"I had postnatal depression and felt like a failure," says news presenter Jessica Rowe.
"It's hard to admit you're not coping with all the pressure to be a `happy, wonderful' mum.
"I hope this book will help you discover there is a way through."
Rowe, a mother-of-two and beyondblue ambassador is speaking in regard to a new book about dealing with the depression, Overcoming Baby Blues.
While up to 80 per cent of new mums will face the short-lived "baby blues", one in 10 women will experience postnatal depression (PND), says psychiatrist Gordon Parker, Scientia Professor of Psychiatry at the University of NSW and one of the authors of the book.
For many women, PND can come as a surprise, affecting those who have had no problems with depression before.
"The great majority of PND is actually where the woman hasn't had a previous experience - and it comes on hard and fast," says Prof Parker.
"And not only is the depression severe but the impact is severe."
While women who have had problems with a mood disorder prior to the birth of their baby are often proactive in seeking treatment and help prior to the birth, mothers with no history with depression can fail to seek help.
This can be due to a range of reasons, including guilt and the stigma that still clings to mental illness, he argues.
"It's more stigmatising than any other group - apart from maybe really tough rural people who feel that you just have to keep smiling.
"They've gone through pregnancy with everyone saying what a wonderful, joyful time they have ahead of them.
"Then they have their baby, they're depressed, they attend the mothers' group where every mother is smiling and their baby is thriving and the mother with PND may feel they have failed."
Mothers suffering from PND can often fear that her depression has broken the mother-baby bond, causing psychological damage to her child as a result.
"They feel as though somehow by not establishing a bond with their baby the baby will be irrevocably damaged," says Prof Parker.
"But babies are incredibly adaptable, as are children, and it's very hard to not have a bond develop.
"But the key thing is, of course, this is why the depression needs to be treated as soon as possible."
If a woman seeks help, PND responds well to treatment and can be brought under control.
"I would start with talking to a person you're close to, your husband, mother or friend."
WHO CAN HELP?
- A wise GP is a great place to start. They can also provide referrals to other health professionals such as psychiatrists and psychologists.
- Your local hospital or area mental health service will have an outpatient facility.
- A number of organisations - such as Tresillian (www.tresillian.net) and Karitane (www.karitane.com.au) - provide parenting advice to mothers and families and also have residential facilities.
* Overcoming Baby Blues by Gordon Parker, Kerrie Eyers and Philip Boyce is published by Allen & Unwin, rrp $27.99
