What If We’d Known? Rich Baish on Postpartum Psychosis and Parenting Through Grief

TW: A quick note before we begin, this episode includes a conversation about suicide and maternal mental health, so if you're in a vulnerable place, please take good care of yourself while listening and take a look in the show notes for some links to places where you can get some support if and when you need it. This week, I’m talking to my old friend Rich Baish about something no family should ever have to go through: losing a new mum to postpartum psychosis.

Rich tragically lost his wife Alex to postpartum psychosis just a few weeks after their second daughter was born. In this conversation, he shares what happened, what the warning signs were and what he wishes he’d known at the time. We also talk about what it means to grieve while raising young children, how he’s rebuilt a life he never asked for, and why he’s now working to make sure other families don’t slip through the cracks.

Postpartum psychosis affects 1–2 in every 1,000 new mums. It can come on suddenly, even if there’s no history of mental illness, but it is treatable, if acted on fast enough.

This is a conversation about maternal mental health, yes, for sure, but it's also a conversation about fatherhood, about friendship, about resilience, and above all about love. It's absolutely heartbreaking, but it's also strangely hopeful because what Rich shows us is that even in the darkest of times, it is possible to keep going, to keep showing up, to hold space for what was, while also making space for what comes next.

If you’re pregnant, postpartum, or supporting someone who is, please give it a listen. It might just save a life.

Resources and Support

If you or someone you love might be experiencing symptoms of postpartum psychosis, it is a medical emergency. Don’t wait. Go straight to A&E (UK) or the Emergency Room (US). The sooner help is given, the better the outcome.

UK Resources

• Action on Postpartum Psychosis (APP): The UK’s only charity dedicated to supporting women and families affected by postpartum psychosis. Offers peer support, information, training for healthcare professionals, and bereavement services.
• NHS information on Postpartum Psychosis
• Samaritans – 116 123 (24/7) or chat online any time
• PANDAS Foundation – Support for postnatal depression and other perinatal mental health challenges

US Resources

• Postpartum Support International (PSI): Extensive resources including a helpline, online support groups, and provider directories.
• PSI Helpline
• 998 Lifeline: Call or text 988 for 24/7, confidential support