Thank you, thank you, thank you Adele for taking so openly about your experiences of Postnatal Depression following the birth of your little boy. As a fellow mum and survivor of two visits from the bastardo that is PND and Postnatal Psychosis I applaud you for using your voice to bring the subject of Maternal Mental Health to the world stage in such a straight talking and honest manner.
As a mum who went into Motherhood (wrongly) assuming that PND only happened to mothers who had a history of mental health problems, that it was something that happened to women who were not "strong' enough, that it meant they hated their children, I know firsthand how dangerous these misconceptions can be.
It is so important that the subject of PND and Postnatal Psychosis is spoken about correctly, that as women we are educated on the illness and most importantly that the illness and the women suffering with it are not demonised or trivialised.
Having a fellow mum, who also happens to be insanely well known across the globe speak up and out about her own experiences is not only enlightening and educational for all people who have no awareness of the illness and its potentially devastating effects on the sufferer and their family but is also empowering to mums like myself who battled against the illness for the most time shrouded in shame and guilt.
Hearing mums like Adele speak so honestly about the illness in turn makes me as a fellow sufferer feel empowered to talk about mine. It helps lift the should of mystery and stigma surrounding the illness and it is a step towards not feeling too scared to talk about the subject in anything other than hushed tones. Most importantly there will be mums who have read the headlines today and felt less alone, less like a failure and less like a mum - for this I am the rest of the mums out there salute you Adele!
Here is my thank you in honour of Adele and all other mums speaking out about Postnatal Depression. You can watch the video here
Adele Had it Too
Mums, have you seen the news today?
The story is splashed everywhere,
It seems I was not the only mum in need of support and care,
I was not the only one in Motherhood, feeling lost and struggling through
You see, I had Postnatal Depression
And Adele, she had it too
Mums, have you seen the news today?
The headlines are everywhere
It seems I was not the only mum filled with love and yet despair
We see other mums and think they are coping and doing better than us by far,
That their life is a movie and them in it, a rising star
This brave news today shows the world this illness doesn't discriminate or care abut who's who,
You see, I had Postnatal Depression
And Adele, she had it too
Mums, have you seen the news today?
Checked your posts and read your tweets?
If not, then please do so, as Its filled me with hope and genuine relief,
A fellow mum has been brave enough to stand up and tell her truth,
To share with the world that sometimes she wanted to scream in the face of Motherhood a big "Fuck you!"
She shared what some of us have been hiding from our families and world at large and instead grabbed hold of her illness and by speaking out, has taken charge.
Its made me feel empowered, less ashamed and in hope, that other mums will feel this too,
You see, I had Postnatal Depression,
And Adele, she had it too
Mums, have you read the papers today, watched the news or checked your tweets?
It has made me feel less alone, filled me with hope and a new belief
As Mums we all believe we should have our shit together and balancing all the spinning plates
Ticking off our "good mum" activity list of activities, washing up and endless play dates,
We look at other mums with envy and lets face it, sometimes despair,
And think, "how is it they look so together? when I haven't even brushed my hair?
We don't see behind the closed doors or the headlines, to the pain a mum is going through,
You see I had Postnatal Depression
And Adele, she had it too
I've seen the news today,
And would like to say to all mums out there,
No matter who you are,
A stay-at-home-mum, a career mum or like Adele a singing star,
Being a mum is damn tough as well as being great,
And sometimes we just need to stop and smash these bloody spinning plates,
We need to realise that having Postnatal Depression is nothing to be ashamed of,
It doesn't mean your less of a human being or a mum incapable of love,
It in fact, means your strong, courageous and will eventually, get back to being you,
Adele kicked the ass of Postnatal Depression,
So did I
So can you!
If you, like myself and the awesome Adele want to continue speaking out about all areas of Motherhood - NO Judgement then please come join the #nobsmumrevolution by liking my page on Facebook, following my blog and joining me on instagram and Twitter @thebabybible. You can also join the secret Facebook page by emailing me olivia@the-baby-bible.com.
#pnd #pndawarenes #adele #vanityfair #pndandme #nobullmum #nobsmumrevolution #thebabybible #maternalmentalhealthmatters