I wanted to share a bit of my story — a glimpse into what it’s really like to navigate motherhood while facing mental health challenges. 

Everyone involved with Happy Mums, whether we work there, volunteer, or support in other ways, has lived experience with maternal mental health. That’s what makes our community so important: we get it. We’ve been there. And let me tell you — it’s hard. 

You hear people say how tough parenting is, but nothing truly prepares you until you’re living it. Until youre up night after night, your baby won’t sleep, and you feel like you’re spiralling. That’s when the reality hits — the exhaustion, the isolation, the sense that you’re losing your grip. 

When my first son was born — during the height of COVID — I was 23. Not a teenager, but still young, still new to everything. I had no support. No health visitors dropping in, no friends visiting. Just me, my baby, and a history of mental health struggles. 

I remember feeling abandoned by the world. I was terrified I was going to get seriously unwell. And yet here I was, responsible for this tiny human who needed me constantly. The fear was overwhelming. I felt like I was going mad. Every single day felt like a battle with my own mind. 

The first year of a child’s life is often painted as magical. For me, it was mentally the hardest. I constantly questioned whether I was good enough, whether someone else could do a better job. These thoughts didn’t disappear when I had my second child. That same gut-wrenching fear returned: Why did I do this again? I’m not good enough. I’ve failed. 

And yet, these feelings are far more common than we admit. We just don’t talk about them enough. We’re told to enjoy every moment, but the truth is, it’s not always rainbows and roses. It’s hard. Brutally hard. Because we’re human, and suddenly, another life depends on us completely. 

But here’s the part I want to emphasize I made it through. 

With a lot of therapy, the right medication, and a support system that understood me, I’ve come out the other side. I can honestly say I’m a good mum now. Not perfect — just real. And most importantly, a happy one, most of the time.

Happy Mums provides peer support groups for mums and Mums-to-be to share how they really feel without judgement.