It’s World Maternal Mental Health Awareness Day on 1 May so Warwickshire County Council (WCC) is reminding parents of the support available to them across the county if they are struggling. Mater...
It’s World Maternal Mental Health Awareness Day on 1 May so Warwickshire County Council (WCC) is reminding parents of the support available to them across the county if they are struggling.
Maternal Mental Health Awareness Day is part of Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week which aims to raise awareness of perinatal mental health problems, advocate for women and families impacted, change attitudes towards parental mental health and help people to access the information, care and support they need to recover. This year’s theme is ‘Rediscovering You’.
According to the World Maternal Mental Health Day website, as many as 1 in 5 mothers experience some form of maternal mental health problem. With thousands of parents living in Warwickshire, WCC is raising awareness of the support available, so residents don’t feel held back by their mental health and know who to talk to about mental health problems before, during and after pregnancy.
Parenthood can be a time of upheaval for many; lack of sleep, changes to relationships, breastfeeding and other challenges can lead to feelings of anxiousness – but there’s a wealth of support available to those who are struggling.
The Coventry and Warwickshire Mental Wellbeing Line is open 24/7, with a friendly and compassionate team that’s trained to help people who are feeling anxious, stressed, or low. They can be contacted by calling 0800 616171.
Anyone experiencing thoughts of suicide or significant self-harm can get information and advice at dearlife.org.uk for themselves or someone they know. For urgent mental health crisis support call the Mental Health Access Hub on Freephone 08081 966798. If there is immediate risk to life, call 999.
Young parents can also access support online via anonymous counselling, chat and discussion forums from Kooth (age 16-25) and Qwell (aged 26+). Visit https://wellbeingforwarwickshire.org.uk/anonymous-web-support-on-any-device/ to find out more.
Alternatively, they can take a look at the self-care Dimensions of Health and Wellbeing (all age) or free courses from the Recovery and Wellbeing Academy (age 18+).
The Recovery and Wellbeing Academy runs specific courses to support Perinatal and Infant Mental Health - Wellbeing in Pregnancy and Wellbeing After Birth.
Continue to ‘rediscover you,’ by reaching out to NHS Coventry, Warwickshire and Solihull Talking Therapies that provides perinatal wellbeing support. This free and confidential service is for people struggling with mild to moderate symptoms of anxiety and low mood associated with the perinatal period which means from the time you are pregnant and up to 12 months after giving birth.
Talking Therapies has recently increased the amount of specialist trained and clinically supervised Perinatal Clinicians within the service, ensuring that our waiting times are kept to a minimum.
Self-refer online or by calling 02476 671 090. You must be over 16 years old and registered with a GP to use this service.
Councillor Margaret Bell, Warwickshire County Council’s portfolio holder for Adult Social Care and Health said: “Looking after our mental health is vital, particularly in times of change. Having a baby is a joyous time but it also a time of upheaval and worry for many.
“If you are struggling please remember that there is support available to you in Warwickshire. There’s no shame in talking to someone else about what you’re experiencing, whether that’s your partner, a family member, a colleague or one of the many support services out there.
“Take the time to seek out support and don’t feel you should suffer in silence.”
The council is supporting Maternal Mental Health Day as part of a focus in May on mental health and taking care of yourself. Throughout May, WCC will be signposting to the variety of mental health services available to support residents who need them.
Visit https://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/mentalhealth to find out more about the support services available within Warwickshire.
To find out more about support available for parents in Warwickshire, visit https://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/children-families/help-new-expectant-parents/3.
More information about World Maternal Health Day can be found here: https://wmmhday.postpartum.net/.