By Ning Pan
After Chenzi Dong gave birth to her baby boy last year, she found herself on the brink of a breakdown.
“At times, I felt desperate,” the Melbourne lawyer said.
“Hearing the baby cry would make me tense up immediately, and I would feel terribly guilty if the baby was sick or uncomfortable.”
Ms Dong, who migrated to Australia from China, said she felt neglected as her family’s attention was often entirely on her son.
“Rarely does anyone ask about how I’m doing. Or if they do ask, it’s just a perfunctory greeting,” she said.
“They don’t really care about my emotions or feelings, which makes me feel a bit let down.”