Emily Andre is a busy mum-of-two, working as a doctor and sharing a daughter, Amelia, nine, and son, Theo, six, with her husband, Australian singer Peter.
But she took time out on Sunday in honour of an important cause, encouraging anyone who is struggling after giving birth, whether with the ups and downs of being a new mum or more serious mental health issues, to not be ashamed and seek help if needed.
In the heart-warming post, she shared an adorable photo of herself clutching baby Theo, who was dressed in an Eeyore costume, and wrote: "I wanted to take the opportunity to mark the end of Maternal Mental Health Awareness week.
© GettyA topic extremely close to my heart, it is dedicated to raising awareness about mental health problems before, during and after pregnancy. "I wanted to share this picture, taken on Millie's 3rd birthday. My gorgeous little Theo was around 6 weeks old - dressed as Eeyore for Millie's Winnie the Pooh party."
Emily posted a sweet message on Instagram
She went on: "It was the first time in a while I had worn makeup, or got dressed into normal clothes! Looking at the picture I can remember what an achievement that felt.
© Getty"Theo had reflux and a tongue tie, I was just recovering from my second bout of mastitis, whilst also recovering from a caesarean. I hadn’t had more than an hours sleep in one go more than a handful of times since he was born.
MORE: 12 sweet photos of Peter Andre and his wife Emily's adorable children
"The reason I’m bringing this up, is that although I have memories of what was behind this picture, for those looking in it probably wasn't obvious.
© Getty"I didn't discuss it with many people at the time. I think a lot of new mums feel that pressure to appear that they are handling everything, or perhaps worry that others will think they aren't a good parent.
"It would have been great to hear about others who were experiencing the same thing, to understand that I wasn't alone or doing anything wrong.
© Getty"I didn't experience postnatal depression or other mental health difficulties, but more than 10% of new mums can develop depression in the postnatal period.
"This is only one of many different mental health conditions that can affect women at this vulnerable time.
© Getty"Although there are many factors that can contribute to maternal mental health difficulties, I feel very strongly that normalising the difficult parts of becoming a parent is so important, so that people know they aren't alone, and don't feel worried or hesitant to seek help."
© GettyShe finished by writing: "Since I became a parent, I have really noticed many more parents sharing their journeys, the amazing parts and the more difficult moments. I hope that by talking about our own experiences and encouraging others to share, we can all support each other and raise awareness of maternal mental health [red heart emojis] #mmhaw23 #maternalmhmatters @perinatalmhpartnership @mmhalliance."
© GettyEmily's followers were clearly touched by her health message, with one comment reading: "Thank you for sharing this… I suffered from postnatal depression and it wasn’t much understood here in Italy. Thanks for sharing your story, it’s so important to make this a point of discussion."
© GettyAnother penned: "Such an amazing thing that you are doing to raise awareness Emily - a lot of people look at new mums and think the exhaustion is normal without realising how much else is going on behind the scenes! PS Theo's Eeyore outfit is the cutest!"
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