We’re supporting Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week. The weeklong campaign launches on Monday 2 May and is dedicated to talking about mental illness while pregnant or after having a baby.
Driven by Perinatal Mental Health Partnership the campaign is dedicated to supporting mums and families who are affected by maternal mental health.
This year’s theme is the ‘The Power of Connection’. It is about connecting communities, virtual and real life support, focusing on connection in a more equitable sense for diversity and equality.
Each day has its own unique theme:
Monday 2 May: ‘What is Maternal Mental Health’? The team will provide an overview of the different illnesses that affect people in the perinatal period.
Tuesday 3 May: ‘Smashing The Stigma – Around 1 in 10 women experience perinatal mental illness but the survey facilitated by Perinatal Mental Health Partnership shows that many have felt unable to seek treatment as they feel a stigma is attached when asking for support.
Wednesday 4 May: This is World Maternal Mental Health Day and Perinatal Mental Health Partnership is honoured to be UK representatives.
Throughout the day the team will feature advice from health care professionals, and show how medication, therapy, help from the voluntary sector and safe peer support can be beneficial.
Thursday 5 May: This day is dedicated to highlighting information about perinatal mental illness for health care professionals to enable them to support all families. The theme will be ‘Health Care Professionals- Information Hub’.
Friday 6 May: ‘Perinatal Positivity Pot’ – focusing on removing barriers to services so all families who need support can access it. Resources will be shared from across the UK.
Saturday 7 May: The focus will be on what support is available for all families in the perinatal period and will feature a number of information sessions, highlighting organisations across the UK and their work.
Sunday 8 May: ‘Support For All’ – the team will look back and reflect on the information that has been shared across the week.
How to get involved…
Online events can be accessed via:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PerinatalMHPartnershipUK/
- Instagram: @perinatalmhpartnership
Monday 2 May:
11.00am – Join Dr Caroline Boyd (@_drboyd) and PMHP member @eviecanavan as they discuss Postpartum Rage.
3.00pm – Join Abigail Reynolds from @wearewednesdayschild and PMHP member @eviecanavan as they discuss Eating Disorders in the Perinatal period.
4.00pm – Join @birth_trauma_association_uk and PMHP member @eviecanavan as they discuss What Birth Trauma is and what support is available.
Tuesday 3 May
11.00am – Join Kemi from @professionalaunty and PMHP member @eviecanavan as they discuss Body Image, Changes and Sex in the Perinatal period.
1.00pm – Join Dr Lindsay McMillan (@thegdpsychologist) and PMHP member @eviecanavan as they discuss Gender Disappointment.
Wednesday 4 May:
10am – Join Sarah Edge (@maternalmentalhealthmanual) and PMHP member @eviecanavan as they discuss the online Maternal Mental Health Manual which is designed to support families in the perinatal period.
1.00pm – Join Rosey from @pndandme as she provides an overview of what #PNDHour is.
3.00pm – Join Natalie from the Hearts and Minds Partnership (@hmpartnership) and PMHP member @eviecanavan as they discuss Connecting, Supporting and Celebrating the Voluntary and Community Sector in Perinatal Mental Health. Natalie will also be talking about the interactive map of perinatal mental health services.
7.00pm – Join Aysha Naziri, the communications specialist for @worldmmhday , Wendy Davis, Executive Director of @Postpartumsupportinternational and PMHP member and UK PSI representative @eviecanavan as they discuss the Importance of World Maternal Mental Health Day, the work of Postpartum Support International and how it can support families in the UK.
8.00pm – Join our member Rosey for #PNDHOUR at 8pm on Twitter. Rosey runs this highly successful twitter hour each Wednesday throughout the year at 8pm and discusses different aspects of perinatal mental illness each week. For more information on #PNDHour see http://pndandme.co.uk/what-is-pndhour/
You can follow Rosey on Twitter @PNDandMe and details of the subject to be covered will be announced shortly
Thursday 5 May:
10.00am – Join Derby Community Parent Programme @derbycpp and PMHP member @eviecanavan as they discuss the Derby Community Parent Programme. It recruits and trains people from the local community to provide voluntary, non judgemental & evidence based peer support throughout pregnancy, birth and the immediate postnatal period.
3.00pm – Join @matrixstudy and PMHP member @eviecanavan as they discuss The MATRIx Study which has identified multiple barriers to women accessing perinatal mental health services.
8.00pm – Ensuring perinatal mental health services are inclusive to LGBTQ+ families. Join PMHP member @eviecanavan as she meets with @Lucy_w_guasp on this important subject.
Friday 6 May:
11.00am – Postnatal Yoga – Bringing mums and babies to the mat! Join @yomamas.club for a lovely yoga session you can do with or without your little one.
3.00pm – Join @thesunshinedoula_ as she details What a Doula Is and the help and support they can provide.
Saturday 7 May:
1.00pm – Join Lady Sarra Hoy (@sarra.hoy) Ambassador for @blisscharity and PMHP member @eviecanavan as they discuss Parental Emotions when your baby is born unwell or premature and the support available.
3.00pm – Join PMHP member @farah_l as she discusses Fertility Journeys – The anxieties surrounding infertility.
7.00pm – Join Elliott Rae, founder of @mffonline_ as he discusses Dads, Traumatic Births and PTSD.
For more information visit Perinatal Mental Health Partnership website.
Support
If you live in Wirral and need some support please call the health visiting team on 0151 514 0219.
If you live in Cheshire East and need some support please call the health visiting team on 0300 123 4058.
If you live in St Helens and need some support please call the health visiting team on:
- 01744624327
- 01744624416
- 01744624323
If you live in Knowsley and need some support please call the health visiting team on 0151 514 2666.
Remember the 24 hour 7 days a week Mental Health Crisis Line: 0800 145 6485
