Episode 10

Twins, Me and PND: LEONIE HUIE

Published on: 21st February, 2022

A really entertaining and moving chat with the amazing Leonie Huie BEM, author of 'The First Year is Survival'. Leonie found out she was pregnant unexpectedly - with twins! She talks about her early struggles as a new mum of multiples and the trauma of having to perform CPR on one of her daughters when she stopped breathing. When they subsequently ended up in hospital, Leonie was finally recognised as having postnatal depression - a lifechanging diagnosis for her.

*TRIGGER WARNING: PERFORMING CPR ON HER BABY*

IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:

[00:00] Teaser quote

[00:56] Introduction to Leonie

[01:41] Life before pregnancy

[02:45] Finding out she was unexpectedly pregnant - with twins!

[10:11] Experiencing bad anxiety during the pregnancy

[16:20] The birth - a c-section and hiphop

[21:59] Skin-to-skin - no feeling of connection

[22:48] Difficulties breastfeeding

[30:24] Nobody diagnosed PND

[31:38] Having to perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on her baby daughter

[34:23] Finding out she had postnatal depression

[42:30] How her family and friends responded to the diagnosis

[43:18] Advice for people going through it now

[48:23] Life as a mum of multiples

[55:55] Getting better

[56:59] Writing her book, 'The First Year Is Survival' / coaching mums

[59:56] Support resources on Leonie's website and a final message


KEY TAKEAWAYS:

  1. The motherhood journey for us all is special - trust your instincts.
  2. Don't be afraid to ask for help - you are not a burden.
  3. Twins Trust (formerly TAMBA)
  4. Leonie Huie's website
  5. The First Year Is Survival


If you enjoyed this episode, please share, rate and subscribe. It really does make the difference in helping others find it – which means helping more parents in need.

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Email: bluemumdays@gmail.com

 

NEXT WEEK’S EPISODE:

In Episode 11 I follow up with Liz Wise (my first ever guest), this time to talk about her role as specialist postnatal depression counsellor with The Cedar House support group and charity.

 

SUPPORT:

If you are struggling right now, please know that it’s okay to talk and reach out for help. 

YOU ARE NOT ALONE AND WILL NOT FEEL THIS WAY FOR EVER. 

We hope these support services are helpful (please note we do not check or monitor them individually).

 

Action on Postpartum Psychosis (APP)

Moderated Forum, click here to find out more.

Email: app@app-network.org

Tel: 020 3322 9900

 

Andy's Man Club

A non-judgemental talking group for men

https://andysmanclub.co.uk/club-information/clubs/

Email: info@andysmanclub.co.uk

Association of Postnatal Illness

Helpline: 10am – 2pm – 0207 386 0868

Email: info@apni.org

Live chat online facility

 

Best Beginnings

Free NHS-accredited Baby Buddy app offering

evidence-based information and self-care tools to help parents during pregnancy

and early stages of parenting.

App users also have access to a confidential, text-based Crisis Messenger which provides

24/7 support for new and expectant parents who are feeling extremely anxious or overwhelmed.

Birth Trauma Association

Email: support@birthtraumaassociation.org.uk

 

CALM

Contact CALM

on their national helpline: 0800 58 58 58 (5pm-midnight)

 

Cedar House Support Group

Email: lwise@talktalk.net (Liz Wise)

Mobile: 07773 283556

 

DadsNet 

Offers support and knowledge through a community of dads on practical parenting and fatherhood.

 

Fathers Reaching Out

https://www.reachingoutpmh.co.uk/

Run by Mark Williams, campaigner, speaker and writer, offering support to dads.

 

Make Birth Better (Birth Trauma Support)

Email: hello@makebirthbetter.org

 

 

Maternal OCD

Peer support available, email info@maternalocd.org to

arrange

 

Muslim Women’s Network

Helpine: 0800 999 5786, open Mon-Fri 10am –

4pm with support offered in English, Urdu, Punjabi, Mirpuri, Putwari, Hindko,

and Bengali.

Email: info@mwnhelpline.co.uk

Online chat: www.mwnhelpline.co.uk

Text: 07415 206 936

 

Netmums

Netmums offer peer support via their Maternal Mental Health Drop-In

Clinic.

 

NHS

Contact your local GP surgery.

Call the NHS on 111

or contact a local NHS urgent mental health helpline

If you are in crisis, visit Accident & Emergency at your nearest hospital.

 

PANDAS

Helpline open from 9am-8pm every day – 0843 2898 401

Email support available – info@pandasfoundation.org.uk

 

Petals

Petals offers free-of-charge specialist counselling to anyone who has experienced pregnancy

or baby loss.

Web: petalscharity.org/counsellingcontact/

Email: counselling@petalscharity.org

Tel: 0300 688 0068

 

Samaritans

Tel: 116 123

(this is a free telephone number and will not appear on the phone bill)

Web: www.samaritans.org

Email: jo@samaritans.org

 

Shout

Text SHOUT to 85258 to start a confidential conversation with a trained Shout volunteer.

 

Twins Trust

Twinline is Twins Trust’s listening service for parents of twins, triplets and more. All

the calls are answered by volunteers who have multiples themselves.

Twinline is open Monday to Friday 10am to 1pm and from 7pm to 10pm. 0800 138 0509,

alternatively email asktwinline@twinstrust.org.

Web: twinstrust.org/let-us-help/support/twinline.html

 

Tommy’s

Tommy’s has a team of in-house midwives who offer free support and information for women and their families at any stage of pregnancy and after the birth.

Web: www.tommys.org

Helpline: Tommy’s

helpline has been closed temporarily but their midwives are answering questions

via email, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Email: midwife@tommys.org

 

MUSIC by Joseph McDade

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About the Podcast

BLUE MUMDAYS
The Parental Mental Health Podcast
Blue MumDays is a podcast about perinatal illness, parenting and being kind to yourself. Up to 1 in 7 mums and 1 in 10 dads will suffer with their mental health after the birth of their baby. Having once interviewed the likes of Sir David Attenborough and Hans Zimmer during my BBC career, I’m now speaking to mums, dads and mental health experts each week, in an effort to understand my own experience of postnatal depression. Dispelling myths, smashing stigma & bringing hope to parents having a hard time.

About your host

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Vikki Stephenson

Vikki Stephenson is a Senior Creative, Consultant and Speaker with 20 years’ experience making award-winning campaigns for the BBC’s highest profile brands: Planet Earth II, Panorama, CBeebies, EastEnders, Dracula. Her work has been recognised internationally, winning 35+ industry awards - most since becoming a mum and working part-time.

12 years ago Vikki gave birth to her much-wanted son. Whilst she loved him dearly, she suffered a traumatic birth and felt overwhelmed and ill-equipped with the responsibility of bringing a human being into the world. She very quickly developed PND and anxiety, which left her with feelings of total failure. She worried that she didn't have the right answers, instincts or knowledge to be 'good enough' as his mum. The first year of her son's life was sadly the hardest of Vikki's and she endlessly compared herself to others who seemed to find motherhood easy. However, through the support of the Cedar House Charity and long-term anti-depressants, Vikki slowly recovered.

12 years on, she is now a passionate advocate of perinatal mental health and is on a mission to help parents feel less alone, through her podcast series ‘Blue MumDays’. Its purpose is to help other mums and dads better understand their illness and give them the hope that they will make a full recovery. It gives a voice to the lived experience of real sufferers who have reached the other side, and - through interviews with experts – will signpost mums, dads, their partners and friends to help and support that may be hard to find.