SINGAPORE: For 38-year-old Nurdiana Rahmat, her 10-month-old son is the newfound joy of her life.
But the happiness she experiences now belies the struggles she went through.
“When I first found out that I was pregnant, I had a very difficult time because I went through depression for a couple of weeks and so that was when I went to seek help,” she told CNA.
“I had questions on whether I want to continue the pregnancy or terminate it. So, that was a very critical point and the course of intervention was to help me make a decision.”
Her depression came unexpectedly because it was a planned pregnancy, she said.
Ms Nurdiana, who has had mental health issues in the past, said that while she was aware that she was going through depression, it was not easy to seek help immediately.
“Even though I was aware that I was going through depression, it was hard to get out of it because of the mental fog. So, it took about two weeks,” she said.
“The greatest concern was knowing that I had mental health issues before, whether that is going to be something that will be passed on to my child and I think that was one of the largest reasons why I was afraid to continue the pregnancy.”
She sought help through the gynaecologist at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH) whom she was already consulting
The early intervention through therapy and counselling gave her a lifeline, she said. Mental healthcare professionals from KKH pre-empted the situations she may face after birth and taught her how to assess and cope with them.
“The treatment really helped in terms of helping me to manage that feeling, that fear, and also helped me to be equipped with tools to navigate motherhood,” she said.