From silent struggle to support: a new mum’s turning point
21 Jan 2026
Marcelle Cooper appeared to be coping well when her GP asked how she and her six-month-old daughter were going. She smiled, said everything was fine, and went home carrying the weight of what she hadn’t said. The next day, overwhelmed and in tears, she realised she couldn’t keep going on her own.
She rang the clinic, telling the receptionist her situation was urgent. Her GP returned the call as soon as she could — a simple act that marked the start of Marcelle getting the help she needed for postnatal anxiety and depression.
The first few months after her daughter Skye was born had felt joyful. Both mum and baby were healthy, and milestones were being met. But around three months in, things shifted. Marcelle began experiencing uncontrollable crying, severe anxiety, insomnia and a loss of appetite.
She described panic when her husband left for work, knowing she would be alone all day with the baby, and constant overthinking that made even basic decisions feel impossible.
Despite having an established relationship with her GP through years of fertility treatment and miscarriages, Marcelle struggled on in silence for months.
Eventually, she found the courage to be honest.
She told her GP she wasn’t coping and admitted she had been too ashamed to say so earlier. Her GP recognised the seriousness immediately and talked her through next steps, including a mental health care plan, treatment options, and a referral to the Gidget Foundation.
Through the foundation, Marcelle accessed 10 free sessions with a clinician specialising in perinatal anxiety and depression. With regular appointments, she began to feel supported and less alone.
Learning that trained professionals — and many other parents — shared similar experiences was a relief. What once felt isolating no longer did.
New, unpublished data from the Gidget Foundation shows more than one in four Australian parents are unsure what mental health support is available during pregnancy and early parenthood. Around a third believe their symptoms aren’t serious enough to seek help.
Perinatal anxiety and depression affects about one in five mothers and one in 10 fathers in Australia, impacting close to 100,000 parents each year.
Dr Ka-Kiu Cheung, Chair of RACGP Specific Interests Antenatal and Postnatal Care, says GPs are central to identifying and managing mental health concerns during this time.
She explains that routinely asking about emotional wellbeing during pregnancy and after birth can normalise these conversations and reassure parents that anxiety and mood changes are common.
Because GPs often have long-standing relationships with families and see both parents and babies regularly, they are well placed to notice early warning signs, monitor bonding and coping, and link families with the right supports.
Now a Gidget Foundation ambassador, Marcelle is passionate about early intervention. Looking back, she wishes support had been built in from the start rather than feeling like something she had to ask for.
She says the hardest part was admitting she needed help — something that felt like failure at the time — and hopes her story encourages both parents and health professionals to start these conversations earlier.
https://www1.racgp.org.au/
Source: newsGP / Gidget Foundation Australia
