When a Pop Star Speaks Softly
When Anne‑Marie spoke publicly about her battle with postnatal depression, she didn’t craft a headline. She offered something quieter, more powerful: truth.
“My head has been all over the place,” she wrote on Instagram, sharing that therapy, routine, and the people around her helped her through it.
She also mentioned something small, something telling her blonde hair was back. Not because that changes everything, but because it helped her feel like herself again. That sentence, almost an aside, speaks volumes. Identity after birth is a complex reassembly. And sometimes, recovery begins in the details.
What Is Postnatal Depression?
Postnatal depression (PND) affects around one in seven new mothers. It is not a passing mood, nor a sign of being ungrateful. It is a recognised medical condition that can appear weeks or months after giving birth.
Unlike the “baby blues,” which usually resolve in a fortnight, PND lingers. It manifests in emotional, psychological, and even physical symptoms:
• Persistent sadness or numbness
• Irritability, guilt, or a loss of joy
• Fatigue and sleep disturbance
• Difficulty bonding with the baby
• Feelings of failure or hopelessness
• In some cases, intrusive or harmful thoughts
What’s less discussed is how these symptoms hide in plain sight. A parent may be outwardly coping, feeding, changing, working while inwardly sinking.
How to Recover: Practical Tools, Not Perfection
Anne‑Marie credits therapy as a major part of her recovery. But recovery is not one-size-fits-all. It’s layered, ongoing, and often nonlinear.
Here are some grounded strategies for those navigating postnatal depression:
1. Professional Support Matters
Start by speaking to a GP, midwife, or health visitor. Many areas offer perinatal mental health services specifically for new parents. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), counselling, and in some cases medication, can be life-changing.
2. Routines That Nourish
PND thrives in isolation and exhaustion. A basic, consistent routine can reintroduce small certainties, mealtimes, naps, outdoor walks. These aren’t luxuries; they’re structure for the nervous system.
3. Creative Expression
Some find solace in journaling, art, or music. It doesn’t need to be productive. It just needs to exist.
4. Mind–Body Practices
Gentle exercise, breathing techniques, or postnatal yoga can calm the physiological symptoms of depression and anxiety. When movement feels impossible, start with stillness.
5. Social Connection, Even a Little
Support doesn’t have to come from large networks. A check-in from a friend. A five-minute call. A neighbour who holds the baby while you shower. These are not small acts. They are lifelines.
6. Reclaiming the Self Through Aesthetics
Hair, skincare, clothes, these can seem trivial. But when identity feels lost in motherhood, reclaiming your appearance can reconnect you to the person you were before. Anne‑Marie’s return to blonde wasn’t about image. It was a signal to herself: I’m coming back.
If You Know Someone Struggling: How to Truly Support Them
Postnatal depression rarely looks dramatic. It often sounds like, “I’m just tired,” or “I’m fine, really.” Which is why it’s so often missed.
Here’s how to be a meaningful support to someone who might be suffering:
1. Don’t Wait for Them to Ask
Most people with PND won’t ask. Offer specific help. “Can I come over at 2 to hold the baby while you nap?” is more helpful than “Let me know if you need anything.”
2. Validate Their Experience
Avoid phrases like “But your baby is healthy” or “Enjoy every moment.” These sentiments, though well-meaning, can deepen shame. Instead: “It’s okay to feel overwhelmed. You’re doing better than you think.”
3. Help Them Access Care
Encourage speaking with a GP or therapist. Offer to help make the call or accompany them. Sometimes, logistical help is what opens the door to emotional help.
4. Check In, Even If They Pull Back
PND often comes with withdrawal. Keep checking in. A text. A voice note. A shared memory. Keep showing up, quietly and consistently.
Why Celebrity Honesty Matters
Anne‑Marie’s voice reaches millions. Her honesty doesn’t just resonate it gives permission.
When someone successful, admired, and adored admits that motherhood broke them a little, too, it eases the silence around mental health. It reminds others they’re not ungrateful, broken, or alone.
Motherhood is a rewriting of the self. Recovery is rarely loud. It begins with therapy, maybe, and ends (or rather, continues) with small acts of remembering who you are.
And sometimes, yes it begins with blonde hair.
If you or someone you know may be experiencing postnatal depression, support is available. Speak with a GP, contact a maternal mental health team, or reach out to organisations like Mind, PANDAS Foundation, or Tommy’s. Recovery is possible and you are worth the effort.
