A Brancaster poet has featured in a poetry anthology exploring the hidden experience of motherhood.

Briony Bax's poem Salting the Blood is part of the collection called Songs of Love and Strength, along with more than 100 other poems from mums across the country.

Mrs Bax, who is an editor of the literary and art magazine Ambit, said: "The anthology aims to let people know that they are not alone in the ups and downs involved in parenthood."

Themes explored in the poems include the pain of infertility and miscarriage, the realities of giving birth, the shock of the fourth trimester, loss of identity, boredom, the smell of babies’ heads and sleep deprivation.

The anthology will be launched on May 5 during Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week, with proceeds to go to the Pandas foundation, which supports parents and others affected by perinatal mental illness.