More than 1 in 10 women experience post natal depression and I was one of these women.

I have struggled with anxiety for many years and put unnecessary pressure on myself to achieve both in my personal and professional, leading to exhaustion and burnout. This has always been normal for me and I never thought I could change.

And then I became a Mum ❤️

In 2018, I gave birth to our wonderful son, Nathan, and whilst the adjustment to becoming a Mum was challenging, I was holding things together.

In 2019, I went back to work and tried to navigated working motherhood alongside a new career in Primary Care whiles studying.

In 2020, during the height of the pandemic, I attended the hospital, alone, and was told, I 'd had an early miscarriage. Later that year, after several more months of trying to conceive, I passed a large amount of tissue which I suspect was our baby.

In 2021, I became pregnant, and gave birth to our gorgeous girl Lauren.

In 2022, at my lowest moment, in depths of postnatal depression, I found The Parenting Project and requested counselling and I can quite honestly say it changed my life. Not only did it help me get through one of the most emotionally difficult parts of my life, I was also able to work through historic and underlying mental health challenges.

Without this charity, I would not have accessed the counselling and support I needed which have underpinned my mental health since.

The Parenting Project is a dedicated and dynamic UK registered charity established to empower families.

They rely on grants and donations to provide our much needed mental health and wellbeing support services to individuals and families. Each and every pound makes a difference and helps us to reach and support more people.

And so, here's to my 2026 challenges to help this incredible charity continue to their amazing work and help more parents and families... 🧡

2nd May 2026 - MK Rocket 5K (targeting a PB 🤞)🏃‍♀️

2nd August 2026 - Swim Rutland 4KM 🏊🏼‍♀️🏞️

13th September 2026 - Daventry Triathlon 🏊🏼‍♀️🚴‍♀️🏃‍♀️

And I'm sure a few more challenges will sneak in 🤪