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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Lifestyle
Katharina Koall

Prenatal depression: My fourth pregnancy left me blindsided — it felt like there was no support

Depression Pregnancy Katharina Eleanor
Pregnancies among under 18s have plummeted by 17% in a year (Yui Mok/PA) (Picture: PA Wire)

I was on my way to work, stepping into a busy tube carriage when several people immediately jumped up to offer me their seat, smiling at me encouragingly. I froze, my heart sinking, and I stumbled off the train as quickly as I could. It felt impossible to move, and so I stood there on the platform for what felt like hours, letting train after train go past.

It was 2017 and I was expecting my fourth child. My previous pregnancies were easy and uncomplicated and very positive, yet this time I was utterly blindsided by extreme feelings of dread and despair.

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