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So after a very tasty lunch and plenty of networking, delegates settled down to hear more speakers at the conference to launch my second book ‘Another Twinkle in the Eye – contemplating another pregnancy after perinatal mental illness‘. It was held at Hotel Football opposite Old Trafford in Manchester and organised by Salford CPD.

It began with four brave ladies who all shared their stories of postnatal illness and if they had had any other children. First to the stand was the lovely Catherine Burrows. I explained how we had been first introduced. Four years ago, after the death of my partner, I went to Lanzarote with my parents for a week of rest and sunshine. One day by the pool we began to chat to a retired couple from the UK. It transpired that their daughter Catherine was a fan of my first book and it had prompted her to write one! We were put in touch and met up for the first time a couple of years ago when I spoke at an event in London. Naturally I wanted to include her at this event.

Catherine suffered postnatal depression after both her children – the second time it was less detrimental as she explained that they knew what it was, what helped the most and that it would pass. She was delighted to meet the ladies from The Smile Group (more later) who said they highly recommend her book to their ladies! As she spoke a beautiful slide show of her family was playing. You can get her book from Amazon here.

Following her, we heard from Beth Bone. We all felt very emotional as she eloquently described the experience of the birth of her son that was far from idyllic. She then continued to explain how she spiralled into severe postnatal illness and at times thought of suicide. I feel so humbled by the fact that Beth says it was my first book, ‘Eyes without Sparkle‘ that gave her hope when she had none. With treatment at The Priory she has gone on to make a full recovery and is at peace with the decision not to have another baby. She has become an ambassador for mental health at Barclays Bank where she works. As she stood down from the lectern we had a hug that felt like it embraced each and everyone of us in the room. Breathtaking! Thank you so much Beth.

Next was Soraya. She had postnatal depression with her first baby then went on to have another child without mental health challenges. I was grateful to Soraya as in the early days of writing my book, I asked her to look at a chapter – I was pleased that she advised me to stay away from bland advice and say the things people needed to hear! I hope I have done so!

Thank you to Kathryn De Vecchi for this photograph of one of Soraya’s slides.

Our final Mum was the amazing Claire. We have been in touch through Social Media for many years. This was the film she shared at the conference.

I doubt there was a dry eye in the room. The follow-up to this story is Claire as she is now – she exudes positivity, hope and success. On the same day as this event a book that she has written a chapter in was also released. Her top tips are:

1. Follow your passion & Joy
2. Set yourself a daily plan of action
3. Be consistent, do things that make you feel good!

Blog:​www.clairehartman.com

My next section of speakers all involved support through groups and/or peers. Both of these areas are covered in detail in my book. All of these ladies have suffered from perinatal mental health challenges and are using this as motivation to help others. First we heard from Julie Smith from Family Action who told us about their excellent service that provides peer support.

Next we heard from Natalie and Ruth from The Smile Group based in Macclesfield.

They both had postnatal depression after their first babies and felt very isolated. Five years on, their support group is going from strength to strength – with even an invitation to Buckingham Palace this summer! I have included Natalie’s first response to her second baby at the back of my book – page 348 – it is beautiful.

Anne from PSS Parent and Baby Wellness Service in Liverpool spoke next. She also shared her story and desire to support others through the work that she and her colleagues deliver.

Our final speaker before coffee and cake had travelled from the Outer Hebrides to be with us! Rosey Wren has three young children and had postnatal depression after each one. She had felt extremely isolated and alone so began to use Twitter as a tool to connect other women. From this idea #PNDHour was created each Wednesday 8 – 9 p.m. Since January 2014 more than 3,000 individuals have used the hashtag; there have been over 37,000 tweets and one of their busiest hours focussed on having another baby after perinatal mental illness. Healthcare professionals, dads, friends and family can also use #PNDHour. This was Rosey’s first public speaking experience and she was brilliant!

One of the strengths of the conference was in connecting people. Many of the people in the room, both as a parent or healthcare professional, had previously been in contact with someone else present yet had never met until the event. Several people asked me to point out someone with whom they had emailed or been on social media with. To enable them to actually meet was excellent. Who knows what else may arise from these meetings?

I love these photos posted by Kathryn De Vecchi on Facebook of  Mums who got together on the day. The smiles, love and sisterhood between these ladies is evident …

… and all because at some point in their lives they suffered the pain of perinatal mental illness. A classic example of something good emerging from something that wasn’t!

Final section will follow tomorrow!

Elaine 🙂