Reporter

Pregnancy and the first year of parenthood can be a challenging and overwhelming time, full of mixed emotions as they adjust to becoming a new family. There are good and bad days, but when bad days become the norm, a parent may be experiencing perinatal depression and anxiety (PNDA).

PNDA is more common than people think and impacts around 100,000 Australians each year and affects one in five mothers, and one in 10 fathers. But this is a temporary and treatable condition, and support services are available across Australia.

To help raise awareness of PNDA, and to educate parents who may be experiencing symptoms Gidget Foundation Australia and LiSTNR have launched a new podcast series, 1 in 5 mothers, 1 in 10 fathers.

The podcast includes brave and honest accounts of parents who have experienced PNDA while also looking at the psychology behind this mental health condition.

The series is hosted by Nine news presenter Davina Smith, who experienced perinatal depression after the birth of her first child and is now a Gidget Ambassador.

In each episode, Smith and a perinatal specialist reflect on the personal story they’ve just heard including how to manage a perinatal mental health condition and the various was to identify and treat it.

Gidget Foundation Australia CEO, Arabella Gibson says perinatal depression and anxiety affects almost 100,000 expectant and new parents in Australia every year.

“There are many more people that unfortunately are undiagnosed [and] we know pregnancy and the first year of parenthood is a unique and challenging time and involves huge changes in a parent’s life,” Gibson says.

Gidget Foundation Australia was established 22 years ago to support the emotional wellbeing of expectant and new parents to ensure they receive timely, appropriate and specialist care. Gidget was the nickname of a vibrant young mother who tragically took her own life while experiencing postnatal depression.

The aim of the new podcast is to help parents feel less alone.

“We wanted to create a podcast that would challenge the stigma around mental health for new and expectant parents by sharing real-life experiences of PNDA in early parenthood; encouraging those who are struggling to identify early signs of PNDA to start talking and reach out for help,” says Gibson.

LiSTNR is rolling out two seasons of the podcast with eight episodes in each. 1 in 5 mothers, 1 in 10 fathers drop every Thursday. Listen to the trailer and first episode above.