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Emily experienced postpartum psychosis after the birth of her first child. She shares her journey of pregnancy and birth after severe mental illness.
I experienced postpartum psychosis in 2019 with my first-born child. I wasn’t diagnosed with a mental health condition before and didn’t even know what psychosis was.
I spent 108 consecutive days in hospital and had to have a series of ECT to treat my episode.
Postpartum psychosis is a medical emergency, but somehow emergency wasn’t loaded enough to describe my episode, consequently my doctors have in brackets on my file (severe PP).
Initially, my GP said I was “brave” when I told her my husband and I were planning to have a second baby. I didn’t feel brave, instead I always believed I could never become as unwell as I did the first time because the first time caught myself, my family and my doctor by surprise. In 2023, I gave birth to my second son and did not have postpartum psychosis.
When he was born, I cried tears of joy because his birth was beautiful, it was completely different to the traumatic experience of my first birth.
During my pregnancy, I saw a private psychiatrist who conservatively increased my medication throughout my pregnancy and in the postpartum period. I had a five-day planned stay on the maternity ward at Prince of Wales Randwick, followed by a planned three week stay at St John of God Hospital Burwood. Throughout this process my treating team focused on ensuring I slept well and the medication I was on helped me achieve this.
If you’re contemplating a second child, I think it’s so important to know that it is possible to have a completely different second experience.
Postpartum psychosis, also referred to as postnatal psychosis or puerperal psychosis, is a rare condition affecting 1-2 in every 1000 mums.
A guide for women and their families.
Dr Nicole Highet, Doctor of Psychology (Clinical / Perinatal)
Postpartum psychosis is also referred to as postnatal psychosis or more formally, puerperal psychosis. It is a rare condition that affects around 1 or 2 in every thousand mums. It is however, a very serious mental health condition that requires urgent attention and treatment.
Postpartum psychosis occurs in the first few days or weeks after a baby is born. Whilst we don’t really know what causes the condition, we know that women who have a prior diagnosis of bipolar disorder, or, who have experienced the condition when having children prior, are at greater risk. Some women may however experience the condition with no prior history.
It is very important to seek treatment for postpartum psychosis, as the condition is very serious and places the mother at risk of harming herself, the baby and/or other children – due to the impacts of the condition on her thinking and behaviours. For this reason, the condition must be identified and treatment sought urgently.
Whilst the onset of postpartum psychosis can quite daunting, the good news is that there the good prospects of a full recovery.
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