Rosie’s story: overcoming postnatal psychosis while living regionally
“There will always be someone out there ready to fight for you if you don’t think you can fight anymore. I promise life will be beautiful again, and one day you will look at your child and think that it was all worth it.”
I'm originally from Canada and moved to Australia in 2012 after I spent time travelling. I met my Australian partner in Melbourne where we lived for 5 years, before relocating to Tasmania in 2017. We now have two gorgeous boys born in 2020 and 2023. I recently retrained in psychology with the aim of pursuing research.
Preparing for parenthood with a history of mental health challenges
I knew many people who had a difficult time in the early postnatal period and certainly did not expect it to be easy. I also had a history of serious mental illness which I suspected put me at higher risk for perinatal mental health complications.
Knowing this, I saw a psychologist for advice before getting pregnant and asked for additional support during pregnancy.
Unfortunately, despite my mental health history putting me at high risk for perinatal mental health complications, none of the care providers I saw during pregnancy seemed concerned with my mental health, even when symptoms of anxiety and insomnia became evident.
I had to ask for help and advocate for myself, but even then, services in the regional area where I lived were practically non-existent. Combined with the chaos of early COVID, I ended up 'falling through the cracks'... until it was nearly too late.
Facing new challenges
Despite my awareness of potential difficulties and seeking psychological guidance before getting pregnant, the reality was even harder than expected.
I started feeling very anxious around 30 weeks into my first pregnancy. This was also around the beginning of the COVID pandemic which added several unexpected challenges.
Without any family in the state and limited social support, this was an extremely difficult time for both me and my partner. It was especially difficult when our families were unable to come from overseas and interstate to help us in the early postnatal period, as we had originally planned.
“Living in a regional area, our options for professional support were also limited.”
Mental health challenges and finding support
I developed postnatal psychosis around 5 days after the birth.
Once I became very unwell, it was evident that I could not function at home, let alone look after a newborn – and my partner sought help on my behalf.
I was admitted to the psychiatric ward at the local hospital for postnatal psychosis, where I had to be separated from my baby. My partner visited every day with my baby, but only for a couple of hours due to COVID restrictions. He had to travel nearly an hour each way to hospital, while learning how to look after a newborn and work out how to feed him as I wasn't able to breastfeed anymore.
I then struggled with severe postnatal depression starting when my baby was about 3-4 months old.
When my baby was around 4 months old, I was admitted to the specialist mother-baby unit in Hobart with severe depression and suicidal ideation. I was able to have my baby by my side the whole time and gain confidence as a new mother while focusing on becoming healthy again.
I was extremely lucky to get the only public bed at the time, but this was 3.5 hours away from our home. My partner did shift work at the time and drove down on his days off to be with us. He was able to stay with us, and it gave him peace of mind to know that our baby and I were safe and in good hands.
“It is only once I was here and treated by a psychiatrist with experience in the perinatal period that I received the appropriate care, which was truly lifesaving.”
I spent five weeks in the mother-baby unit and was treated with antidepressants and Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT), which I believe saved my life.
Once I returned home around 5 months postnatal, I was as happy and healthy as I had ever been. With a gorgeous cheeky baby by my side as a bonus!
I loved motherhood and went back to work part-time when my baby was 11 months old.
A second baby
Knowing that I could access these specialist services was central to our decision to have a second child.
Once my partner and I felt ready to expand our family again, we opted for private maternity care and I gave birth in Hobart, where we relocated for 7 weeks around the time of the birth. This came at a very high financial and logistical cost, and we consider ourselves extremely lucky to have been able to do so.
“With a plan in place and a wonderful team who understood my circumstances and had my best interest in mind, my second postnatal experience was fantastic, and I remained healthy.”
There were of course challenges and sleep deprivation that came with having a newborn, but having the right supports in place allowed me to prioritise my health and enjoy those special few weeks with my new baby.
Looking after myself now
I am still taking antidepressants to keep anxiety symptoms at bay. I prioritise sleep, diet and exercise, and I won’t hesitate to seek professional help if I feel like my mental health is deteriorating.
I love the outdoors and try to spend time in nature as much as possible. I also love cooking, gardening and doing yoga. I have regular chats with my loved ones here and overseas, and love playing and laughing around with my boys. I also try to carve alone time for myself to recharge my batteries – which can certainly be challenging with young kids!
