Izzy Judd has revealed she was not prepared for the emotional side of motherhood, in a candid interview on This Morning.
The wife of former Strictly winner and McFly drummer Harry Judd, opened up about how she was left battling with mental health problems after overcoming fertility issues to become a mum.
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With at least one in five new mothers suffering with mental health problems like anxiety and depression, Izzy shared her own experiences with Ben Shephard and Rochelle Humes on Friday (August 2) in a bid to raise awareness.
Izzy, who was a member of electronic string quartet Escala who reached the final of Britain’s Got Talent, explained how she felt guilty for finding motherhood difficult, having spent so long trying to conceive.
She said: “We really struggled to have a family and I think experiencing those difficulties through fertility issues and suffering a miscarriage, when you then go into motherhood, your focus has been so much on just getting pregnant and becoming a mum, that you actually haven’t given much thought to what life is going to be like.”
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She added: “And the guilt I felt for finding things difficult, when I had wanted it for so long, I really struggled with that.”
After suffering a miscarriage and eventually conceiving through IVF, Izzy and Harry became parents to daughter Lola three years ago.
Kit, now 23 months, followed – who was conceived without fertility treatment.
Izzy described how she had felt “embarrassed” when she walked into the fertility clinic, adding she felt totally alone.
She said: “I remember walking into the fertility clinic at the age of 30 feeling really embarrassed, thinking naively that it was an issue that affected older couples…
“It’s more common than we realise but, when you’re going through it, you feel totally alone.”
Izzy continued: “I felt ashamed. I thought, ‘Why wasn’t I able to do what I was supposed to do?’ That was the language I was saying to myself and I think it’s then similar when you go into motherhood.
“I thought, ‘I should be able to cope with this, I shouldn’t feel that I’m failing because this is difficult’.”
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Izzy, who has been open about her battle with anxiety in the past, has bravely shared the lows of motherhood on her Instagram account, once even sharing a film where she was covered in her son’s poo after a disastrous day.
She told Ben and Rochelle: “I was not prepared at all for the emotional side of motherhood.
“I think physically we are given a lot of information, a lot of focus goes on the pregnancy and how to look after our baby. There is very little focus on what the mothers need.”
Now Izzy is trying to help other new mums by supporting baby charity Tommy’s Your Baby’s Mum campaign, which is giving women the help they need for their mental health and wellbeing post pregnancy.
Part of the campaign has involved launching an online digital tool on their website, where the user follows tailored questions about themselves which produces suitable advice for the individual, specific to their experience.
She explained: “If you think of it like a birthing plan, but for your mind.”
Izzy went on to describe how her relationship with husband Harry changed after having kids, saying: “When you have children, it changes your relationship.
“You’re not the person you were before and so you’re trying to figure your way through that as well and suddenly all of your focus is on this baby.
“I’m very lucky, Harry and I very much work as a team, but we have had to work at how we communicate with each other.
“When you’re in the middle of a toddler tantrum, it might not be the best time to discuss plans for tomorrow!”
This Morning weekdays at 10.30am on ITV.
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