About the Author

Allison Schleef was born, raised and lives in Mount Gambier

(home of the world famous Blue Lake) in South Australia,
Australia. After twenty-three years of working in the hospitality
industry as a chef, Allison is enjoying her new role of stay at
home mum; which also now gives her time to indulge in her small
hobby business Little Treasures By Allison. Sharing a mutual
passion for Jack Russell Terriers with her husband, they are active
within the JRTCA and Allison is a state representative for, and a
long serving member of, the JRTCAs national committee.

This book is dedicated to my Son

My Inspiration and reason for Being;
and my greatest achievement to date.
Finally, I know the meaning of Life.
XXXX

And to my dad
My Hero, My Guiding Light XXX

And also my husband

For Better, For Worse XX

ALSO,
I would like to share the love with every mumma
Who has gone through a premature birth / neonatal
journey,
As well as those mummas weathering their own
personal storm.

A GIRAFFE CALLED NEO

Copyright Allison Schleef (2015)

The right of Allison Schleef to be identified as author of this work
has been asserted by her in accordance with section 77 and 78 of
the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be
reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any
form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the
publishers.
Any person who commits any unauthorized act in relation to this
publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims
for damages.
A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British
Library.

ISBN 978 1 78455 838 3 (Paperback)

ISBN 978 1 78455 839 0 (Hardback)
www.austinmacauley.com
First Published (2015)
Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd.
25 Canada Square Canary Wharf
London
E14 5LB

Printed and bound in Great Britain

Acknowledgements/Honourable Mentions:

A shout out must go to these people who directly or indirectly

had something to do with either helping me through one of the
most trying times in my entire life, or had something to do
with my vision and inspiration of A GIRAFFE CALLED
NEO
My husband Paul for standing by me, even after seeing
me at my worst.
To the endless rotation of NICU Nurses and Paediatric
Consultants and Neonatologists at Flinders without you all,
my Son would not be.
All my Neonatal Sisters from another Mister but
especially Natalie, Kirsty, Tashii, Sharni, and Karri Anne; for
their ongoing friendship.
Ange my devoted sister, for all her kindred support.
Jen my Sanity Saviour while we were in Flinders, now
my admired advocate for Premature Birth Support.
My mum and dad for their devoted and unwavering
benevolence when I needed it the most.
Marie who never once doubted my prose and
capabilities.
Sarah - my unassuming late night shoulder to cry on.
Rob THE Legend of Daddys Little Legend, and a true
inspiration to me.
And to the Austin Macauley Board of Editors and my
Publishing Consultant for this incredible opportunity.

Thank you, One and All. XXXX

The darkest hour is just before

the Dawn
Thomas Fuller.
(Meaning: There IS Hope, even in the worst circumstances .)

IF I SAID TO YOU RIGHT NOW, THAT YOU HAVE

POST-NATAL DEPRESSION HOW DOES THAT MAKE
YOU FEEL?
This was a question posed to me by my Doctor.
I sat there for a while, thinking about it. Id heard the
whispers about women with PND. I knew of the stigma
attached to it. So being told point blank by my trusted health
professional that it was in HER medical opinion that I was
indeed suffering from it how DID I feel, exactly?
Did I feel like the clich dirty and tainted? No.
Did I feel embarrassed or ashamed? No.
There was only one thing I was feeling at that particular
moment and it was overwhelming and suffocating. I felt
BROKEN. Beaten down. But also, oddly, at the same time I
felt relieved. Relieved that the helplessness and despair I was
feeling actually had a name; that there was a valid reason. That
I WASNT going insane.
Let me introduce myself.
My name is Allison, and I have medically diagnosed
Postnatal Depression.
There. Its out.

It does not mean I am a nutter. I am an ordinary woman; a

daughter, a sister, a wife, a mother. I dont feel embarrassed to
admit my condition. Nor do I feel ashamed by it. In fact I
feel COMPELLED to talk about it, discuss it; because from
what I have experienced and are still going through; I hope
to give others comfort and strength, and, through my writing I
also hope to better understand it myself, what it IS I am going
through; and to hopefully educate mainstream society and
create more public awareness and greater acceptance; and put
an end to the ignorance.
This book is in no way a medical journal. And I point out
right here and now I am no expert on the subject. I have
never professed nor pretended that I am, and I didnt write this
book to be viewed upon as a Guide; however I DID write it
for the edification of others, for the empowerment and
personal improvement it may give. I am honestly, openly and
humbly sharing my OWN thoughts, feelings, perceptions and
opinions based on my OWN experience and personal battle
with PND; with the goal of my voice being heard on behalf of
all women everywhere.
Statistics are that 1 in 7 mums are diagnosed with
medically recognisable Postnatal Depression, and its
indiscriminate where and who it strikes. There are a range of
factors that can trigger PND Biological, Psychological and
Sociocultural; and sometimes, if youre lucky, there is a
catalyst, a KNOWN reason; but for the majority of the time,
there is no known reason. It just IS.
But contrary to popular belief, Postnatal Depression is
NOT a dirty word.
There is so much negative and unfounded stigma
associated with PND, and sadly UNFAIRLY women are
made to feel like its some sort of shameful secret and Taboo
subject that should not be spoken about; much less admitted to
suffering from it; lest you be shunned by society and labelled.
Most women suffering with PND are, on the outside,
perfectly NORMAL. That is, for the most part, means that we

function quite well in public and even play nicely with others!
HOW ABOUT THAT?!
We are women who pay the bills. Do the grocery
shopping. We run errands. Chauffer the kids around town.
Yes! We can drive a CAR! We put the daily meals on the
table, and ensure the clothes on our familys backs are clean.
We vote. We go to work. Yes some of us even have
JOBS!
We can also hold a meaningful and coherent conversation.
And that lady flashing the mega-watt smile that seems to have
it all? The one you always secretly aspire to BE like? Guess
What? SHE has PND!! Now WHO would have thought it,
huh? And yet shes still HER; someone that you, and all
those around her, admire.
So you see having PND, whilst being a medically
recognised condition, DOESNT mean you are a crazy lady.
And, depending on your own personal views of public
disclosure; doesnt mean you have to keep your condition a
secret. Agreed, in absolute extreme cases it can be severely
debilitating; but the good news is it CAN be effectively
treated and managed, and the sooner the diagnosis, the earlier
the treatment and faster the recovery.
Postnatal Depression is more prevalent than most would
care to realise. And I dare say, There are a lot of women out
there who are undiagnosed as such and struggling from day to
day, due largely to not knowing in the first instance how to
recognise it; and then not knowing where to go from there,
because they want to keep it to themselves out of fear of
perceived repercussions and from fear of being socially
ostracised. I think its absolutely abhorrent the way
mainstream society have shaped the way most women are
made to feel about Postnatal Depression, all because it falls
into the category of Mental Health. It is the ignorant and the
uneducated that shun such a condition; and human nature that
singles out and highlights with ridicule and malice, that of
which we dont fully understand. This ignorance dates back to