My Child Magazine November 2016 Issue

Page 60

PANDA A downward spiral: Jane and Ben use their journey through perinatal anxiety and depression to inform others As a social worker with almost two decades worth of experience working with people dealing with mental health issues, Jane understands the impact a mental illness can have on a person and a family. However, living through it herself brought home to her just how devastating the reality can be. “I had perinatal anxiety and depression with each of my three children, and it was devastating,” she says. “With William, our first, it hit around the six week mark. I was sleep deprived, exhausted, constantly sobbing, and overwhelmed looking after him. He had this milk protein intolerance and refused to feed and was really unwell, and by the time that was properly diagnosed, I was in a horrendous state.”

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november 2016 | mychild


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