Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week

Posted by Devon Partnership Trust in Mental health, News on 29th April, 2024

Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week is a campaign dedicated to talking about mental health problems before, during and after pregnancy.

Motherhood can feel like unpredictable chaos even for the most organised of people, suddenly everything changes and lives are never the same again. It is estimated that up to one in four new and expectant mums are affected by perinatal mental health problems, covering a range of conditions including anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and postpartum psychosis. If left untreated, these mental health issues can have significant and long-lasting effects on women, children, and the wider family. Suicide remains the leading cause of maternal death between 6 weeks and a year after giving birth.

The right support at the right time can have an enormous impact on the psychological wellbeing and mental health of women, but we know that stigma often prevents people from speaking up and seeking help, and many women tell us they fear that clinicians may be judgemental. There are many barriers to accessing care and we are working hard to reduce them.

Selina Dare, Occupational Therapy Lead, Perinatal Service, says: "Many new parents can hide or downplay how mentally unwell they are feeling; check in on them, ask how they are and start those conversations about their mental health and wellbeing. When someone has a baby they can feel invisible so just having someone to listen in a non-judgemental way can make all the difference. It is not unusual for parents to fear having their baby taken from them if they say how they are feeling if struggling. It can feel lonely and isolating when reality doesn’t meet expectations sometimes talking (a little) can ease those feelings."

Below are a few links that may be of help for anyone suffering from maternal mental health issues, or for those looking to support someone in their life (perhaps a partner, friend or family member).

• Follow the Maternal Mental Health Alliance on Instagram for more information and resources on Maternal Mental Awareness Week – they will be running initiatives all week to encourage awareness.
• What is perinatal mental health? Mind shares information here on the different types of perinatal and postpartum mental health problems and how to seek support www.mind.org.uk
• The Association for Post Natal Illness runs a free, confidential help line. It also has a useful page of advice for how to support someone who is suffering from postnatal depression.
• Tommys has created a Pregnancy and Post-birth Wellbeing Plan – designed to help mothers-to-be to think about mental health during and after pregnancy. www.tommys.org

How may family and friends help?

1. Encourage discussion with a health provider

2. Offering emotional or practical support

3. Assisting with daily tasks such as caring for the baby at home

4. Support in attending appointments

Follow activity for Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week on social media using the hashtags: #maternalmentalhealthawarenessweek and #maternalmhmatters or visit @MMHalliance and follow the hashtag #MMHAdvocacyDay