Erin2

Age at interview: 32

Erin is 32 years old and lives with her husband and son who is two and a half years old. She felt well and empowered during her pregnancy and had a good delivery. When she went home, she felt low but thought it was the baby blues. However, her feelings wouldn’t go away; she didn’t feel the pleasure she anticipated in taking care of her baby and was anxious about what could happen to him. Her thoughts prevented her from sleeping, and her lack of sleep made her thoughts worse. She talked to her husband and some friends about her feelings, but they said she would get better, that it was a usual part of having a tiny baby. So, she put on a brave face and kept on going.  

Erin reached a tipping point when she couldn’t sleep for several days and no longer felt she could adequately care for her son. That’s when she asked her husband to take her to the emergency department. The psychiatrist there gave her some medication that finally helped her sleep and gave her a break from all the intrusive thoughts. 

She was then referred to a nurse who specialized in perinatal mental health and had lived experience with perinatal mental health issues. Erin felt understood. She also joined group therapy and was prescribed medication. 

She adopted some additional strategies to manage her mental health, such as exercise and her hobby, and found that returning to work helped her mental health improve. She emphasizes the importance of having daily time for yourself where you are not worrying about someone needing you. 

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More content

• Sharing Experiences – Erin2
  Erin2 didn't recognize herself in the stories she read online, which made her think she did not have postpartum depression or anxiety.
• Coping with Perinatal Mental Health – Erin2
  Erin2 recommends getting out and seeing people.
• Medication and Treatment Approaches – Erin2 (clip 2)
  Erin2 says CBT helped her learn to manage her anxiety.
• Medication and Treatment Approaches – Erin2
  Erin2 says seeing a specialist psychiatrist in perinatal mental health made a big difference.
• Gaps in Health Care System – Erin2
  Erin2 found her publicly funded CBT program really helpful.
• Relationships – Erin2 (clip 2)
  Erin2's mother didn't really understand what was going on, yet she supported her with actions instead of words.
• Relationships – Erin2
  Erin2's husband felt terrible for not realizing how bad she was feeling.
• Managing Personal Challenges with Sleeping and Eating – Erin2
  After 3-4 sleepless nights, Erin2 realized that taking care of herself had to become a priority.
• Managing Personal Challenges with Sleeping and Eating – Erin2
  A vicious circle of not being able to sleep and anxiety led Erin2 to worry about accidentally hurting her baby because of the tiredness.
• Managing New Routines – Erin2
  Being a new mom with postpartum depression and anxiety during a global pandemic was incredibly isolating for Erin2.