Una Healy has spoken out about being diagnosed with post natal depression after the birth of her son Tadhg.
The singer said she expected having her second child to be easier after she had given birth to her daughter Aoife three years earlier.
“When I had Tadhg, I had a touch of PND, something I didn’t experience when Aoife was born,” she said.
“It was a lonely time and I wasn’t helping the situation,”
“I was moving to a new house, Ben had suffered an injury at work and I also jumped back into work quicker than I did when I had Aoife. I thought I would be fine, and could do it all because I’d had a child before,” Una told Press Association.
She explained that she started to feel alone and withdrawn.
She said: “All this added up, and finally I went to my GP who diagnosed post natal depression. I was offered medication but having tried both, preferred the cognitive therapy route.
Una revealed what helped her through the difficult time adding that swimming classes with her children was particularly valuable.
“Talking, whether to my GP or to friends and other new mums, was so helpful for me.”
“As mums, it’s important we speak up more about how we’re feeling,” she said.
“This is why going to Water Babies was so helpful for me. Not only is it a vital life skill for children, but it gave me the opportunity to speak to other mums who were all going through the same issues I was.
“Feeling sad, lonely or isolated shouldn’t be a taboo, it’s a normal part of being a new mum.”
