Former Brookside star Jennifer Ellison has spoken out about her experience with postnatal depression after the birth of her first child, Bobby.

The 30-year-old star, who welcomed a baby boy earlier this year, revealed to Daybreak that it was her mother who spotted the symptoms.

 

Jennifer has appeared on the stage in recent years.

“There was kind of the baby blues that never went away and it was only that I was very lucky that my mum had suffered with it that she saw the signs straight away so my postnatal depression was treated pretty quickly,” she explained.

“But there’s so many women out there who are suffering with it and there’s such a stigma attached to it... we’re programmed to think that this is the most special time in your life and you’re going to have this instant bond and this instant connection and for some mums it just doesn’t happen and then they feel that they’re a failure [sic].”

The actress with her sons, Harry (left) and Bobby (right). 

Jennifer, who is married to Robbie Tickle, admitted that she was concerned when she found out she was expecting her second child because of the effect it could have had on her eldest son.

“I was really terrified because it just doesn’t affect me and the baby it affects the whole family and also I had my little boy, having a new brother or sister is a big enough change for him so for his mum going through depression as well, that was just terrifying to think of.”