Ivana Poku It was a quiet evening in Duxbury, Massachusetts, when a family’s world was shattered in ways most of us can barely imagine.
Lindsay Clancy allegedly strangled her three young children, Cora (5), Dawson (3), and baby Callan (8 months) while in the grip of severe postpartum mental illness.
Her husband had only stepped out for a short while, to pick up dinner and medicine.
When he returned, he was met with every parent’s worst nightmare.
Cora and Dawson were pronounced dead that day.
Callan survived for a few days but, heartbreakingly, passed away in hospital.
Moments after the incident, Lindsay jumped from a window in an attempt to take her own life.
She survived but was left paralysed from the waist down.
Her legal team has filed a “not guilty by reason of insanity” plea, arguing she suffered a devastating psychotic break, one possibly worsened by a cocktail of psychiatric medications she had been prescribed in the months leading up to the tragedy.
The Reality of Postpartum Depression
As someone who has lived through postnatal depression myself, I cannot stay silent.
In this post, I share my thoughts on this heartbreaking tragedy, why it happened, and what we can do to prevent it from happening again.
But first, hello!
My name is Ivana, and I run MumsJourney, a blog dedicated to supporting mums through every stage of their motherhood journey. I’m also the author of Motherhood: The Unspoken and an award-winning maternal mental health advoce and mentor.
After giving birth to my twins in 2016, I experienced severe PPD. It was the hardest time of my life, but it also showed me how much there is to motherhood people don’t talk about and how many mums don’t get the support they need.
Since then, I’ve made it my mission to help other mums feel heard, supported, and less alone.
In this post, I want to reflect on this devastating story, why it occurred, a what we can do to stop similar heartbreaks in the future.
What Happened in the Lindsay Clancy Case?
Reports state that Lindsay told a psychologist she heard a voice in her head telling her to kill her children shortly before their deaths.
When I experienced postnatal depression after having twins in 2016, I too heard intrusive voices urging me to hurt my children.
Thankfully, I managed to resist.
But not every mother can, and that is why this tragedy forces us to ask: Is our mental health system failing mothers?
Postnatal Depression Statistics Are Misleading
You’ve probably heard that 1 in 7 mothers experience postnatal depression.
But here’s the thing – that number only counts the cases that are reported.
The truth is, so many more women suffer quietly, alone, and unseen.
Why does it go unnoticed?
Because society expects new mothers to radiate joy from the very first moment, and to “enjoy every moment”.
But the reality is very different.
It’s messy, exhausting, overwhelming, and often nothing like the happy, sparkling scenes we see in movies.
And for many mothers, feeling anything less than perfect can bring guilt, shame, and fear.
The Reality of Motherhood (That No One Talks About)
Becoming a mum is a huge emotional, mental, and physical adjustment.
You life changes overnight, and no one can prepare you for how overwhelming it feels.
Antenatal classes often focus on birth but provide minimal (if any) guidance on postnatal mental health.
And when they do cover it, it’s usually at a theoretical level – making it feel like something that happens to “other mums,” not us.
This silence leads new mothers to believe that if they’re not happy, they’re failing.
The shame can spiral into deep depression.
Why Many New Mums Don’t Speak Up
I will remember sitting in the hospital after giving birth, being asked about my emotions.
It felt like a routine check-box exercise.
No real conversation, no one looking me in the eye to see how I was truly feeling.
And I know I’m not alone.
So many mothers carry the weight of their emotions in silence, terrified of being judged or labelled as “bad mums.”
Some worry their children might be taken away.
Others fear they’ll disappoint the people they love the most.
Even when mums reach out for help, the system often lets them down.
Long waits for treatment, rushed appointments, or a simple prescription handed over without real support…. it can leave a mother feeling even more alone and unheard.
Being a new mum is not easy, and the pressure to always be happy can make it even harder.
I talk more about the reality of becoming a new mum here:
- Having a baby is not a joyful experience
- Why the newborn stage is the hardest (and how to survive it)
- 8 Motherhood facts every new mum is shocked to discover
What the Lindsay Clancy Case Teaches Us
Lindsay’s defence attorney stated:
“Our society fails miserably in treating women with postnatal depression and postpartum psychosis.”
She now faces life in prison.
And yet, what happened was never simply a crime – it was a mother in desperate need of help, suffering from a serious mental illness.
Lindsay is not a murderer.
She is a woman who became sick, a mother trapped in a system that didn’t see her, didn’t hear her, and didn’t protect her.
She is a victim – of illness, of stigma, and of a society that still doesn’t take maternal mental health seriously enough.
What Needs to Change In Postnatal Care?
We need to do better – for ourselves, for our children, and for every mum and child yet to come.
That means better education about life after baby, postnatal depression and postpartum psychosis – for parents, healthcare workers, and society.
(I answer the most common questions and debunk the biggest myths about postnatal depression in this post.)
It means compassionate care during postnatal check-ups, where questions aren’t just ticked off a list, but asked with understanding and empathy.
It means accessible support, where a mother can reach out early and get help without fear of judgement, stigma, or being dismissed.
Final Thoughts
Until we start treating postnatal depression as the serious, life-altering illness it is, tragedies like Lindsay Clancy’s story will continue to happen.
She is not a murderer.
She is a woman who became ill.
A mother who was failed by a broken system.
She is a victim.
What Do You Think?
I want to hear from you.
How can we create a world where mums feel safe to speak up?
Where they can get the help they need before it’s too late?
Share your thoughts in the comments, or send me a DM on Instagram.
Love,
Ivana xx
