Publisher's Synopsis
What happens when a new mother says she is "fine," but really she is not? Postnatal depression, an illness which affects four in ten new mothers, is still stigmatized, and devastatingly misunderstood. In this book, author Bridget Hargreave charts her own experiences of depression following the birth of her sons, and she records the histories of a collection of mothers with a diverse range of perinatal mental health problems, such as anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and antenatal depression. The book includes the stories of: a mother who was hospitalized with severe depression, a mother who was so anxious she was physically sick every day, a mother whose birth trauma means just hearing the word "midwife" leaves her in a cold sweat, and a mother who bravely and honestly outlines the plans she made to end her own life. Brought together by a series of interviews with mental health professionals and charities campaigning for changes in perinatal care, Fine (Not Fine) tells the story of a hidden epidemic, and the remarkable people fighting it. [Subject: Mental Health, Women's Studies]
