Jennifer Ellison opens up about her battle with postnatal depression

The petite actress appeared on Daybreak to explain more about the condition and explain why new mums suffering from depression need more help

Rex

 

 

Jennifer Ellison on Daybreak

 

It's rare to see Jennifer Ellison without a smile on her face.
But she has revealed that after the birth of her first son three years ago she suffered from a bout of postnatal depression.

She appeared on ITV's Daybreak to share her experience in the hope other new mums feeling similarly will seek out help .

Speaking to Lorraine Kelly and Aled Jones, she revealed that it was actually her mum, who had also suffered from the debilitating condition who recognised that Jennifer needed help after the birth of her son, Bobby.
"There was kind of the baby blues that never went away and it was only that I was very lucky that my mum had suffered with it that she saw the signs straight away so my postnatal depression was treated pretty quickly.

"But there’s so many women out there who are suffering with it and there’s such a stigma attached to it," she said.

Jennifer and her husband Robbie Tickle

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Jennifer and her husband, boxer Robbie Tickle, have two children, Bobby, 3 and Harry, who was born earlier this year.

She had a notoriously hard pregnancy first time round which culminated in a 92-hour labour and the discovery of ovarian cysts that were so bad she was told it was unlikely she'd conceive a second time .
So it was a big surprise for Jennifer and Robbie when she fell pregnant with Harry, and she was relieved that her second baby brought none of the negative post-birth symptoms as before.

Not that the actual birth was any less traumatic after Jennifer felt the doctors fishing out her baby during her C-section .

"I was really terrified because it just doesn’t affect me and the baby it affects the whole family and also I had my little boy, having a new brother or sister is a big enough change for him so for his mum going through depression as well, that was just terrifying to think of," she explained.
The 30-year old Liverpool thinks that women are under extra pressure due to adverts never really touching upon the realities of becoming a new mother.

"If you only look at adverts on TV, we’re programmed to think that this is the most special time in your life and you’re going to have this instant bond and this instant connection and for some mums it just doesn’t happen and then they feel that they’re a failure."

Jennifer Ellison with son Bobby