On Thursday’s Morning Focus, Alan was joined by Lisa Joyce who is a doula, Petrina O’Halloran who is the Founder of Birth and Beyond and Christina Lane who is the Founder of My Holistic Midwife. The group raised awareness regarding the issue of postnatal depression which is an illness that can affect a woman following the birth of a child. They discussed the various symptoms of postnatal depression and how common it is with 15% to 20% of women suffering from the illness. Petrina shared her story of her battle with postnatal depression and described her journey in seeking professional help and assistance. Lisa stated the importance of having a positive postnatal recovery and encouraged anyone who may be suffering after the birth of their child to seek counselling and support. Christina spoke about the key role that partners play in spotting the early signs of postnatal depression and explained how they can deal with assisting their partner.
If you think you may be experiencing post natal depression, contact your local GP who then can refer you to the Perinatal Maternal mental health support team in University Hospital Limerick. If you have health insurance, you will be entitled to up to six free counselling sessions which can be done from the comfort of your own home via zoom.
You can listen to the full interview below.
