“It was a lot of tears, because of misunderstanding, really nervous fatigue and it was really, ‘Why is this happening to me?’“When her son was born, sportswoman Laure Manaudou experienced what 10 to 20% of women experience: postpartum depression. This disease develops after childbirth. Like all depressions, this can be treated through monitoring and care. But a taboo generally surrounds women experiencing this psychological distress. “I’ve always said to myself, and I think it’s also people who keep telling me: ‘You’re a strong woman!’ Already, physically I’m tall, I’m 1m80, I’ve done sports, so people tend to think I’m a very tough person and I think I’ve masked a lot of things by saying to myself: ‘ No, it’s fine, I’m strong, I’ll get there.’ Until I said to myself: ‘Well no, in fact, I can’t anymore, I no longer accept being like that’”, explains the swimmer.
“My symptoms were extreme fatigue, lots and lots of nervousness. In fact, I was always upset, I was never smiling. So, yes, maybe on the surface, but inside, it really was: I was pissed at my daughter at the slightest word she could come out of her mouth when it was just: ‘Mom, are you coming?’ So, me, automatically, I resumed: ‘Mom, can you come, please?‘”, recalls Laure Manaudou.
“I think it’s important, rather than offering pajamas to the baby, we offer cleaning hours for the mother, meals that are ready-made, a time when, I don’t know, the grandparents can keep the little one so that the mother can sleep peacefully and do something else if she wants. I think that’s starting to happen, but it needs to get bigger and I think it’s important for the mental health of moms.”, thinks the swimmer.