Mother recounts postpartum psychosis battle and urges greater awareness
History professor Bridget María Chesterton describes her struggle with postpartum psychosis after her 2019 birth and credits medication and family help for her recovery.
Bridget María Chesterton, a 52-year-old history professor living near Buffalo, New York, began showing signs of severe mental distress about two weeks after giving birth to a premature daughter in January 2019. Found on the bathroom floor speaking incoherently, she was later diagnosed with postpartum psychosis, a condition affecting roughly 1 to 2 per 1,000 new mothers. After an initial two-week stay at BryLin Hospital's crisis unit, she was involuntarily committed for an additional two weeks, during which she received antipsychotic medication.
A strong network of family members and a postpartum doula provided daily assistance, helping her relearn parenting skills and gradually lift the “fog” of the illness. By the time her child turned one, Chesterton reported a return to normalcy and intends to publish a poem about her experience in an upcoming journal. She hopes her story will dispel doubts about postpartum psychosis and encourage families to seek early help.
Why it matters
The piece highlights a rare postpartum mental health crisis, stressing early detection and support for affected families.
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