SINGAPORE – In a final voice message to her husband left on her mobile phone, a mother of two said that she was not a good mother and had let her family down.
The woman, 35, who had given birth to a baby girl five weeks earlier, added that her mind was not working and she had no idea what she was doing.
In October last year, she and her newborn daughter were pronounced dead at the foot of a housing unit block.
State Coroner Kamala Ponnampalam said in her findings made available on Friday (May 28) that the mother’s death served as “yet another stark reminder of the devastating effects of postpartum depression”.
The coroner ruled the mother’s death a suicide and said she had “tragically perpetrated the unlawful killing of her infant daughter”.
The court heard that the woman was an account executive on maternity leave at the time of her death. She also had a four-year-old daughter.
At about 5pm on Oct 29 last year, a passer-by heard a loud thud coming from the back of the block and saw the baby lying on the ground. He then heard another loud thud and saw the mother on the ground.
He had not heard any commotion before this and called the police immediately.
The duo were pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics and their cause of death was later determined to be multiple injuries consistent with a fall from height.
After the police were called, they found a mobile phone in the family’s unit on the 10th floor . It contained a voice recording.
Her husband said the couple had a nanny after the baby was born last September, for the duration of the mother’s confinement period.
Five days after the end of that period, the woman told her husband that she was stressed over having to take care of her two children and that she had forgotten how to do it.
He reassured her and said that he and his mother would take care of their elder daughter, and that she only had to rest and take care of the baby.
During her pregnancy, his wife had also expressed concerns about having to go back to work after her maternity leave.
After having the baby, she told him she wanted to quit her job. Her husband advised her to rest during her maternity leave and not think about work.
Her colleague and friend recalled her saying she did not know how to take care of babies any more and suspected she was suffering from postnatal depression, but added that she never expressed a desire to commit suicide.
In the voice message the woman left for her husband, she said that they should not have had the baby as she did not know how to take care of babies or their family.
Her mind was not working, she had no idea what she was doing, she was not a good mother and wife and had let them down, she added.
She asked her husband to take good care of their elder daughter and expressed regret that she would not be around to watch her grow up.
The woman concluded the message by saying that there was no other way as her mind was not working.
The state coroner said in her findings: “(The woman’s) husband responded by reassuring her and making some alternative care arrangements for their older child. Unfortunately, (her) concerns and anxiety persisted.”
She added that the pressures of caring for a newborn can be immense, with demands from managing the household and family while getting ready to return to work seemingly insurmountable.
It is important that new mothers and those around them understand the enormity of the stress, said the state coroner.
“Most of all, a good support network and genuine encouragement from family and friends are essential to help the new mum cope.”
Helplines
Samaritans of Singapore: 1800 221-4444 (24 hours)
Institute of Mental Health: 6389-2222 (24 hours)
Singapore Association for Mental Health: 1800 283-7019 (Mon to Fri, 9am to 6pm)
TOUCHline: 1800 377-2252 (Mon to Fri, 9am to 6pm)