Louis Theroux: Mother's On The Edge | Inside A Psychiatric Mother and Baby Unit

New motherhood can be joyful — and devastating. Inside two UK mother and baby units, we follow families fighting their way back from the brink. At Bethlehem Hospital in South East London and Melbury Lodge in Winchester, mums confront postnatal depression, postpartum psychosis, and the hidden pressure to be “OK.” Catherine goes missing on unsupervised leave and is later found after an overdose. Lisa describes the instant her mind snapped — and the terrifying “killer clowns” hallucination that followed a sudden stop to breastfeeding. Marie faces panic, flashbacks and nightmares after a traumatic birth, even as she bonds fiercely with Poppy. A norovirus lockdown, one-to-one supervision, and raw conversations with partners and clinicians reveal how recovery really happens — and why it rarely moves in a straight line. From first fragile moments of bonding with baby Jake to a hard-won return home, this film offers rare, unfiltered access to perinatal psychiatry in action. Watch to see what changes, what doesn’t, and the turning points you won’t see coming. #postpartumpsychosis #postnataldepression #perinatalmentalhealth #motherandbabyunit #maternalmentalhealth #UKdocumentary