I expected to breeze through motherhood the second time around and, in a million little ways, it was much easier. This time I thought knew it all and did, it turns out, know a bit more than last time. I was prepared, experienced – as a doula, I was a person others called on to help them navigate the strange, sad and wonderful corners of becoming a mother. And yet, four days after my son was born, there I was sobbing down the phone to a friend, my confidence drowning in oestrogen tinged-tears that were just another leak from my damp, deflating body. These were the baby blues and, though mercifully transient for me, they felt more like the baby black-and-blue-all-overs. At any other time I could tell you that day four is the classic time for a postnatal hormone crash but, in my milk-addled state, it felt like the screws on my hinges had loosened when I pushed my son out. I felt vulnerable, on edge and slightly estranged from my normal sense of self. I dipped briefly under the waves of tiredness, the rock-hard breasts and the overwhelming sense of responsibility. For me it was just that: a short dip until, buoyed by my excellent support network, I could raise my head in to clear air again. But for other women, having a baby can bring significant emotional and mental health challenges that they shouldn’t have to cope with alone. Full story here: https://www.the-pool.com/health/wombs-etc/2017/8/rebecca-schiller-on-mental-health-mothers-and-rcog-report