# @qldhealth on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DRbTtHQDPur
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/37246376-qldhealth-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/5bca9149ed.jpg
- **Posted:** 2025-11-24T05:00:33.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Queensland Health (@qldhealth) — https://gondola.cc/qldhealth

## Caption

'Becoming a parent can be wonderful and really hard. But with all challenges comes strength.'⁣
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Meet Nicki, the statewide lived experience coordinator at the Queensland Centre for Perinatal and Infant Mental Health (QCPIMH) in Brisbane. 👋⁣
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Nicki's also a mum of two children, who are now teenagers. She developed severe perinatal mental illness while pregnant with her first baby. She spent time at a mother and baby mental health inpatient unit, and has continued her recovery journey over the years, while parenting her growing children.⁣
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Using these experiences, Nicki now supports parents, caregivers, infants and young children accessing mental health services by offering hope and sharing her journey. 🤗⁣
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She says that birth and the ‘fourth trimester’ (the first three to four months after birth) are a time of massive change and adjustment. Some parents deal with it well, while many others struggle, especially when sleep deprived. 😪⁣
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'I just want parents to keep in mind that everyone's adjusting. Even the people who appear to be coping might have things going on behind the scenes they're not comfortable sharing yet. So you can only compare yourself to yourself,' she said.⁣
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'You will get through today, tomorrow and the next day. This is the story of you and your bub—it doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s. You can do the hard things.'⁣
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Nicki encourages new parents to lean on their support networks, like family and friends, as much as possible. If you're not coping, talk to your doctor, child health nurse or a perinatal mental health professional. The key is getting that support early. 🔑⁣
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Thank you for bringing compassion and real‑world wisdom to families, Nicki. ❤️⁣
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#PMHWeek2025 #WhatYouNeedWhenYouNeedIt #PerinatalMentalHealth

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- **Likes:** 95
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## Tags

perinatalmentalhealth, pmhweek2025, whatyouneedwhenyouneedit

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