Dubbo's Tess Vine from Gidget Foundation on perinatal depression, anxiety

That's the message Dubbo clinician Tess Vine has for parents who may be struggling.

One in five mothers and one in 10 dads, or non-birthing partners, experience perinatal depression and/or anxiety. But Ms Vine said too often people pushed it to the side.

"There's a stigma attached to most mental health, particularly for expecting or new parents, because they feel like they're supposed to just know what to do or have it all figured out," she said.

For two years, Ms Vine has been a clinician with Gidget House in Dubbo. Run by the Gidget Foundation, the organisation helps expectant and new parents to prevent and treat mental health concerns.

Maternal suicide is one of the leading causes of death among expectant and new mothers. The Gidget Foundation is named after a young mother who took her her own life after experiencing postnatal depression.

Postnatal depression and anxiety is the main reason parents end up at Gidget House, but Ms Vine said she commonly saw people for grief, if they had lost a pregnancy or baby, and birth trauma. More commonly she said fathers were getting referred because of adjustment disorder after the birth of the baby.

Ms Vine said everyone should know their own baseline and if something felt like it was harder or you were struggling for more than two weeks, that's when it was time to see your doctor. A referral from a GP is needed to speak to someone at Gidget House.

Ms Vine said the symptoms for postnatal depression and anxiety were: sleep disturbances not related to the baby, such as not being able to sleep because you're worrying or thinking over the day, feeling numb, having flashbacks of birth events, frequently being teary, not being able to rest when the baby is sleeping and struggling to bond with the baby.

November 12 to 18 is Perinatal Mental Heath Week. It aims to reduce the stigma around mental health, while also raising awareness and providing information.

This year's theme is 'uncover your village'.

For Ms Vine, the theme highlights how no one is alone if they need help with their mental health.

"You're supported and you're not alone. It's more common than you realise. And if you're struggling there's a good chance that if you look around, at least one person in your circle is struggling too. So reach out," she said.

But she has cautioned people against comparing themselves to others.

"There's no normal when it comes to parenting. Because every person's journey is going to be different and some people will struggle with different aspects that others find easy. It's important not to compare," she said.

Between November and February, Dubbo residents are encouraged to host A Bun in they Oven event in support of Gidget Foundation Australia. The get together can be as simple or as special as you choose.

More information on the Gidget Foundation, or hosting a Bun in the Oven event, can be found here.

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