My name is Nilupulie Karunaratne, and I live in Ballarat, Victoria. I worked as a banker for
nearly a decade, and now I am an entrepreneur for a recruitment healthcare agency. I am an MBA graduate from Victoria University Melbourne and specialised in Finance. I have a beautiful family, and my husband is a general practitioner. I am a mother of twins, and now they are 5 years old.
In 2016, my husband and I made the life-changing decision to move from Sri Lanka to
Australia. Then, in early 2019, we were overjoyed to learn that we were expecting twins.
Although my pregnancy was mostly smooth, it came with challenges—I was diagnosed with Graves’ disease and gestational diabetes. Determined to be prepared, I planned every aspect of my pregnancy, from my scheduled C-section to various feeding techniques. But life had its own surprises in store.
Right after giving birth, I sensed something was off. At first, I dismissed my feelings as typical "baby blues," but as time passed, my emotions became overwhelming. Anxiety and depression crept in—something I had never encountered before. On top of that, I needed blood transfusions, adding to the physical and emotional burden.
Around a month postpartum, things took a drastic turn. I struggled with sleepless nights, became overwhelmed with emotions, and found myself crying uncontrollably for no apparent reason. The smallest things made me irritable, and the stress was so intense that my milk supply disappeared, making breastfeeding impossible.
At the same time, my twins' sleep patterns became erratic, leading to endless nights of crying and exhaustion. I withdrew from everyone, feeling lost in a time that was supposed to be filled with joy.
Coming from an Asian background, I knew that opening up about personal struggles was often discouraged. But staying silent only made things worse. Fortunately, my husband, a general practitioner, recognized what I was going through. With his support, I sought therapy and embraced a natural approach to healing, avoiding medication and focusing on restoring my mind and body.
I took small but powerful steps to aid my recovery. I started weekly Pilates, did home workouts, practiced meditation, and engaged in activities that brought me happiness, like cooking and watching my favorite shows. I made sure to have at least one positive conversation a day— with my husband, a counsellor, my mother’s group, close friends, or my own mother. Their encouragement became my lifeline.
Thankfully, my healing journey was relatively swift, largely due to my husband’s
understanding and unwavering support. But I know that for many mothers, the struggle lasts longer, especially without a strong support system.
Every mother’s postpartum experience is unique, but small steps toward self-care and
emotional support can make a significant difference. By sharing our experiences, reaching out, and standing by one another, we can help more mothers navigate this challenging but transformative period of life.
After overcoming my journey with postpartum depression and anxiety, I felt a deep calling to support other mothers facing similar struggles. As a survivor, I understand the emotional and physical toll it takes, and I know how isolating it can feel. This inspired me to create an awareness campaign dedicated to mothers who are silently battling postpartum depression and anxiety.
Through this initiative, I hope to break the stigma surrounding maternal mental health,
encourage open conversations, and remind every mother that she is not alone. By sharing my story and advocating for support systems, I want to empower mothers to seek help, practice self-care, and find strength in their journey to healing.
So, two years ago, I initiated my legacy project called “Empowering Mothers” to support new mothers and their families in navigating postnatal mental health and reducing stigma. It is an educational platform, and I have already created 25 methods to support new mothers and created a unique hashtag called #standbyamom. Lately, I've been creating a small video series focused on how we can practically support new mothers using these methods. In this video series, I explain all 25 methods broadly and how we can use these methods in more methodical and practical ways. I invite everyone to share their thoughts and photos on how they help new moms while tagging my hashtag: #standbyamom.
In addition to these initiatives, I have a podcast called Empowering Mothers by allowing them to share their lived experiences, discuss maternal mental health, and offer advice and suggestions for new mothers and society as a whole. I invite all mothers to share their motherhood journeys with me. Together, we can work towards spreading a positive message and reducing the stigma surrounding perinatal mental health. Empowering Mothers is committed to raising awareness of postpartum depression and sharing the true experiences of every mother.