Adelaide Thunderbirds' Shamera Sterling-Humphrey opens up on post-partum depression - 'I went to hell and back'

Adelaide Thunderbirds and Jamaica international player Shamera Sterling-Humphrey has opened up on suffering with post-partum depression and how it has affected her return to netball.

Sterling-Humphrey missed much of the 2025 season following her pregnancy but returned to the Thunderbirds for the 2026 season after giving birth to son Xaihire.

She spoke candidly about the struggle of post-partum depression and how she sought help for her mental health and experienced suicidal thoughts.

"So before I went in the hospital, I had a bit of pain," Sterling-Humphrey told Sky Sports Netball's Off the Court podcast.

"I went to hospital, they sent me back home with medication, still was under some pain. I went back to the hospital and that's where they said, hey, she's feeling a lot of pain. We're going to keep her.

"When I had my baby, there was like no emotions. I wasn't happy. I wasn't like, I was just so sad, like no emotions, whatever.

"That is when I knew that something was wrong because I was so excited that I am pregnant, so excited that I'm having a boy. Then right when I had my baby, no emotions, no nothing.

"I remember I had been on the ward and I had been in recovery, like I was still in a bit of shock.

"The trauma that childbirth gave me, I think that messed with my head as well.

"I came home and I couldn't stop crying. I cried, I cried, I cried because as a new mom, I am not used to not getting my sleep.

"I remember just crying and crying and crying every day, when it was worse at night times. When I saw the night coming, it was the worst bit for me.

"Thank God I had a supportive husband. I am going through the postpartum depression and ended up on the mental health ward at the hospital."

Sterling-Humphrey then returned to a facility called Helen Mayo House which provides "inpatient services for parents who have significant mental health problems in the postnatal period" which she credits with helping her recover.

"I am saying to myself, I actually need the help. My little boy needs me so much. That is when I decided that I am going to go back to Helen Mayo house just to get the treatment that I need," Sterling-Humphrey said.

"At the time, I packed my bag, Andrew took me back to Helen Mayo house. That is when I started crying. I cried every single day from when I had baby to when I went on medications and started to get a bit better.

Sterling-Humphrey on getting back into netball

When Sterling-Humphrey stepped away in 2025, she was considered the top goalkeeper in netball.

Sterling-Humphrey has been part of the Jamaica side since 2018 when she took part in the Commonwealth Games and took home bronze. Jamaica have since won silver in the 2022 Commonwealth Games and took bronze at the 2023 Netball World Cup.

She has also captained the side. Domestically, she returned to action in March but admitted that she still is working through how her battle is affecting her game.

"I'm a bit better now but not where I wanted to be," she added.

"I don't know myself. I'm still trying to find myself.

"I have my good days and I have my bad days, but I'm far from where I used to be and the Shamira that I know. I still don't know who I am today, but as I said, I have good and bad days.

"I have bad days, and today's one of my good days, so I'm really grateful but I have my moments when I just sit down and I cry and I get depressed.

"When you are playing big games, you kind of get nervous and the anxiety that that brings is something I can't deal with.

"I went to hell and back but I am grateful that I'm not in that place anymore and I have a lot of support and as I said, today is a better day but I do have my days when I, when I, when I just I just can't deal with it."

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