When motherhood isn't a joy

Julie Cugali is recovering from postpartum depression after the birth of her son, Alex, five years ago. Anne-Marie Jackson/The Globe and Mail

“It took about eight months of therapy, but I had drive again. I was able to make plans again instead of being in this constant crisis mode," she says.

Now, like many couples with one child, Ms. Cugalj and her husband are having the “should-we-have-another-one" discussions. “Having a baby is the million-dollar question for every couple, but for us it's a two-million-dollar question because of everything I went through.

“There's a whole lot of fear in going back to that dark place," she says. “But every day I'm a little more willing to take that risk."

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Resource: For more information, click here for the Canadian Psychological Association's fact sheet, "What is Postpartum Depression"

André Picard is The Globe and Mail's public health reporter.