Singer and mental health campaigner Frankie Bridge, 32, was in The Saturdays from 2007 to 2014. She lives in Surrey with husband Wayne Bridge and their children, Parker, seven and Carter, five.
Mental health is spoken about a lot more than it was, but I think women — and mothers especially — fall under the radar. Ante-natal depression is something that still isn’t widely known about.
My depression got so much worse when I was pregnant with Parker.
My identity changed. I’d gone from being Frankie from The Saturdays to a parent-to-be — and I had this battle of wanting to be successful in my career, but also to be at home for the baby. I thought I’d be a stay-at-home mum so felt like I was letting go of part of my life.
Frankie Bridge, 32, (pictured) who lives in Surrey, learned to accept that she didn’t enjoy pregnancy
I particularly struggled with the sudden changes to my body, feeling so out of control. I had terrible morning sickness and was taking anti-depressants, which I have been on since being hospitalised for my mental health in 2011. A side-effect is increased water retention.
READ RELATED: Calorie Tracking Can Double Your Weight Loss Results!
By the time I was three months pregnant I had no ankles and had gained so much weight. It was difficult going through this in the public eye. I was in the band, so very much expected to put myself out there. And I was receiving comments about my weight gain online.
Wayne was supportive, and would say, ‘You’re pregnant Frank, whatever will happen to your body will happen.’
But I felt so much shame that I’d lost control. I’ve suffered with an eating disorder for years, so have always controlled my food intake. It was hard to accept not being able to do anything about it.
So I decided to start talking to other women about it: it was like I’d given them permission to finally speak out honestly. In admitting that I didn’t enjoy pregnancy, it opened the gate for others to do the same.
I’ve learned that it’s OK for this to be hard. The most important thing is to remember you’re not alone — and that being honest doesn’t make you a bad mum. People always say that talking helps, and it genuinely does!
Grow: Motherhood, Mental Health & Me by Frankie Bridge (£18.99, Octopus Books)
Source: Daily Mail
