Charlotte Crosby has revealed how she battled “terrible” and “indescribable” prenatal depression before giving birth to daughter Alba Jean in October 2022.
The 33-year-old Geordie Shore star, who lives with fiancé Jake Ankers, admitted her illness left her unable to get out of bed and was worried the feeling would “never end”.
Speaking about her pregnancy on Giovanna Fletcher’s Happy Mum Happy Baby podcast, she said: “It was terrible.” “I had mild prenatal depression, it was terrible.”
“It felt like it was only two weeks.” But it was two weeks where I felt like I couldn’t get up.
He continued: “There was a dark cloud hanging over my head.” It wasn’t that I didn’t want the baby. It was just that I felt so low.
Truth be told: Charlotte Crosby, 33, has openly revealed how she battled “terrible” and “indescribable” prenatal depression before giving birth to her daughter Alba Jean in October 2022
Tough times: The Geordie Shore star, who shares the baby with fiancé Jake Ankers, admitted her illness left her unable to get out of bed and feared the feeling would “never end”.
She went on to say that while she wasn’t having any “dark thoughts,” she couldn’t muster the energy to leave the house or even talk to her then-boyfriend, now-fiancé, Jake.
“I didn’t want to do anything. I just found it flat, I can’t even describe it. It’s indescribable. When you go through something like that’.
Prenatal depression, also known as perinatal depression, can affect up to 20% of new and expectant mothers.
It is different from postnatal depression, which affects one in ten new mothers, because it occurs during pregnancy.
The NHS website claims that symptoms that suggest you may be suffering from antenatal depression include trouble sleeping, sadness, negative thoughts, loss of appetite and a lack of interest or pleasure in certain things.
Charlotte explained to host Giovanna that she was simply marking the days on the calendar before she eventually felt better.
But looking on the bright side, the TV favorite said: “So now I know I have a rough prognosis if it happens again and maybe I’ll be better in two weeks.”
“When it first happened I didn’t know if it would end. So it was a really worrying feeling of, “Is this going to be like this throughout the pregnancy?”
Looking back: When she talked about her pregnancy on Giovanna Fletcher’s Happy Mum Happy Baby podcast, she said: “It was terrible.” I had mild prenatal depression, it was terrible.
Heartbreak: She went on to say that although she didn’t have any ‘dark thoughts’, she couldn’t muster the energy to leave the house or even talk to her boyfriend Jake (pictured as a family earlier this year)
Charlotte continued: “Will this even cause postnatal depression? That was my biggest worry of all, the scary thought was not knowing if it was going to end, whereas now I know it lasted two weeks.” And in fact next time it might only last two weeks.
This comes after Charlotte revealed that she has no plans to get married any time soon, despite putting pressure on Jake to propose.
She is seen in the second series of her hit show Charlotte in Sunderland asking Jake when he will pop the question and telling him to hurry up with his plans.
But in an exclusive chat with Web, Charlotte, who got engaged in Dubai earlier this month, revealed she is planning a long engagement to allow time for the birth of her second child.
The reality star gave birth to her daughter last October and revealed that she plans to get pregnant while filming the third season of her hit reality show.
She revealed that she had “no idea” that Jake was planning the lavish proposal, admitting: “Getting married was never really a top priority for me, having another baby was.”
She added: “I don’t think we’ll get married for another three years and I’ve always wanted a long engagement.”
Taking Her Time: It comes after Charlotte reveals that she has no plans to get married any time soon, despite putting pressure on Jake to propose
Sweet: She appears in the second series of her hit show Charlotte In Sunderland, where she asks Jake when he’s going to pop the question, and last week she got engaged in Dubai
Charlotte also laughed at the idea of turning into a bridezilla, explaining: “I’ve never met anyone more relaxed than me!”
“I didn’t give the wedding a second thought. I want to hire a wedding planner, tell them, “Make it great,” and then I just show up! “Jake doesn’t want to have a say either, we’re not important to each other.”
Fans will be able to watch Charlotte adjust to motherhood and settle in ahead of her engagement on her BBC Three show. As she takes an open and honest look at her life and her vulnerabilities, she explains why she didn’t worry about it much.
“If you look back at all my other shows: going out, getting drunk, sleeping all together, it’s pretty harmless in comparison!” she shared.
WHAT IS PRENATAL DEPRESSION?
Prenatal depression, also known as perinatal depression, can affect up to 20% of new and expectant mothers.
It is different from postnatal depression, which affects one in ten new mothers, because it occurs during pregnancy.
The NHS website claims that the following symptoms suggest you may be suffering from antenatal depression:
- Lack of interest or enjoyment in things
Treatment often includes therapies such as interpersonal therapy (IPT) or cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), medication, or both.
The cause of prenatal depression is unclear, but it is more common in people with a history of mental health problems.
If you or your partner are suffering, talk to your GP or health advisor.
If you are affected by the issues discussed in this article, please call mental health charity Mind on 0300 123 3393 or text 86463 for support.
Source: NHS and Mind