THE baby blues hits a staggering 80 per cent of mums every year in the UK.

Of them, as many as 17 per cent suffer the full effects of postnatal depression.

Comedy queen and mother-of-three Ruby Wax knows all about PND, having suffered bouts of it after the birth of her daughter Marina.

She has joined forces with Tesco Baby & Toddler Club to produce a Baby Blues booklet, available free of charge from all Tesco instore pharmacies during March.

She says: "When you have postnatal depression, it's important to have a helping hand because you think it's your imagination.

"Unfortunately, by the time you realise it's not, you've already got to the stage of feeling everything is crashing down around you."

She says it's important for people to understand why they feel like this and to help them get through it.

The booklet, produced with the endorsement of the Association of Postnatal Illness, has been designed to help parents understand the different ways a new baby may affect their state of mind.

It acts as an information source guiding parents through the initial daunting and challenging times following baby's birth from spotting early symptoms and how to deal with them to the more serious natures of depression and its sources.

There are suggestions on ways to cope and who to contact plus useful addresses and telephone numbers.

You can pick up a copy of the Baby Blues booklet from Tesco stores or send a stamped addressed envelope (value 42p) to Baby Blues Booklet Offer, PO Box 666, London E15 1DW.