Crafty Mums was born in 2013 when Kate decided to open a gift shop offering local designers the chance to rent space at an affordable price to showcase their products. Not only this, she wanted to offer regular craft workshops, from sewing to glass making, and free classes to those suffering from PND.

Kate is super lovely, and was keen to answer our questions. So, let me introduce you to Kate from Crafty Mums…

 

I actually suffered with Pre-natal depression, in the last 3 months of my first pregnancy. Most people do not realise that this can exist and can lead to further problems after the birth if not detected. Its more than just a feeling of being fed-up, like we all get in those last few weeks, this was a overwhelming feeling, of intense fear and worry about the birth and baby, that no ones reassurance helped shift.

I had a very difficult labour, 47 hours of pain, that resulted in an emergency C-section, all very scary, especially when the needle to numb me, hit a nerve which sent an electric shock feeling into my head, rather than down my leg!!

Recovery afterwards was slow, I started to have insomnia, and a feeling of being overwhelmed, anxious, sick and weird pains all over my body. At night I would relive the C-section over and over, waking in a panic and feeling like my heart was going to beat so fast it would explode. I couldn’t think straight, I felt like I was in a bubble, and no one understood. Everything felt really unreal, detached and although I was breastfeeding, I was really struggling to connect with this little baby boy.

I started to have regular panic attacks for what seemed like no apparent reason, in the bath, walking around the supermarket, just the most random times. I started to have irrational thoughts about dying, racing thoughts, like I couldn’t capture what I was trying to think or say, this made me feel more anxious, and I got really paranoid about getting ill.

Or about the baby not being well. It was really scary!!! and I felt like I was all alone, guilty about not being there for my baby, I just spent most of my time crying and saying sorry to him.

I knew I wasn’t well, but felt helpless. The midwives and local health visitors, pointed me back to my GP, who prescribed me some free counselling and antidepressants. I then spent the next 4 years in therapy, talking it out. I took the tablets for about 3 days, but they made me feel odd, so I stopped them, feeling out of control made my anxiety worse. I eventually started to turn a corner, made many big decisions about my life and the people in it. Slowly I came out of the darkness and into the light, learning about why I felt that way, and using meditation, relaxation, diet and natural healing like reiki , I grew stronger and stronger. CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) was amazing and a 20 week free course with health in mind was the real turning point for me, I learnt about how I change the way I think, I started to create, make, build and this was a massive outlet for my recovery, As it helped me to make new friends that had experienced what I had gone through.
I will always have a part of me that feels sad about the time I lost with my eldest for the first 9 months of his life, and it took me a while to be able to look at those first images of us together. But I am able to now, and also I am grateful for what PND taught me about myself, I am stronger, I am more focused on the good, and the things I have to be thankful for. I also know myself a lot better.

 

We offer free Classes to those in recovery, we also offer access to the right people if you are just starting your journey to recovery. We are here to offer a safe place to come and meet those who know how it feels, and I am here to offer hope to those in recovery, that the question of will I ever feel better, is to believe that, yes you will.

 

Links to the NHS website, Health in mind, Rethink and Pink ladies support group can be found at www.crafty-mums.co.uk