<p>What if, instead of being the best time of your life, new motherhood was miserable? Perinatal depression and anxiety affects one in five women in Australia. But the shame of it is carried in silence.</p><p>Yumi Stynes speaks to women about their darkest days as new mums; sleep deprived, fearful and feeling alone. She hears how these women came through their suffering and got the help they needed.</p><p>Featured in this episode:  </p><ul><li>Dr Erin Seeto, Clinical Psychologist and Director of Clinical Services at the Gidget Foundation </li></ul><p>If you need help:</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.lifeline.org.au/" target="_blank">Lifeline Australia</a> 13 11 14</li><li><a href="https://www.panda.org.au/contact" target="_blank">PANDA National Helpline</a> 1300 726 306</li><li><a href="https://www.gidgetfoundation.org.au/" target="_blank">Gidget Foundation</a> 1300 851 758</li></ul><p>This episode will answer questions like: </p><ul><li>What does it feel like to have perinatal depression and anxiety? </li><li>What is perinatal depression and anxiety? </li><li>What are the risk factors of perinatal depression and anxiety? </li><li>How is perinatal depression and anxiety treated? </li><li>How do you recover from perinatal depression and anxiety? </li><li>Can your relationship impact perinatal depression and anxiety?</li></ul><p>What to listen to next: </p><p><a href="https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/ladies-we-need-to-talk/marriage-sabbaticals-break-relationship/106283860" target="_blank">I love you but go away: Women taking marriage sabbaticals</a></p><p><a href="https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/ladies-we-need-to-talk/gender-roles-family-womens-work-ladies-we-need-to-talk/106153062" target="_blank">How swapping a husband for a wife made this economist better off</a></p><p><a href="https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/ladies-we-need-to-talk/turia-pitt-is-a-selfish-woman/105981172" target="_blank">Turia Pitt is a selfish woman</a></p><p><a href="https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/ladies-we-need-to-talk/sex-worker-70-ladies-need-to-talk-escort-older-woman/105660060" target="_blank">Paying for sex at 70</a></p><p>You can binge more episodes of Ladies, We Need to Talk on the ABC listen app (in Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts.  </p><p>What to read next:  </p><p><a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-02-04/women-on-taking-a-break-from-their-marriage/106281918" target="_blank">Why these women took marriage sabbaticals — and how it went</a></p><p><a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-12-22/esther-perel-on-building-a-village/106144018" target="_blank">Building a village means showing up even when it feels hard, says Esther Perel</a></p><p><a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-12-09/why-kate-chose-to-stay-flat-after-breast-cancer-surgery/106087348" target="_blank">Why Kate chose to 'stay flat' after breast cancer surgery</a></p><p><a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-08-28/why-herpes-does-not-mean-the-end-of-your-sex-life/105693090" target="_blank">Why genital herpes does not mean the end of your sex life</a></p><p>This episode contains references to suicide, suicidal ideation, depression, anxiety, birth, birth trauma, mothering, parenting, mental health care plan, psychology, hospital, family, breastfeeding, colic, crying, sleeplessness, sleep deprivation. </p>