PND??

Today I was lucky enough to interview Irene Bester and Dr Bavi Vythilingum about Post Natal Depression. It was a real eye opener for me. At first I was a little scared to do the interview, because... Well, I'm not a mom and I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to do the interview justice.

Fear and doubt are both very terrible things that a girl can do without. I did my homework and enjoyed doing both interviews. Irene was very open and it was obvious that she wanted to help women who are suffering from PND in silence (because she went through the same thing). There is so much pressure on women to be perfect mothers that it works against *us and sometimes hurts us. Nobody says 'you might have problems breastfeeding' or 'you might not have an 'instant miraculous' bond with your baby'. Whose responsibility is it to inform 'first time' mothers? Our mothers perhaps?

If you know someone who you suspect is suffering from PND or if you need to talk to someone about your anxiety or if you suspect that you might have PND. Call the PNDSA (on 082 882 0072) and talk to someone. Irene said that moms should not feel guilty or ashamed because it is a 'chemical imbalance' and not because you are a 'bad mother'.

*When I say us: I mean women, not mothers. I hope to be a mother one day though.