Baby Blues: Exploring Perinatal Mental Health
Question depictions, taboos and expectations of perinatal mental health in an honest discussion with leading writers, creators and specialists.
View the live stream
About
The trope of the harried mother is familiar to many of us. But what is the true toll of pregnancy and parenthood on mental health, and why is this reality so often treated as taboo?
Join a panel of writers, creators and specialists at the Wheeler Centre to explore maternal rage, depression and psychosis, cultural depictions of motherhood, and the importance of sharing lived mental health experiences.
Mental health expert Nicole Highet is the founder and director of the Centre of Perinatal Excellence (COPE), whose role in the perinatal area has included the implementation of Australia’s $85 million National Perinatal Depression Initiative. Award-winning journalist and co-founder of Media Diversity Australia Antoinette Lattouf is also an ambassador for mental health organisation Gidget Foundation after experiencing postnatal depression and anxiety. In her latest novel Little Plum, author and social worker Laura McPhee-Brown examines depictions of mothers in literature and art.
Lead by poet, performer and advocate Eleanor Jackson, these panellists will draw from their personal experiences and professional insights in a fearless discussion about the oft-overlooked depth and complexity of perinatal mental health.
Conversations in M/OTHER may include references to topics such as mental health, reproductive rights, and childbirth. If you need assistance with any of these issues, you can learn more and seek advice via the Centre of Perinatal Excellence (COPE), Perintal Anxiety & Depression Australia (PANDA) and Beyond Blue.
Accessibility
Wheelchair accessible
Accessible toilets available
Please notify us of all access requirements when booking online so we can assist you with your visit. If you require further information, please contact reception on 03 9094 7800 or ticketing@wheelercentre.com.
Official Bookseller
The official bookseller for M/OTHER is Neighbourhood Books.
About M/OTHER
M/OTHER is a weekend of fearless conversation about the ways ‘motherhood’ is experienced, portrayed and labelled by those who mother, have been mothered, wish they were mothers, do not identify as mothers, cannot or do not want to mother, and by society at-large.
Featuring
Dr Nicole Highet is the Founder and Executive Director of the Centre of Perinatal Excellence (COPE). Nicole is a Doctor in clinical psychology, with extensive experience in marketing, campaign development, and advocacy. Nicole founded COPE in 2013 in response to the need to develop innovative and su... Read more
Antoinette Lattouf is a broadcaster, columnist, the author of How to Lose Friends and Influence White People, the co-founder of Media Diversity Australia and a mental health ambassador for the Gidget Foundation. She’s a multi-award-winning journalist, a TEDx Sydney speaker, was listed among AFR’... Read more
Laura McPhee-Browne a writer, social worker, and counsellor living in Melbourne, on unceded Wurundjeri land. Her award-winning debut novel, Cherry Beach, was published by Text Publishing in February 2020. Her second novel, Little Plum, is forthcoming with Text Publishing on January 31st, 2023. She i... Read more
Eleanor Jackson is a Filipino Australian poet, performer, arts producer and sometimes community radio broadcaster. She is the author of Gravidity and Parity, winner of Small Press Network’s Book of the Year (2022), and A Leaving, both by Vagabond Press. Her live album, One Night Wonders, is produc... Read more
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