Laure Manaudou talks about her postpartum depression in an unfiltered video

You can be a top-level athlete, think you are strong, already have two children, and have fun tremendous postpartum depression at the birth of her third child.

This is what Lauren Manaudou experienced. She explains what she went through in a video posted on the media’s Instagram page Raw.

Lauren Manaudou and postpartum depression

In a 10-minute video, the former sportswoman gives up without filters this episode of depression lasted a whole year. And what she describes, this feeling of being overwhelmed and suffocated, many moms have already experienced:

I realized that I have enormous postpartum depression. It means I’ve been in depression for a year. I felt overwhelmed, suffocated. In fact it was too much, it was overwhelming. I liked everyone else, I didn’t call anyone. And frankly, it’s a shame. I didn’t understand myself. As an athlete, I had to be tough.

To be tough, not to show, not to tell the truth, not to tell what you feel even at times to loved ones, how difficult it is, how tired you can be, all with fatigue pushed to the extreme … Many of them can be found in the speech of the athlete.

During her depression, Laura wonders why is this happening to her. She is used to being strong, she is a top athlete, but one does not prevent the other. For a year, she explains it nervousness dominates her, she is always annoyed, she feels overwhelmed. Nobody around her realizes she is sinking and doesn’t ask for help, because it’s not an easy thing to do.

I yelled at my husband at night when I was very calm and didn’t scream. I’m not with someone who put ear plugs on and didn’t help me at all. He always woke up for our two boys. There were so many tears, due to incomprehension, nervous weariness. Why can’t I get up on my own? It was a feeling of failure.

One day, Laure Manaudou shares a story on Instagram in which she talks about her difficulties. And faced with the avalanche of messages from her mothers in the same situation as hers, she feels less alone and listened to.

Faced with the reactions he receives, he asks himself: Why do women, who are so medically monitored during pregnancy, not receive as much support after the birth of their baby? Why do we leave them alone and only take care of the baby’s health?

Mothers are excluded. We don’t take care of women, we don’t tell the truth enough. There is talk of women’s choices after childbirth, breastfeeding and bottle feeding, but not enough talk about mood, fatigue, the impending tsunami. […] It takes a whole village to raise a child and it shouldn’t be allowed to leave a single mother with a child.

Sport today wants to break the taboo on postpartum depressionand make future mothers aware of the difficulties that may await them after the birth of a child, be it the first, second or third.

Postpartum Depression: Government Measures

The government took over the situation, imposing, from 1 July 2022, an early postnatal interview for all mothers.

Early postnatal maintenance is done by a doctor or midwife among 4^And and 8^And week after delivery, and is covered by health insurance up to 70%.

According to the Secretary of State for Children Adrien Taquet, which is based on a survey conducted in August 2021 by OpinionWay for the telemedicine company Qare, only 5% of mothers say they have been diagnosed by a specialist, and 78% of parents would never have heard of postpartum depression on medical appointments.

In this sense, during foundation on mental healththe Secretary of State for Children said:

“It is said that 100,000 women a year suffer from postpartum depression (15%, I believe is the commonly accepted figure). In a recent survey, 30% of mothers and 18% of fathers say they have experienced a depressive episode.

Hopefully, speeches from celebrities, athletes, influencers and others will help talk more about the ills of post-pregnancy and that mothers can benefit from real support and help tailored to their situation. When we know that one of the main causes of maternal mortality is suicide, it is urgent that the word be freed.