A Note From Amanda:

When I see mums who are struggling with young children, I think back to when I was in their position and how difficult it can be to try and keep things together. I used to look at other women who seemed to always be immaculately turned out, have a spotless home and be able to do some baking between going to the pool or mastering yoga and to make it look effortless along the way. I still think that Post natal depression is a taboo subject and consequently I wrote 'A Mother's Story' about Jessica's experience to encourage conversations about the subject and to reduce the stigma of those suffering. During my research for the book I didn't have to look far for examples to use as part of the story and spoke to a dozen women who shared their experiences. I used common aspects from each interview eventually homed in on two of the most severe cases which had very similar arcs and which I think demonstrate that virtually no-one is completely immune to this condition.