Krysta

Age at interview: 34

Krysta is 34 years old and lives with her husband and 13-month-old son (at the time of interview). She had dealt with anxiety in the past and was attentive to her mental health when she got pregnant. During her pregnancy, she was apprehensive about her baby’s health even though she felt fine and only had a minor problem with low iron. She delivered the baby naturally, but it was long, and she needed an episiotomy (a surgical incision of the perineum to ease the baby’s birth). This procedure and the long birthing time were difficult for her.  

Krysta felt that her mental health became challenging after being home with the baby for a few days. Additionally, the baby had jaundice, and even though it is common, it made her worried and anxious. Sleep deprivation and struggles with breastfeeding added to her mental health issues but never affected how she bonded with her baby. 

She could share her feelings with her partner but was uncomfortable sharing them with others. To this day, few people know how hard it was for her. Also, the COVID-19 pandemic had a negative impact on her social life. She felt even more isolated when her family got COVID and worried that her son would be infected. She had no support except her husband, whom she said was excellent. She felt that healthcare professionals were dismissive of her red flags and described having to advocate for herself to ask for help as they did not ask the right questions to assess her mental health status.  

She started to take medication and felt better thanks to a great and empathetic psychologist, who explained the pros and cons of the medications. She still does not feel one hundred percent to this day but does feel much better. She decided to share her story because she believes it can help other women cope.

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More content

• Coping with Perinatal Mental Health – Krysta
  Krysta could not use her previous ways of coping once she had a baby to look after.
• Medication and Treatment Approaches – Krysta
  Krysta noticed that she felt better very quickly.
• Seeking and Finding Reliable Information – Krysta
  Some women didn't receive any information on postpartum mental health during pregnancy, like Krysta.
• Communicating with Health Care Providers – Krysta
  Despite red flags, Krysta did not get support until she was really suffering.
• Seeking Help and Getting Diagnosis – Krysta
  When Krysta shared her story about what was happening to her, she was referred to the hospital and received the help she needed.
• Support from Family and Friends – Krysta
  Few people knew how much Krysta was suffering because she chose not to share everything she was going through.
• Bonding – Krysta
  Although Krysta felt terrible, she still felt like she bonded with her baby, even if it meant pushing herself a little.
• Before and During Pregnancy – Krysta
  Just before pregnancy, Krysta felt great after having suffered from anxiety most of her life, but then her anxiety started to come back.