Jodi Albert has revealed she is writing a self-help book about suffering with post-natal depression – in a bid to help other women.
The Wonderland singer – who is married to Westlife’s Kian Egan – has poured her heart out into the book about her experiences after giving birth to Koa in 2011.
But the 30-year-old said the book, which she is pitching to publishers at the moment, will make women laugh.
“At the moment, I’ve started writing the bones of a book. It’s a comedy book about my attempts stumbling through the first year of motherhood,” she said.
Love: Jodi with husband Kian Egan | VIPIRELAND.COM
“It’s about post-natal, but it’s a book that will make women laugh. It’s a self-help, fluffy book. I love writing it.
“I didn’t even plan to write a book. I just started writing. I read it to a few of my girlfriends, send it to them and they said, ‘Oh my God, this is really funny’.
“I’m not a writer but it was really healing. And it’s just kind of grown legs. I’m now finishing the synopsis, and hopefully I’ll get a publisher.
“I’ve taken the mick out of myself and hopefully other women will read it, if they’re feeling down and not talking about it and I can help in some way.”
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And Jodi found out one of her best friends had been keeping post-natal depression secret just like herself – which also spurred on the book.
“What I found, I was actually pregnant with a friend and she had a little boy a month before me. We were chatting on the phone all the time,” she told 2FM’s Ryan Tubridy.
“And we thought everything was fine. And then it wasn’t until a year later, when we got drunk together, that we both came out with the fact we both had postnatal for the past year and hadn’t spoke about it.
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“I said, ‘How did you not tell me?’ And she said, ‘How did you not tell me?’ And then I realised there must me so many women who don’t actually admit to it.”
And Jodi admitted that before suffering with post-natal depression she didn’t believe it was even real.
“Before I had it I didn’t think it was a real thing. I just heard the name a lot, and never thought it would happen. But then it did, and I realised it was a real thing,” she said.
“I actually went to see a therapist. I had three sessions and the penny dropped after that, and I was like, ‘Okay, I’m postnatal.’ And then I started writing.”
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Speaking in an emotional interview, Jodi also revealed that she wouldn’t have got through the post-natal depression without husband Kian Egan’s help.
“You get these these big bursts of emotion. I would be so happy – and then I didn’t really like myself very much,” she explained.
“But once I recognised it, I had Kian’s support – he just took Koa and did everything with him when I needed the time.
“Once I recognised what it was, I was able to get myself better and talk about it. Now I tend to talk to women a lot about it.
“Because when you have it, you feel a bit ashamed. For me, I just felt like people might think I wasn’t a good mum.
“Or that I was depressed and it would affect the way I look after my baby – which wasn’t the case at all. I was on auto-pilot with Koa and I made sure he was perfect all the time. I just didn’t like myself.”
