Maddison
Through counselling I learnt how to accept, normalise and manage my PNDA so I can be the best mum I can be to my girls.
I had twin girls at 31 weeks and 4 days — an ambulance ride with lights and sirens to a hospital an hour and a half away, a significant postpartum haemorrhage, and both girls straight to NICU.
They spent 52 days in hospital before being cleared to come home. While they were in there, my mental health was as good as it could be — what I didn't realise was that this was the beginning of my perinatal depression and anxiety (PNDA).
It wasn't until my girls came home that the reality of what we'd been through hit me like a freight train. An intrusive self-harm thought at 3am one morning prompted me to reach out, and with my GP, I was referred to Gidget Foundation Australia.
Through the support I received with my Gidget Clinician, I learnt how to accept, normalise and manage my PNDA. I unlearnt bad childhood experiences and learnt that my feelings and emotions are valid.
I still have bad days — but there are not as many, and I am learning the tools I need to manage them in a healthy way.