Perinatal Mental Health Support

Support for parents and new parents to be

Having a baby can be an exciting and happy time. It is also a time of change and with this can come feelings of being overwhelmed, anxious and depressed. It is estimated that one in five women can experience emotional difficulties in pregnancy and the first year following the birth of a baby.

This can include feeling depressed or low in mood, but also feeling anxious or struggling with feelings and thoughts from difficult labour. Around 3% of women experience post-traumatic stress disorder following childbirth, with common symptoms including intrusive thoughts or images of the birth, nightmares, and feeling on edge or agitated much of the time.

About 2-3 in every 100 women experience obsessive-compulsive disorder in pregnancy or after giving birth. This can include worries about something happening to your baby or unwanted thoughts or images of accidentally or deliberately harming your baby, even if you would never act on these thoughts, experiencing them can be very distressing.

Anyone can experience mental health difficulties during pregnancy or following the birth of a baby. Fathers and co-parents also commonly experience significant changes in their mental health.

Common experiences of new parents and parents to be are:

Feeling tearful or low in mood
Feeling irritable or angry
Sleep disturbance not related to the baby
Loss of appetite or overeating
Feeling unable to cope or enjoy anything
Mixed feelings about becoming a parent
Anxiety about labour or the experience of difficult labour.
Worrying about the baby or keeping the baby safe
Worrying about being a good enough parent

Research shows that 4-5% of women and birthing people develop Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) following a traumatic birth with a third of women and birthing people reporting their birth as traumatic. NHS Talking Therapies has helped many parents following the birth of their baby and we offer support on their journey into parenthood. Our film below includes stories from parents who have been in similar situations and speak about the support they received.

Dads can also struggle with their mental health during pregnancy and their journey into parenthood. It can be difficult to look after yourself when trying to care for your new family. We recognise that it can feel difficult to ask for support, however NHS Norfolk and Waveney Talking Therapies offer support to hundreds of Fathers and Co-parents. #noparentleftbehind

Experiencing emotional difficulties following the birth of a baby does not mean you cannot care for your baby, and anyone can experience these difficulties. Asking for support as soon as possible is important and gives you the best chance to get things back on track. It is very common to worry about seeking help, and often it is hard to know what is wrong. The Norfolk and Waveney Talking Therapies can help you to understand what might be happening for you and work with you to think about the support that will help you to start to feel better.

The Norfolk and Waveney Talking Therapies has a designated perinatal pathway, which is supported by clinicians who have a specialist interest in working with people in the perinatal period (pregnancy and the first two years of having a baby). We offer one to one talking therapies , including guided self help, cognitive behavioural therapy, counselling and other talking therapies. NHS Talking Therapies offer NICE recommended talking therapies for depression and a range of anxiety disorders.

We also offer employment support and advice, peer support and a range of social opportunities.

We offer a range of courses and workshops to help you recognise and develop strategies to cope with the stresses and strains we all experience in life, mental health, and emotional issues.

Online workshops are running regularly and can be accessed quickly, just click on 'request a place' and complete the short form with your details. Online registration closes about 24 hours before the session, but if you have missed online registration and want to attend give us a ring on 0300 123 1503 (9-5 Mon-Fri).

Perinatal Podcast - Episode 1: Pregnancy and Changes

The Perinatal Champions team have produced a new podcast! This podcast is all about the major life event of discovering you are pregnant, and how this affects you both physically and mentally. We chat about the changes you experience, your emotions and the expectations of pregnancy vs the reality.

Perinatal Podcast - Episode 2: Preparing for Baby Expectation vs Reality

Our Peer Support workers share their own lived experiences on expectations of arrival of baby. Birthing plans, the birth itself and also the expectations v the reality of the birth.

Perinatal Mental Health Support