Mental Health is being talked about more and more……this is a good thing.
Perinatal Mental Health Matters.
Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood.
So what is perinatal mental health:
A ‘perinatal’ mental health problem is one that you experience any time from becoming pregnant up to a year after you give birth.
Having a baby is a big life event. It’s natural to experience a range of emotions during pregnancy and after giving birth. But if any difficult feelings start to have a big effect on your day-to-day life, you might be experiencing a perinatal mental health problem.
This may be new mental health problem, or an episode of a problem you’ve experienced in the past.
Mind UK – (Click here to access website)
‘Perinatal’ means the time from the start of your pregnancy up to roughly one year after giving birth. The word has two parts:
- peri meaning ‘around’
- natal meaning ‘birth’
Managing existing mental health problems during pregnancy
If you have a mental health problem and you get pregnant, it’s a good idea to talk to your doctor as soon as possible. You can also speak to your doctor about your mental health if you are planning to become pregnant in the future.
Your doctor can help you make plans to manage your mental health during pregnancy. They can also help you think about any extra support you might need.
Common perinatal mental health problems
These information pages cover some of the most common perinatal mental health problems:
(please click on each item to go to the link)
Some women also experience eating problems during and after pregnancy. Pregnancy charity Tommy’s has specific information about eating disorders in pregnancy. It may also help to read our pages on eating problems.
PANDAS (click here) is a community offering peer-to-peer support for you, your family and your network.
“We are here, whatever the weather, to offer hope, empathy and support for every parent or network affected by perinatal mental illness.”
Pandas FREE helpline
If you need urgent help….
If you need urgent help or are worried about a loved one, call the Samaritans on 116 123 or the emergency services on 999.
Mind UK have compiled a big list of useful contacts for you to access so please click on the link.
The continuous perinatal journey The Daisy Foundation – from pregnancy to parenthood.
