Powerful illustrations reveal the truth behind postnatal depression

The campaign aims to tackle the taboo surrounding the common condition

Olivia Petter
Friday 15 December 2017 11:31 EST
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Karen Kleiman
Karen Kleiman (Molly McIntyre/The Postpartum Stress Center)

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Postnatal depression is a crippling condition that can leave women feeling isolated, exhausted and unable to bond with their new baby.

It is surprisingly common in the UK and affects one in every 10 women within a year of giving birth, according to the NHS.

One woman has set out to shatter the stigma surrounding the mental illness with an online campaign accompanied by a series of poignant illustrations that capture what it’s really like to suffer from it.

Clinical social worker and author Karen Kleiman has joined forces with illustrator Molly McIntyre to produce comics that give an insight into life with postnatal depression.

Kleiman founded The Postpartum Stress Center in Rosemont, Pennsylvania and launched the #speakthesecret campaign in October with the intention of “shattering the myth that all new mothers feel wonderful about being mothers,” reports HuffPost.

She wanted the comics to capture the things that were left unsaid regarding postnatal depression.


(Karen Kleiman and Molly McIntyre/The Postpartum Stress Center)

 (Karen Kleiman and Molly McIntyre/The Postpartum Stress Center)
 (Molly McIntyre/The Postpartum Stress Center)

The powerful images show women holding their babies in various scenarios with speech bubbles over their heads that reveal their thoughts.

One woman is pictured standing in a crowd full of strangers holding her child while her speech bubble reads: “If I admit I don’t feel like being a mother and that this sucks a lot of the time, does that mean I don’t love my baby?”


(Karen Kleiman and Molly McIntyre/The Postpartum Stress Center)

 (Karen Kleiman and Molly McIntyre/The Postpartum Stress Center)
 (Molly McIntyre/The Postpartum Stress Center)

Kleiman thinks that a lot of the stigma surrounding postnatal depression stems from a fear of being accused of not loving your child.

“Some women worry that if they disclose how they feel, they will be deemed an unfit mother, or worst of all, and their baby will be taken away from them!,” she told HuffPost.

She hopes that her campaign - which has already gained traction on Facebook - will help raise awareness of postnatal depression and help those who are currently suffering in silence.

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