Louis Theroux reveals the reality of new mothers who are coping with severe anxieties and psychotic episodes postpartum in his new documentary Mothers on the Edge.
Louis meets four women in the UK, including Lisa, who has baby Isabella, and suffered from a series of post psychotic episodes when she stopped breastfeeding and left her baby for just one weekend.
He also meets Catherine, the anxious new mother failed to connect with six-month-old Jake after losing a baby previously at 17 weeks and had attempted to end her life.
The documentary maker spends time in two specialist psychiatric units in the UK, which treat mothers experiencing serious mental illness whilst allowing them to live alongside their babies.
In there he also meets mothers Barbara and Marie – who have all been through traumatic experiences and been bought into the wards with their newborns.
Louis Theroux spends time in two specialist psychiatric units, which treat mothers experiencing serious mental illness whilst allowing them to live alongside their babies.
Louis meets Catherine and and Jake on the show – she was admitted after having a history of eating disorder and self harm. When Jake was born she had feelings of anxiety and depression
25-year old Marie is grappling with anxieties after being sexually assaulted and revealing that her birth, which lasted 36 hours bought back horrible flashbacks of her assault and led to self harm thoughts.
He also meets Barbara from Spain with her newborn Julia and husband Geordie. Barbara was suffering from delusional thinking and high risk behaviour.
She was bought in by police after being found at a South London train station but has no history of mental illness.
While 25-year old Marie is dealing with anxieties after being sexually assaulted and revealed that her birth, which lasted 36 hours, bought back horrible flashbacks of her assault and led to self harm.
Lead psychologist, at the Bethlem hospital’s Mother and baby unit, Dr Trudi Seneviratne explains to Louis why new mothers may have severe anxieties: ‘You could have an awful delivery, you could not sleep on the run up to it – then not for several days after– it is a high risk period where it can lead to suicide.’
Lead psychologist, at the Bethlem hospital’s Mother and baby unit, Dr Trudi Seneviratne explains to Louis why new mothers may have severe anxieties. Pictured – Louis, Catherine and Jake
Louis meets Barbara from Spain with her newborn Julia and husband Geordie. Barbara was suffering from delusional thinking and high risk behaviour.
Louis holding Jack – who he spends time with on the BBC 2 documentary which airs on
‘When people say they don’t feel anything for their baby it is real – these things are on a spectrum,’ she continues.
‘The business of having a baby is supposed to be happy time so because of that people put on all kinds of masks to hide what is really going on.’
Lisa, who suffered from psychotic episodes when she stopped breastfeeding explained to Louis how they came on.
‘Straight after I had Isabella I felt like I was nailing it – I took out all the kids together and thought – “I’ve got this”.
Louis spoke to Catherine (pictured with baby Jake) about why she had tried to harm herself as a new mother
Barbara kisses her little girl Julia- she stars in Louis Theroux’s new documentary about mothers
She explains that she was breastfeeding her and went away on a weekend hen do to Marbella.
‘When I came home from the hen do I couldn’t cope – I had to phone my husband to tell him to come home early – I stayed in bed for two weeks.
‘Doctors say it was because I dramatically stopped breastfeeding and the drop in hormones triggered the psychosis.’
Talking about her symptoms she said: ‘I was overwhelmed, I didn’t want to be near the kids – it was like a total breakdown, I couldn’t speak – I didn’t wash for days.
‘I was having dinner with my husband Andy and I said “I think the house is about to be invaded by clowns, killer clowns, it was graphic what I could see.’
Catherine says that she felt as though she didn’t bond with her little boy Jake and wasn’t sure if she loved him
Louis also speaks to Marie more in depth about why she’s having anxieties. She talks about the traumatic birth. ‘I was in labour for 36 hours and had to have forceps, I wanted a cesearean – but that didn’t workout.’
‘A few years ago I was sexually assaulted and when you’re having a baby there are obviously a lot of people around that area and it gave me awful flashbacks.
Joining her and her partner in a therapy session he explains that he was supposed to pick her up the night she was assaulted so he blames it on himself.
‘If I had been three minutes faster I could have caught him – I was supposed to pick her up from the station. So it is my fault.’
Marie had ended up in A&E several times telling nurses she was going to kill herself – before she was sectioned in the hospital.
Catherine, who lost a baby, has a history of eating disorders and self harm. When Jake was born she had feelings of anxiety and depression related to her lost pregnancy. She also tried to commit suicide.
‘We got pregnant with Jake quite soon after but the anxiety I felt in my pregnancy was so high – it was a shock to have a healthy living baby,’ she said.
This has meant she’s struggled to bond with Jake and when Louis asks her if she enjoys cuddling him, she admits: ‘In all honesty I don’t and that makes me so sad – think that why I took an overdose cos I feel like he deserves better and someone else should love him.’
While Louis is filming the show it also comes to light that during some unsupervised leave she goes missing.
The police are called after they become concerned about her, but she is found at 4am the next day in a hotel – drunk and having taken an overdose.
Talking to Louis about the incident she says: ‘After a drink I thought this is my opportunity – to kill myself’.
Thankfully she then had second thoughts, ‘Once you’ve done it you think “oh c**p” – is this it and start to get scared and then afterwards when it doesn’t work you think you’ve failed again.’
She carries on: ‘I can see where I want to be, at home, but there is a weird mental block stopping me getting to that point.’
Louis Theroux: Mothers on the Edge is on BBC 2 on Sunday night at 9pm