Interesting. Yesterday I was posting about how non-chalant the media has been in portraying Jessica Rowe's battle with PND as something she just sort of 'got over' without any substantive insight into just what exactly her experiences entailed. Thankfully, the picture becomes a bit candid in the Herald Sun today.
However, I am perplexed as to why Jessica Rowe suffering silently with PND is a 'stunning admission' or that this is her 'baby shame' according to the journalist. PND is definitely not uncommon and I can only applaud Jessica Rowe for sharing her experiences, not pretending to be a perfect mother merely because she is a recognisable face in the Australian media, and admitting that motherhood is life-altering. I can only imagine how much pressure Rowe felt having to talk about her pregnancy constantly when she was hosting Today, speaking about her IVF treatments and being a good mother.
On why she decided to share her story:
'I had to be true to myself and admit I'd suffered. At first I had planned to put it behind me. I'd recovered and wanted to move forward'.
On when she knew something was wrong:
'I was getting very anxious. I felt out of control. I worried about everything, like whether she'd get a cold - but beyond normal levels. I also had trouble breast-feeding. It also shocked me that I felt so ashamed of admitting it. Of not coping'.
How failed attempts at IVF contributed to her depression:
'I felt ashamed. How could I feel like this when I finally had this beautiful treasure? It's hard to fess up to'.
On when she felt she had recovered:
Rowe says she suffered for a month when Allegra was six weeks old before 'suddenly feeling like I was breathing fresh air again'.
Sources: http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,22125703-5012974,00.html
Herald Sun, 24 July, p.15
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