It’s Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week (Monday 3 to Sunday 9 May) and, following a rise in the number of pregnant women needing mental health support, our team of four specialist midwives are encouraging them to talk about it and seek help.

Mary Brennan, team leader (pictured above left with fellow mental health midwives Lauren Taylor and Vicky Young, said: “We have seen a dramatic increase in the number of referrals we are receiving, 20 per cent, due to the pandemic

“It has made this much more of an issue as families are facing additional worries and stress. While we have seen a rise in the number of women we are supporting, we know it’s likely there are more who are struggling who may not want to come forward. It’s so important that women do ask for help and realise they are not alone.”

Women can refer themselves to our team of specialist mental health midwives, who support them throughout their pregnancy and can signpost them to additional support where needed. Referrals are also received via GPs.

Our team works closely with the Perinatal Parent Infant Mental Health Service (PPIMHS), run by the North East London Foundation Trust (watch the video they have put together especially for this week), which also offers support to partners, something else which is on the rise.

Mary added: “More of our women are reporting their partners are also struggling. While we don’t support them directly, we can refer them to PPIMHS.

“It’s good to hear men talking about it as in the past; it’s not something they’ve wanted to disclose. We are finding people are more open to talking about their mental health now, which is great. With the on-going impact of the pandemic, it’s really important people are open to asking for help. We also encourage women not to feel their problem is too small, we can provide support to prevent something from becoming a bigger issue.”

Yesterday (Thursday 6 May) Farido Bano, consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist at our Trust, spoke at a national conference on improving perinatal mental health services. She focused on early identification, crisis prevention and support for pregnant women with mental health issues.

More information on the support available can be found on our website, scroll down and click on the emotional and mental health support and services tab.