Dr Sally Wilson works at Action on Postpartum Psychosis, a charity she said saved her life 11 years ago almost immediately after the birth of her daughter.
“In my mind I had died. I was living in an afterlife and being punished for something that happened to my daughter,” she said.
“At that point I was diagnosed with postpartum psychosis.
“I was completely detached from reality. It was really scary and I was admitted to a general psychiatric ward and separated from my baby at the time.”
Wilson said it took her “a long time to recover” although specialist care had improved since her experience.
“We now have perinatal specialist teams in all the health boards in Wales,” she added.
“We have a mother and baby unit in Swansea and there is a unit that’s just opened in Chester, which is a collaboration between NHS England and NHS Wales.”
Wilson said there was still “plenty of work to be done” to raise awareness of the condition with expectant parents, the public, as well as healthcare professionals.