Talking about feelings helped McFly WAG Izzy win mental health battle during pregnancy
BY LISA SALMON IT’S one of the health issues mums are reluctant to talk about.
At least one in five pregnant and new mothers suffer from mental health problems such as anxiety and depression, and celebrity mum Izzy Judd is one of them.
The violinist and mother of two, who’s married to the McFly drummer Harry Judd, has been prone to anxiety since she was a young teenager but it escalated during her recent pregnancies.
She found opening up about her feelings was vital to her mental wellbeing, and wants to help other pregnant women and new mums do the same.
Izzy is backing baby charity Tommy’s Big Give Christmas Challenge to raise funds to create a mental health support service for pregnant women.
Izzy, 34, is mum to two-year-old Lola, who was conceived through IVF, and one-year-old Kit. She has explained how she felt during pregnancy and why she’s supporting the Tommy’s appeal.
She said: “Having struggled with fertility, Harry and I were overjoyed when our first round of IVF was successful.
“However, devastatingly the pregnancy ended in a miscarriage. Therefore, going into my pregnancy with Lola, I was incredibly anxious and nervous, not only about having a healthy pregnancy but also the fear around giving birth. “Having suffered with anxiety since I was 13, I have over time learned how to manage my symptoms and, any time I felt out of control, I was mindful to watch out for any signs.
“I had a constant feeling of anxiety and found not knowing what to expect difficult.” She sought help during her pregancies and found good support.
Izzy added: “I found it helpful to speak to my midwives about any concerns and I quickly learned no question was too silly to ask.
“I also found hypnobirthing incredibly calming during both pregnancy and birth and would highly recommend exploring this option if you have anxiety.
“Having gone through so much to conceive Lola, I hadn’t given the reality of motherhood enough thought.
“All the practical side of the things like preparing the nursery, choosing the pram etc was covered, but nothing can prepare you for what becoming a mother really feels like.
“In the early days and still now, I practise mindfulness as I find this helps me focus on the moment and it continues to help me with my anxiety symptoms and overall wellbeing.”
Izzy said she was thrilled to be backing the Tommy’s campaign and shared some of her techniques for coping with her issues.
She said: “There was a lovely mindfulness exercise I used which was very comforting and it also helped me to connect with both pregnancies.
“You simply put one hand on your heart and one hand on your tummy and say, ‘May you be happy, may you be healthy, may you be calm, may you be safe’.
“I use this same exercise with my daughter Lola before she goes to bed at night.” ● Donations given to the Big Give Christmas Challenge today will be doubled, as public donations will be match-funded by Tommy’s donors and Big Give philanthropists.
I quickly learned no question was to silly to ask