A harrowing memoir about a woman's struggle with postpartum depression. Nine days after the birth of her daughter, Amanda was involuntarily admitted to a Toronto psychiatric ward for postpartum depression. The typical hold-and-release process in Ontario is seventy-two hours. She stayed eighteen days. New parent sleep deprivation is familiar, but Munday's tumultuous experience with depression is one rarely discussed within parent communities. Any mental illness comes with a strong public stigma, and with mental illness connected to motherhood, the judgments run deep. Through her experiences, Munday presents the harsh realities of new parenthood and the quiet suffering postpartum depression commands. Day Nine is an intimate memoir that reads like a freight train, revealing how common life transitions - childbirth and parenthood - can unravel into a medical emergency few new parents are prepared for.
"Amanda Munday's memoir Day Nine is a remarkable example of a new mother's resilience. In vivid prose, Munday poignantly examines her experience with postpartum depression and other heartbreaking situations. She demonstrates how it's possible to move through agony to create a fulfilling life. Day Nine is an inspiring account of perinatal mental illness, grief, joy, and recovery."
Dyane Harwood, author, Birth of a New Brain: Healing from Postpartum Bipolar Disorder
"I believe that Day Nine should be read by anyone that plans on becoming a parent and/or works with parents-to-be. Amanda Munday bravely takes us into the eye of a storm that many mothers have experienced - and have done so alone and in silence. Munday's writing style pulls you in and gets you comfortable with the uncomfortable. Day Nine provides its readers with invaluable lessons on the power of
Alana Nugent, Marketing Director, bebo mia & Baby and Me Fitness
"Day Nine takes you through the overwhelming & palpable experience of being trapped by mental unwellness while highlighting the glaringly obvious disconnect of health care for the mind and body. So moving and hard to put down."
Bianca Sprague, CEO, bebo mia & Baby and Me Fitness
