Maesteg Mum-to-Be Wonders How ADHD Will Affect Motherhood

Hayley Pearce, a 36-year-old TV personality from Maesteg in south Wales, is pregnant with her first child. She was diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 20 and is now thinking hard about how her condition will affect her as a new mum. Hayley hopes that by talking openly about her experience, she can help other women with ADHD feel more supported.

Hayley became known to many people when she appeared as the tea lady in a BBC Three show called The Call Centre back in 2013. Today, she works with social services to help looked-after children. Her home is covered in sticky notes to help her remember tasks and appointments, because keeping organised is one of her biggest daily challenges.

ADHD stands for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The NHS says that people with ADHD can be easily distracted or forgetful, have trouble managing their time, and find it hard to follow instructions or finish tasks. Hayley describes herself as 'neurospicy,' which is her fun way of saying her brain works differently from most people's. 'I have no concept of time… I've been sacked from jobs because I'm always late,' she said.

To get some helpful tips, Hayley met with Rhiannan Morgan, a 42-year-old mum of four from south Wales who also has ADHD. All four of Rhiannan's children, aged 9, 11, 14, and 21, have autism. Rhiannan spent many hours online when her children were young, looking for ways to cope, and she now shares what she has learned with other parents on social media under the name Mummy of Four.

Rhiannan has developed a list of practical hacks to help parents with ADHD stay on top of things. She suggests asking children to help with chores early on and writing a weekly meal plan. Other tips include setting up a comfy feeding spot for the baby with water and a phone charger nearby, putting information from letters straight into a calendar, and using phone alarms as reminders. She also recommends getting groceries delivered at the same time every week so it becomes automatic. 'If you don't have those systems and strategies in place, it just feels like you're trying to swim uphill constantly,' she said.

Hayley is also worried about postnatal depression, which is a type of depression some parents feel after having a baby. A Swedish study of more than 770,000 births found that mums with ADHD could be up to five times more likely to experience postnatal depression than those without it. Hayley's midwife has already warned her about this risk, so she knows it is something to watch out for.

Dr. Nicola Peek is a counselling psychologist who works with new mums at Hywel Dda University Health Board in Wales. She explained that women with ADHD are more sensitive to the drop in certain hormones that happens after giving birth. This hormone drop can also lower dopamine levels in the brain, which can make a person feel low in mood, more tired, and less able to focus. Dr. Peek advises new mums with ADHD to speak up for themselves with doctors, talk to their partner and family about how they are feeling, and remember that social media does not always show the reality of parenting.

Despite the challenges ahead, both Hayley and Dr. Peek believe that having ADHD does not stop anyone from being a wonderful parent. Dr. Peek said that parents with ADHD often show great empathy and creativity. Hayley is determined to stay honest about how she feels as her due date gets closer. 'If I struggle, I struggle, I'm going to be honest about how I feel,' she said. 'It's going to be the best thing I've ever done in my life.'