Pregnancy blog, 30/04/2018
This week is the second Maternal Mental Health Matters Week, led by Perinatal Mental Health Partnership UK.
The aim is to encourage all mums and mums-to-be who are struggling with their emotions to speak out and get support for their mental health.
As Tommy's midwives, we know that emotional changes during pregnancy can really affect how you feel each day. Your mood can swing from excited to desperately worried in minutes. And while it's normal to experience this, especially in the first three months as pregnancy hormones rise, if your low feelings don’t go away it can be a sign of something more serious.
Where to go for help
Talking to someone and asking for help, whether it's your GP or midwife, takes courage but it is the first step to feeling better.
'That was all I needed, to get it out, to speak to somebody and to feel that I wasn’t completely alone.'
Sarah, mum of one. Read more...
It’s important to get support sooner rather than later. As well as talking to your midwife or your GP there are many organisations out there who can help, such as PANDAS, Mind and APNI (Association for Postnatal Illness).
You're not alone
Read about how other women got through their experiences of perinatal mental health issues.
Get involved with Maternal Mental Health Matters Week
Here’s how you can show your support or help raise awareness:
- Visit the Perinatal Mental Health Partnership on Facebook to find out what’s going on near you. There are online and live events happening all over the country this week.
- Find out about each day's theme on the Maternal Mental Health Alliance website.
- Join the conversation by using #maternalMHmatters on Twitter and Facebook. Search the hashtag to see what supporters are saying.
Information and support
Don’t forget we have lots of information about emotional wellbeing on our website, including specific mental health conditions.
Maternal mental health
-
Five ways to wellbeing in pregnancy
These five things have been shown to help with wellbeing.
-
How stressed or anxious should I be before I get help?
It’s natural to feel a bit stressed or anxious when you’re pregnant. If you are struggling with these feelings you may need help.
Find out more
Pregnancy news and blogs
-
Blog
Pregnancy complications like pre-eclampsia are made harder by being misunderstood
Sophie Gardner had a very difficult pregnancy, after suffering hyperemesis, cholestasis and pre-eclampsia before being induced at 39 weeks. Her beautiful son Max is now 9 months old. Sophie encourages women to "listen to your body, never ignore your instincts, and don’t be shy to raise your concerns".
-
Major study shows that pregnant women are not at greater risk of severe coronavirus
A large UK study has found that pregnant women are no more likely to become severely ill with COVID-19 than other women.
-
Blog
Dear pregnant me...let's talk about 'mum guilt'
Things I wish I had known when I was pregnant about...'mum guilt'. Mum guilt is a normal, albeit frustrating, part of motherhood but don't let it trick you into thinking you're not doing a good enough job because that couldn't be further from the truth.
-
Blog
Carrie Symonds and Boris Johnson’s baby arrives during coronavirus pandemic
Like many other people around the world who have been pregnant through this pandemic, the last couple of months must have been stressful for (then) mum-to-be, Carrie Symonds. This article looks at worrying about stress through pregnancy and what can be done to manage it.
