Perinatal Mental Health Support

Most of us expect to feel happy, excited and positive during pregnancy and when our baby is born, but it doesn’t always happen like this.

You can feel many different emotions, including love and pride, but it is natural to also feel stressed and anxious. This is normal.

You may:

• Already have a mental illness when you got pregnant

• Be worried because you have had mental health problems before.

• Develop a mental health problem for the first time

It is important that you get the right support if you have, or are at risk of developing, mental health problems during pregnancy or in the first year after the birth.

Who are we?

We are a specialist mental health service for people who are planning a pregnancy, are pregnant or have a baby up to 12 months old. We are made up of different professionals including psychiatrists, mental health nurses, psychologists and allied health professionals such as occupational therapists, social workers and nursery nurses.

Our aim is to:

• Help you stay as well as possible during pregnancy and after your baby is born.

• Make sure that you, your family and other professionals can recognise any signs that you are becoming unwell as early as possible.

• Make sure that you, your partner and family have the information you need and can get advice about mental health problems and treatments.

• Work together with you, your partner and family, and the other professionals involved in your care.

Referral process

We accept referrals from health and social care professionals, including GPs, obstetricians, midwives, health visitors, and any mental health professional who has reviewed you.

Unfortunately, it is not possible to self-refer so if you have concerns please speak with your GP, midwife or health visitor who will make a referral if appropriate.

The majority of women referred to us will be seen within six weeks of referral.

Useful online resources for perinatal mental health:

• Action on Post-Partum Psychosis Leaflets on topics including Postnatal Psychosis, Bipolar in Pregnancy and Advice for Partners

• Bipolar UK: Women and Bipolar Information about Pregnancy

• Association for Post Natal Illness: Postnatal Depression information

• Maternal Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

• Birth Trauma Association

• Best Beginnings: Out of the Blue Campaign to improve awareness and access to help for perinatal mental health problems, including informative videos.

• Perinatal Positivity: a short video using the real voices and experiences of women