This is The Spinoff Parents podcast, Dear Mamas, a straight-talking parenting conversation with Holly Walker and Emily Writes.

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This episode includes discussion of mental illness including PND, anxiety, ante-natal depression and suicidal thoughts, so please take care when listening if you need to.

Anxiety! Lots of parents struggle with anxiety before becoming parents. Others are hit terrible with anxiety when they fall pregnant or after their baby is born. In this episode of the Dear Mamas podcast Holly Walker and Emily Writes talk about their experiences with anxiety. The symptoms, the treatments, how they cope – what it feels like. They cover it all.

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A transcript for this episode is here.

If you are seeking advice or support with mental health issues of any kind, please use the following contacts as supplied by the Mental Health Foundation:

Depression helpline: Freephone 0800 111 757

Healthline: 0800 611 116. (available 24 hours, 7 days a week and free to callers throughout New Zealand, including from a mobile phone)

Lifeline: 0800 543 35

Samaritans: 0800 726 666 (for callers from the Lower North Island, Christchurch and West Coast) or 04 473 9739 (for callers from all other regions).