Support for growing families
Going from one child to two or more can bring new challenges or experiences that you may not have had with your first child.
Everyone is different. No two experiences of perinatal anxiety or depression are the same.
It can be hard to manage pregnancy or caring for your new baby while also caring for your older children.
Some people sail through having their first child only to experience mental health issues with their second, while others have a very difficult experience with their first, make a full recovery, and go on to have more children without relapse.
There will be a lot of new and challenging experiences as your family adjusts to the new baby. The new constraints on your time and energy can leave you feeling anxious and extremely tired. However, if you’re experiencing a low mood, overwhelmed or distressing thoughts and feelings that affect your wellbeing and ability to function in daily life, you may be experiencing perinatal anxiety and/or depression.
People who have experienced perinatal anxiety or depression or postnatal psychosis are at increased risk of experiencing mental health issues with another child. It’s important you plan ahead if you decide to have another baby.
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Information for growing families
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Real life experiences from families with multiple children
Mental Health Checklist
How are you going?
Every family's experience of pregnancy, birth and parenting is unique and brings different rewards and challenges.
Complete our online mental health checklist to see if what you're experiencing or observing in a loved one could be a reason to seek help.
PANDA National Helpline
Find someone to talk to, Monday to Saturday.
1300 726 306
Call 000 for police and ambulance if you or someone else are in immediate danger
Talk with friends or family
Consider talking about how you are feeling with someone you trust. This might be a friend or family member. Once you starting talking you might be surprised at how many others have had similar experiences and the support they can provide you.
Talk with your doctor
Talking with your doctor can be an important step to getting the help you need. They should be able to give you non-judgemental support, assessment, diagnosis, and ongoing care and treatment. They can also refer you to specialists such as a counsellor, psychologist or psychiatrist.
Get help now
If you are having suicidal thoughts or are feeling disorientated it’s important to get help immediately. PANDA is not a crisis service, if you need immediate support call Lifeline 13 11 14 (24/7).