Babou Ceesay

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, When the journalist Anna Ceesay was to feel pregnant with her Second Child , she began to be depressed and anxious, But kept it a secret, including her husband, the actor Babou Ceesay . Now she is determined to help other parents take care of their mental Well -being.

As any parent of small children will tell you, there are very few moments of The Day , you have to get self, But each moment of quiet thinking time with him and to feel time.

"When I woke up, I felt it The Most ," says the 33-year-old Anna Ceesay, who had a three-year-old daughter and was started six months pregnant with her Second Child , as their problems. "It was in those moments, in the early hours of The Morning , I would feel it, physically. I literally felt a sinking feeling in my stomach.

"Sometimes it would go away and sometimes it would not, so some days were better than others," she says.

with a sinking feeling the fear That she was concerned about the things That you would not be concerned usually, But you put it all on the fact That it was a lot. She was solo-parenting, because her husband was gone to work, and your home in Bromley, South London , was redeveloped.

The symptoms remained, even after the renovations were completed.

"I would be incredibly cooking anxious about things such as," says Anna . "I was convinced That I was going to give everyone food poisoning every time I cooked, fried chicken, even though I knew That every weekend. I would have needed to compulsively Google, how long do I have to cook The Chicken for according to The Weight , although I've always had a week, the same size of chicken each.

"I would have to convince me That I'm going to get it wrong, and I'm going to give you each of food poisoning - someone to die. "

Anna managed to hide their Mental Health problems of everyone around her - including her husband, parents and friends. She had not even admit "That it" in itself," she says.

"I don't think That I'm Alone , in the sense of thinking That , if you start That something is not right, you tend to push it to the back of your mind, as you continue with life and just get on with The Day -to-day.

"If you have young children, to Keep Going you have. So you are just yourself last and to Keep Going on the treadmill of life. It has made me think a couple of months actually, " You know what? I can't do this on My Own , and I need to get help, " and if I did, it was incredibly scary. "

With your daughter's fell off at pre-school One Day , Anna was sitting in her car, and stared at The Number of Panda's helpline, which offers support for people dealing with pre - and post-natal mental illness. Call felt like trying to cross a "terrible abyss", she says.

Now, eight months pregnant, she had had The Number for over a week, But on this day decided to have the courage to call.

"was the helpline as I said The First Time actually, a little too loudly when I saw the Pandas and That was incredibly difficult. I remember sobbing on The Phone ," she says.

"Only, admitting That I needed a certain amount of support was a pretty difficult step for me, because I am someone who is always proud of the fact That she's really independent and very strong, so out for help is something That I never really managed to. "

The Woman on the Hotline was reassuring. She said to Anna , she had post-Natal depression That there is hope, and That she would recover. And you are urged to speak to their GP.

"If I says The Phone down from her, then I called my husband and That was when I told him, and he was actually In America at the time," Anna .

"I think he was a bit puzzled and worried as he was gone, so I think he felt powerless. I apparently was on a little bit, and he was not there. "

Babou says their busy life-style, together prevented her from coming to see The Storm .

"there's this person That admired I have always looked up, and suddenly I'm going to Wow', you are under a huge amount of Stress . "I felt a tremendous sadness. Immediately I began to think of ways to get on a plane and come home as soon as possible," he says.

He describes it as one of The First times in their relationship, That he actually still and listened to what he had to say to Anna .

"I'm in the house every day with her," he says. "So it was a shock, as they could hold, as she really was-to himself - and it was not an attempt to cover it up, she was not even aware of, because it is gradual until it reaches a sudden, am not to the point where you realized," I I Myself . '"

for More help and advice:

Anna made an appointment with your family doctor.

However, before you told your doctor Everything That you Wake up with a sinking feeling in her stomach, she was always very concerned about the things of everyday life, and That you are feeling low - you spoke about your biggest fear. She was horrified about the possible consequences of asking for help.

"I said," I'm really afraid That if I actually say how I'm feeling, you take away My Daughter ,'" says Anna .

"It's pretty scary when you rotate the children to The Doctor , and not be like," I think I am mentally Well . "I have spoken with many women who have told me That you keep in mind That you do not want to go to The Doctor because you are concerned about the implications for your family and your children. "

The Doctor looked at Anna and told her That she had done The Right thing and to take away That no one wanted to be your daughter.

Anna was talking to a local NHS Therapy team, and within Two Weeks of your GP appointment had received her first Therapy session with a perinatal psychotherapist.

says Mental Health during and after pregnancy

Prof Lorraine Sherr , a clinical psychologist and Director of the Health Psychology Unit at University College London, may trigger a pregnancy, Mental Health problems and exacerbate existing ones.

symptoms may include anxiety, lethargy, sleep disturbance, and sometimes physical health symptoms.

she says, to do The Most important thing, if you are experiencing a Mental Health Problem in the perinatal period, in order not to suffer Alone - around, Talk to people around you, your midwife and the health professionals and your family doctor. You would not hesitate to seek help if you had a physical illness, she says, so the same should apply to Mental Health .

After their second Therapy session, Anna almost Nine Months pregnant.

"My therapist said, 'OK, how's your week been?'" Anna says. "And I said, I just found out I have section a C-and I was devastated because my first pregnancy I had a water birth, I have no pain relief. I was very proud, very arrogant, went round all say, 'isn't this wonderful", and I wanted the same experience.

"So, then, to find That I had a section a elective C -, obviously, the complete opposite of a "natural birth" has triggered all sorts of disturbing thoughts and feelings, because I felt like, 'Oh, I'm not a failure as A Mother to The Baby , because I give birth once, it in a Natural Way . This is not how it happened last time, I can't cope with the fact That it is Different . '"

Anna says they have it through with your therapist asked you, what do you say to a friend who had just found out you had a cesarean section.

"I said, 'Well , as long as The Baby is healthy, That 's fine, it doesn't matter. '"

she says she then realized, some of the language we use around birth can be, is helpful and That now, a few years ago, how your son got here, is irrelevant. Anna says, it talks about the time your made to relax and ease your fear about having a caesarean section.

Anna took a break from Therapy , when her son was born, But then went back when he was Six Weeks old and received Therapy until he was six months. She says, there were UPS and downs, But The Experience was life changing.

Anna with her Second Child , a boy, "It has taught me That my thoughts do not need to control me, That I might be anxious thoughts, or I can suddenly be affected by a bad mood, But actually not by me, the only thoughts That I can control and I can learn to manage.

", It is not absolutely make it way, for me anyway, and I think Most People , the mental problems would say the same. It is not the same as a physical injury, where, let's say you break your leg And Then Everything is better again in a few months' time. It is not so, But what it does do is give you the tools to be able to manage them and to feel empowered and say, 'You know what, I was looking for help, I have the tools now, if I start to feel anxious and low again, I know what I can do," and That gives you more self-confidence. "

she says, it is still a huge stigma around Mental Health .

life, antenatal depression, depression, postnatal depression, wellbeing, long reads, mental health, children, pregnancy, parenting, anxiety

Source of news: bbc.com