Our Perinatal Mental Health Service are supporting #MaternalMentalHealthWeek by raising awareness of what perinatal mental health is and how it can affect many women and families.
What is Perinatal Mental Health?
Your mental health is made of how you feel, how you think and how you act. When there are problems for you in your thoughts, feelings, or behaviour during the time of becoming pregnant or in the postnatal period, this could be a perinatal mental health problem.
Perinatal Mental Health Problems are Common and Treatable
Around 20% (1 in every 5) women feel anxious or low during this time. Common symptoms are loss of energy and motivation, feeling more negative about yourself and the world than usual, changes to your sleep and appetite (and not just because you have a baby to look after), feeling worried or agitated and feeling less confident in yourself
The Perinatal Mental Health Liaison Team offers a service to women who have a GP registered in Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire.
The Team is made up of a wide variety of specialist practitioners including: Psychiatrists, Mental Health Nurses, Nursery Nurses, Social Workers, Occupational Therapists and Cognitive Behavioural Therapists.
The Team work to support women and their families during the antenatal and postnatal period and offer a wide range of interventions that are tailored to your individual needs.
I can honestly say that working in the Perinatal Team feels like I’m doing really important and meaningful work. It is satisfying to be able work so collaboratively with our women and their families and a privilege to be part of someone’s life at such a significant time for them. We know we can, and do, make a difference.
I feel like the special role we have with our women means we develop excellent therapeutic relationships. The strength shown by women we care for, even when they are really struggling, is amazing and we get to support that.
For further information about the team please visit www.everymummatters.com
A perinatal Mental Health Service is also available for women who have a registered GP in North Yorkshire and York.