A significant percentage of mothers experience depression, anxiety or other psychological impacts that go well beyond the “baby blues.”For many, their post-partum depression goes undiagnosed, often due to embarrassment, lack of access to resources and the stigma associated with trying to get help. Editors of Beyond Blue, Oga Nwobosi and Christina Myers met in a postpartum support group almost two decades ago. There, they found grief, joy, wisdom, and the lifelong connections that keep us afloat during the most difficult times.

In these deeply personal essays, twenty-six mothers from all walks of life share their diverse experiences with post-partum depression. Their stories include everything from an inability to make decisions and questioning your ability to be a good parent to paranoia and thoughts of self-harm. Ultimately, these stories offer a life raft to struggling new parents, and a community for those who will see their past experiences reflected, whether they happened last year or a generation ago. From heartbreak to hope, and from helplessness to healing, the stories in Beyond Blue shed light on the often invisible and unspoken experiences of postpartum mental health.