For countless mothers, welcoming a new baby is a time of profound joy. Yet for Bethanie Powell, the experience plunged her into a darkness so deep she no longer wanted to live. The 31-year-old mother, who had her first two children in her early twenties, developed severe postnatal depression, a struggle that culminated in a suicide attempt.
A Lifeline Called Mums Matter
Bethanie's path to recovery began when she found crucial support through Mums Matter, a perinatal mental health service run by the charity Mind. She credits the programme with saving her life. In a powerful turnaround, Bethanie has now become a mental health practitioner herself, offering one-to-one support to other mothers through the same service that rescued her.
"I did get to the point where I wanted to die. I didn’t want to live anymore," recalls Bethanie, who lives in a Powys village near the English border. Speaking these words aloud still brings emotion, highlighting the stark contrast with her life today. "I look at my life now and I’m so fortunate. I found some people who have just supported me all the way through," she explains.
Bethanie's story underscores a significant and often hidden crisis. The Royal College of Psychiatrists estimates that up to 85,000 mothers in England may have suffered from postnatal depression last year alone.
The Journey from Patient to Practitioner
Reflecting on her early motherhood, Bethanie, now a mum of three boys aged 10, eight, and nearly two, believes she experienced undiagnosed postnatal depression after her first child. "I felt like I was young, I didn’t really have social connections then either. So I was very much just winging it," she admits. The condition intensified after her second birth, leading to her hospitalisation in early 2018 following her suicide attempt.
Later that year, she joined the Mums Matter course, a decision that marked the beginning of her transformation. The course, designed for mothers with mild to moderate mental health issues, runs over several weeks with creche facilities. It covers topics like managing expectations, basic needs, challenging negative thoughts, and building self-esteem.
"I met so many other people who were in the situation I was in and just needed someone to understand, and somebody to listen," Bethanie says. The connection was so profound that she first became a volunteer and then, in July 2023, a part-time mental health practitioner for the service.
Changing Lives and Evolving Challenges
One of the mothers Bethanie has supported is 21-year-old Emma Martin, a mum of two. Emma describes the Mums Matter course as "amazing" and values having Bethanie just a call or message away. "I can talk about my feelings now... I couldn’t do it at all before. Literally, my throat would close up and I would just cry," Emma explains.
Tracy Lewis, the perinatal mental health team lead for Mums Matter in the area, has observed shifting challenges over her nine years with Mind. While anxiety, depression, and mum guilt remain prevalent, she is now seeing more mothers presenting with neurodiverse conditions like ADHD and autism. "They are struggling to hit their own basic needs before they can hit the children’s basic needs," Tracy notes.
The service, run by ten local Minds across England and Wales, offers courses lasting up to nine weeks, supplemented by volunteer-run peer support groups for ongoing help.
For Bethanie, the impact is deeply personal and far-reaching. "I would never have had another child... if I didn’t get this opportunity," she states, cuddling her youngest son, Winston, who even wears a tiny Mums Matter gilet. "I’m a different mum now... This time I just feel more confident."
Her message to other struggling mothers is unequivocal: "Always reach out. Never suffer alone. Because you’re not alone."
If you are affected by the issues in this article, The Samaritans offer a free 24/7 helpline on 116 123. To find your local Mind support service, visit mind.org.uk/local-minds.
