A Wellington mother has described her battle with devastating post-natal distress after the birth of her first child.
Sally, not her real name, gave birth last year to a healthy baby boy. She struggled to breastfeed and then got a breast infection and was hospitalised.
Her own mother and grandmother both took their lives soon after childbirth.
Sally told RNZ health correspondent Karen Brown she struggled to find the will to live until she got respite care in the community.
She says she hopes the Budget this week boosts community support for those with mental health problems.
The government releases its response on Wednesday to the Mental Health and Addiction Inquiry that was completed in late 2018.
