Perinatal mental health :: East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust

Healthy mind, body and baby

Pregnancy and the period after your baby is born (known as the perinatal period) are often talked about as the happiest time in a parent’s life. This can cause pressure, leading to feeling that you should or ought to be ‘happy’. But sometimes it doesn’t always feel that way.

In the perinatal period you are more likely to need support for your mental health. There are lots of changes that come with pregnancy and parenthood – physical, hormonal along with changes to relationships and social groups – all of which can affect you differently at different times.

Emotional wellbeing, or mental health, is just as important as physical health. Up to one in five women and one in ten men are affected by mental health problems during the perinatal period, and recent research shows this number might in fact be even higher.

This film, produced by Perinatal Positivity, uses the real voices and experiences of women and men who have had mental wellbeing difficulties around the time of pregnancy, childbirth and beyond.

Asking about your mental health

At your first appointment with your midwife, you will be asked about your physical and mental health history including family history to help plan your care.

During your pregnancy and after you have had your baby, your midwife will continue to ask you about your mental health and emotional wellbeing. Through discussion with you, your midwife will offer options for support.

Pregnancy and parenthood can be a challenging time, and it’s important to stay well. The first step is to speak to someone about how you’re feeling.

Seeking help is not always easy, especially when you are not feeling well. However, taking that first step of asking for support shows strength, courage and will always be viewed as a positive step. There are support and treatment options available that might be able to help you to cope with your difficulties.

Medication in pregnancy and breast feeding

Balancing choices - picture of see-saw balance

If you are currently taking medication for your mental health DO NOT STOP without seeking medical advice.

Further information on medication during pregnancy is available on the BUMPS website.

You can still breastfeed whilst taking most medications for your mental health. Further information is available on the Lactmed website.

Specialist Perinatal Mental Health Midwife

Hello my name is Clare Yates

I am the Specialist Perinatal Mental Health Midwife at East Lancashire Teaching Hospitals. I will be part of your care during your journey through pregnancy and into parenthood if your mental health difficulties are identified as severe or complex by your health care team.

I work closely with the Specialist Perinatal Mental Health service and other mental health teams.

It is my role to ensure that you are provided with compassionate, non-judgemental supportive care, to empower you to make your own decisions.

Together, we can discuss your preferences for care around pregnancy and birth. We will promote your relationship with your baby and provide you with additional information about how your mental health and medication can impact on your pregnancy and breastfeeding.

We are available as a resource for other professionals with regards to perinatal mental health to support women to access the most appropriate care / service to meet their needs.

Birth Trauma - Reproductive Trauma Service (RTS)

Hello. I am Natalie Woodruff the Maternal Mental Health Midwife and im here to support you if you have experienced a birth trauma.

Birth trauma is more common than you think, it can happen when a birthing parent experiences some kind of emotional, psychological, and physical trauma before, during or just after birth, or from an experience on the neonatal unit.

If you think this has happened to you it is important you discuss this with your Midwife or Obstetrician who can then refer you to the appropriate service. The Reproductive Trauma Service (RTS) can support you if you are struggling to cope following a traumatic maternity experience. Natalie.woodruff1@nhs.net Bfwh.mmhservice@nmhs.net 0300 013 2082

You can watch a 5-minute video about the service here:

An experience of trauma or loss could have a negative impact on a person’s mental health during their pregnancy/maternity journey and beyond. The aim of RTS is to provide support to aid recovery and focus on a future with hope. The team is made up of psychological therapists, specialist midwives, psychological wellbeing practitioners and peer support volunteers.

RTS provides brief trauma focused psychological therapy and the support of a Maternal Mental Health Midwife to support women, their partners, and families during their maternity journey.

It can provide support for women and birthing people experiencing moderate to severe mental health difficulties as a direct result of a traumatic maternity/perinatal/neonatal experience such as:

Fear of childbirth or pregnancy following a traumatic birth (Tokophobia).
Trauma symptoms following a traumatic birth.
Trauma relating to miscarriage, stillbirth, or termination.
Severe fear of fetal medicine/medical interventions impacting on pregnancy
Significant psychological distress due to the loss of baby
Trauma symptoms as a direct result of NICU experience
Trauma symptoms due to separation from baby at birth by a court decision or up to 3 months after, if baby on NICU.

Mental health support services

Preconception and Medication

Your GP or mental health worker can refer to the Specialist Perinatal Mental Health team for pre-conception advice.

Psychological therapy - NHS Talking Therapies

Trained therapists and counsellors provide a range of different therapies through NHS Talking Therapies. This includes talking therapy for people experiencing mild to moderate depression, general anxiety and worry, panic attacks, social anxiety, andpost-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

To find more information on how to refer and contact numbers visit the webpage linked below:

https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/talking-therapies-medicine-treatments/talking-therapies-and-counselling/nhs-talking-therapies/

Specialist Perinatal Mental Health Services

If your mental health problems are severe or longer lasting, the maternity team can put you in touch with specialist mental health services.

Women in need of inpatient care for severe mental illness may be referred to a mother and baby unit (MBU). These units enable women to stay with their babies while receiving specialist care.

https://www.lscft.nhs.uk/our-services/service-finder-z/perinatal-mental-health