A new campaign has been launched to ensure new mums and birthing parents get the mental health support they need before, during and after birth. Anna Galandzij from Healthwatch England, the national champion for patients, calls on people who have given birth in the last two years to help make care better by sharing their story of maternal mental health support.^
Becoming a parent is a major life event. For some parents, it can be joyful and fulfilling, but for others, it can be both challenging and stressful. Whatever path you have taken to become a new parent, any struggles you experience pre-, peri- or post-pregnancy may affect your mental health and wellbeing.
I enjoyed being pregnant, and although my birth wasn’t easy, the support my partner and friends offered following it meant I felt cared for and listened to. It boosted my confidence as a new mum and fuelled me with positivity – which is a life saver when you feel thrown in at the deep end. However, with hindsight, the support I was given from health services focused only on my physical recovery. There was no space for a discussion about how I felt, my mental state or how to access help if I needed it.
Mental problems are common for new mums
With one in four women experiencing mental health problems during pregnancy and in the first year following the birth of a child, support from health services is vital for new mums’ mental health and wellbeing. It is particularly important for first-time mums and birthing parents, those who experience medical complications, those who lost a baby, and single mums.
Over the years, patient feedback about maternity services has led to significant changes for new parents, such as the rolling out of new mother and baby units. In 2020, following our work (and thanks to the stories shared by Mumsnet readers), NHS England launched six-week mental health checks for new mothers to ensure they feel well and have the support they need if they struggle with their mental health.
Two years on, we now want to assess whether mental health support, including the six-week mental checks, are working for new mums and birthing parents. So, if you’ve given birth in the last two years, we want to hear about your experience.
Why your feedback matters
Only last week, the Care Quality Commission disclosed that maternity services in England have deteriorated to their lowest level on record. It echoes conclusions in two damning reviews of maternity services in Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust and in East Kent NHS Trust, published earlier this year. It is deeply troubling that both reports highlight repeated and systemic failures to listen to patients, and how this has led to failures in care.
During the pandemic, we spoke with almost 2,500 new parents about their experiences of maternity care. The feedback showed a significant decline in positive experiences about services, with issues more likely to affect people from minority communities.
So we know that there have been significant issues with some physical maternity services, but what about mental health support?
Our national survey gives you the opportunity to share your views and experiences to help us better understand what is working and what needs improving for new parents.
By participating, you will help us and the NHS understand what they need to put in place to better support people like you.
For instance, we want to know whether the support you received for your mental health during pregnancy and birth met your needs. We also want to see if you had your six-week postnatal check-up and what it was like.
Who do we want to hear from?
We want to hear from you if you have been pregnant in the last two years and have experienced mental health difficulties before, during or after giving birth.
We are very interested in the experiences of women from ethnic minority communities and LGBTQ+ birthing parents.
Everything you tell us is confidential. So, whether you had a positive or negative experience with mental health support during or after pregnancy, we want to hear it.