Baby Blues – Mums Suffering in Silence

Almost half believe a mother's emotional health is less important than her physical health and sleep and only six per cent would seek professional help immediately.

The national survey findings, to be launched today by The Bupa Health Foundation to highlight the importance of seeking support early, found 79 per cent of women consider sadness, dejection and emotional stress part of pregnancy and motherhood.

"It is concerning that there is still a stigma surrounding pregnancy related depression, especially when you consider that depression can lead to worse health outcomes for both mothers and children in the future,'' said Dr Stan Goldstein of the Bupa Health Foundation.

Over 1,800 Australian parents are diagnosed with ante or postnatal depression each week, data from Post and Antenatal Depression Association (PANDA) shows.

Yet despite one in 10 women facing pregnancy related depression, women still remain reluctant to share their sadness and emotional stress, the Bupa research found.

Professor Jeannette Milgrom, who founded the Parent Infant Research Institute (PIRI), is pioneering new ways to treat antenatal depression using cognitive behavioural therapy.

Her program aims to help mothers "so by the time you deliver the baby, you are already feeling better''.

"If you get in early, you can turn it all around,'' she said.

PIRI research has found women receiving specialised support are three times less likely to experience moderate-to-severe depression by the end of pregnancy.

Cybele Slater was diagnosed with PND after suffering overwhelming anxiety when her son Jesse was nine months old.

Now recovered, Ms Slater said "it is a horrible situation that there are so many women out there who feel the way I did who don't get help.''

"I wasn't sleeping, I was in a bit of a fog, waking up in the middle of the night stressing and knew something was wrong.

"I had my own business and had to go back to work quite quickly. There just weren't enough hours in the day.''