Have a heart for mums with PND
L-R: Ashlee Wahanui and baby Quinn,, Roseann Allan and baby
Lilly, Sarah Taylor and baby Lucy, Breastmates owner Frances
McInnes, Beverley Ashburner and baby Mollie, Rebecca Broadbent and
baby Oliver. Photograh: Baby Shots
Postnatal depression (PND) affects 20-30% of Kiwi mums, yet the
ongoing stigma attached to mental illness continues to mean that
too many suffering women are silent about what they're going
through.
Breastmates owner and mum of two Frances McInnes says, "I had
PND with my second baby, and I just felt overwhelmed with
everything. I felt like a failure for admitting it, but I knew I
should have been enjoying my son instead of feeling burdened."
To raise awareness and give hope to mums suffering PND, Frances
has designed a beautiful heart filled with words of love,
screenprinted on a women's T-shirt and baby bodysuit, which will be
sold on the Breastmates website. 100% of the proceeds from her "My
Heart's Content" range will be donated to The Perinatal Mental
Health NZ Trust (PMHNZ) to provide support and counselling to mums
with PND.
As well as experiencing PND firsthand, Frances has heard from
hundreds of mums suffering from PND via www.breastmates.co.nz and
the Breastmates Facebook page (www.facebook.com/breastmates). "The pressures
of breast- versus bottle-feeding can often lead to PND, so let's
remove the pressure and do what suits our own families. I hope
these T-shirts will help people to start a conversation about PND,"
Frances says.
Some of the mums modelling the "My Heart's Content" range
experienced PND and were brave enough to come forward with their
stories.
Roseann Allan, mum to Lilly (10 months), recalls, "I had PND
after my second baby was hospitalised at four days old. It was very
stressful and hard."
Sarah Taylor, mum of four children including Lucy (six months),
explains, "It was like the first year of giving myself to these
little people had finally drained me of all I could give."
Rebecca Broadbent, mum to 18-month-old Oliver, says, "During the
first six months of my son's life I felt overwhelmed and anxious. I
didn't want anyone to say I had PND, because then I'd feel even
more inadequate. Now I know that it's okay to say I had PND, and I
know what to look for when I have more children."
Admitting something is wrong is the first step toward healing
PND, Frances says. "Help is available, so mums don't have to feel
like they're all alone if they're suffering from PND."
Tracey Tarver of Baby Shots Photography, who photographed the
six mums, adds, "We are delighted to be involved with this awesome
campaign. It is great to know there is support for mums who need
it."
--ENDS- For more information or for high-res images, please
email Frances McInnes at frances@breastmates.co.nz or phone 07 827
8235.
For more information about Perinatal Mental Health NZ Trust
email pmhnztrust@gmail.com