Author(s): Brooke Shields

Parenting Pregnancy Childbirth

When actress Brooke Shields gave birth to a beautiful baby daughter, Rowan, she felt like the luckiest woman in the world. But moments later, everything changed. For months after the birth, all Brooke could do was lie in bed and stare at the wall. When she wasn't sobbing her heart out she felt desperate and isolated, and she dreaded Rowan's presence. Whenever she looked at her daughter, a numbness swept over her and froze her to the core. All Brooke wanted to do was kill herself. Although she didn't realize this at the time, Brooke was suffering from postnatal depression, a crippling condition that affects one in ten new mothers. With astonishing honesty and a refreshingly wry sense of humor, Brooke Shields writes about her battle with postnatal depression, and her slow path to recovery. In this brave and warm memoir, she lifts the lid on this taboo subject that is still widely misunderstood, giving hope to the countless women who suffer from this debilitating illness. First published 2005.