If you are struggling, feeling low or anxious and need some support there are services that can help you and your family. A collection of resources and support services are available in the poster below. If you need mental health support go to the Help in a crisis page. It's ok to not be ok.
Rediscovering You
Southern Health is delighted to be taking part in the 8th annual Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week (29 April – 5 May) - raising awareness around the complexities many women, men and families face on their journey to parenthood. Supporting those that need it most, our Trust has a dedicated team of people specialising in perinatal and maternal mental health – committed to providing specialist care to our community. For some people, the desire to become a parent is something that has always been there, for others that desire has developed over time. Whatever your journey to parenthood looks like, having children changes everything.
Dr Donna Rutherford, Consultant Clinical Psychologist at Southern Health, acknowledges the difficulties that some families go through and encourages parents to talk about their mental health. Donna said “Becoming a parent is a big life event. We know that one in five people will experience mental health difficulties either before, during or after their pregnancy and that is why it is so important to talk about this, so people don’t feel like they are struggling alone. Our mental wellbeing affects how we feel inside, how we think, our relationships, and what we feel we can do.”
Trying to rediscover who you are during so much change can be challenging, and if you have had a difficult journey to parenthood, it can seem near impossible. This week aims to support parents to start thinking about what rediscovery looks like to them.
Some ideas to get started:
- Take part in an activity you enjoy
- Try something new
- Engage in any events going on in your local area/hospital.
- Complete a mindfulness activity
- Or simply take a few minutes each day for yourself.
The team at Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust encourage anyone who is struggling with their mental health to talk about their struggles, joys, worries and fears to their friends, colleagues, and family, or to seek professional help. See below for some resources to support you:
Pregnancy, childcare and parenting
Mental Health Support
Southern Health Mental Health Services
Baby Loss
Sands | Saving babies' lives. Supporting bereaved families.
The Miscarriage Association:Pregnancy Loss Information & Support
Birth Trauma
Support for partners
#StrongerTogether for Maternal Mental Health
For more insight into maternal mental health - listen to the podcasts above! The Conversations with Perinatal series hears from experts and experts by experience about maternal mental health issues. Episode 6 includes insight from Maternity Mental Health service Peer Support Workers, Aileen Chick and Samantha Dyer-French, as well as service users, Fari Jemezde and Susan Clarke about what 'rediscovering you' means to them.
The video below shows Christina's journey, Christina was referred into the Knowing Me Knowing You course by her Health Visiting team. She talks about how her mental health was impacted after giving birth, and how the course transformed her life as a new mother.