The Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton was in London on Thursday to help mark the launch of a series of educational films focusing on maternal mental health.
At the event, Kate spoke on the issue of maternal mental health and about her personal experience of motherhood. She admitted to suffering from a lack of confidence as regards her parenting abilities.
She said that being a mother could be tough even for someone who has assistance from nannies and housekeepers.
At the event, Kate spoke on the issue of maternal mental health and about her personal experience of motherhood. She admitted to suffering from a lack of confidence as regards her parenting abilities.
She said that being a mother could be tough even for someone who has assistance from nannies and housekeepers.
"'Personally, becoming a mother has been such a rewarding and wonderful experience. However, at times it has also been a huge challenge - even for me, who has support at home that most mothers do not," she said.
"And yet there is no rule book, no right or wrong - you just have to make it up and do the very best you can to care for your family. For many mothers, myself included, this can, at times lead to lack of confidence and feelings of ignorance. Sadly, for some mothers, this experience can be made so much harder due to challenges with their own mental health.
Two in 10 women will suffer mental health issues that can occur during pregnancy and in the year after birth, often clouding their moments of joy with a real sense of darkness and isolation.
Many of these women also suffer in silence, overwhelmed by negative feelings, but also afraid to admit to the struggles they are facing due to the fear or shame of what others might think if they aren't coping".
She added:
"Some of this fear is about the pressure to be a perfect parent; pretending we're all coping perfectly and loving every minute of it. It's right to talk about motherhood as a wonderful thing, but we also need to talk about its stresses and strains. It's ok not to find it easy. Asking for help should not be seen as a sign of weakness. If any of us caught a fever during pregnancy, we would seek advice and support from a doctor. Getting help with our mental health is no different – our children need us to look after ourselves and get the support we need."
The event, which was held at the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, was organised by Best Beginnings, part of the Heads Together campaign, an initiative launched by Kate Middleton, Prince William and Prince Harry in 2016.
Though relatively new, the charity, which is working to banish the stigma that exists around the issue of mental health, has helped about two million families with emotional and practical support during pregnancy and beyond.
After the event, Kate joined a meeting with a parent support group where she met a young mum, Kirsty Francois, 21 and her two-year-old daughter, Teegan-Mia. Kirsty together with other fathers and mothers told the Duchess of their experiences and challenges as parents.
Kirsty revealed that she had her daughter when she was just 19 and although working in a nursery, she found herself homeless after experiencing problems with her daughter's father. Nothing she dealt with at work, she told the Duchess, compared to having to deal with being a mother herself.
-lib
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