TRACY Metcalfe breaks down as she hurts baby Frankie next week in Emmerdale.
The ITV soap is exploring the effects of postnatal depression as Tracy struggles to cope in the wake of giving birth to her daughter.
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In scenes set to air next week, Tracy tries to stay calm when Nate tells her the farm may have to be closed down in an infection has spread.
Worried about money, Nate asks Tracy to return to work and she agrees it would be for the best, hiding her panic about leaving Frankie.
Nate books Lydia for some childcare and Tracy pretends to be positive, but when Nate leaves she breaks down.
The following day, Tracy’s anxiety only worsens when Nate breaks the news that Lydia is ill and Faith has agreed to take over.
Tracy opens up to Eric about how awful she feelings for leaving Frankie, and he suggests she finish up for the day and head home.
Tracy arrives home to witness Faith keeling over in pain and dropping Frankie’s dummy on the floor.
Tracy loses it and rages at Faith for trying to return the dirty dummy to her baby.
Nate arrives home to find a distraught Tracy insisting that only she can look after Frankie – and that she won’t be returning to work.
Tracy continues to spiral as the week goes on and when Wendy reminds her of Frankie’s jabs and tries to touch her baby, Tracy swipes Frankie away.
Back home, Tracy freaks out when she accidentally scratches her baby while trying to clean her face.
Speaking about Tracy’s postnatal depression storyline, Emmerdale’s Kate Brooks told Metro.co.uk: “Everybody loves Tracy. She’s Funny, feisty and full of life, but over the past few weeks she’s struggling to adapt to life as new mum.
“It’s a heartbreaking but very real story about postnatal depression, and how it can affect people with no prior warning.
“Even those who have it all – an adoring partner and a textbook baby. The truth about how it impacts on people’s lives.
“We worked extensively with numerous charities – most notably the APNI charity – to tell a very raw and very honest story about how postnatal depression affects Tracy and her family around her.
“It’s a really sad statistic, but up to 1 in every 10 women will develop postnatal depression in the first 12 months of having a baby.
“This is a very important, and all-too-relatable story to tell. This story will be hard to watch at times, but ultimately, it’s a story about love and hope, and we do hope that it will offer comfort to those going through a very similar experience.
“A really important story to tell for Emmerdale, and one we’ve taken care with to ensure we’re hitting the correct tone as the story develops.”
