicare bulk-billed therapy sessions—up to 20 at no cost to you—they make support accessible to everyone. If you’re in Victoria, visit one of their welcoming clinic locations. Outside Victoria? Their nationwide Telehealth services bring care to your fingertips. Mums Matter Psychology also offers a range of online therapy groups and webinars, providing additional ways to access support and connect with others on a similar journey. Ready to take the next step? Visit mumsmatterpsychology.com to learn more and book your appointment today.   FOLLOW the podcast on Instagram and Facebook @perinatalstoriesaustralia for more maternal mental health stories, education, advocacy, and community. PLEASE leave a review or rating on your favourite apps or consider buying me a coffee (well, preferably a tea!) :) VISIT the website perinatalstoriesaustralia.com to share your story or to see more content from the podcast guests. MADE WITH LOVE by Rebecca (host, founder, storyteller) x

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