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Maxine tells us about the multitude of factors that contributed to her mental illness as a new mum, as well as the support she thinks other mothers need to help them stay well.Blog -
Rachel experienced anxiety and depression throughout her pregnancy and after her baby was born. Read her story to understand just how important it is that mums and their partners receive the right support for their mental health.Blog -
As well as a difficult pregnancy, Kristy felt pressure both to breastfeed and to produce 'the perfect family'. Thanks to the support from her husband and home birth midwives, Kristy sought the help she needed for her mental health.Blog -
After months of caring for an unwell baby who was screaming 15 hours a day, Helen found herself resenting her daughter and wanting to leave her family. She explains how speaking to a counsellor has helped her to recognise and manage her depression.Blog -
Maria faced a number of challenges as a new mum both during and after her pregnancy. The focus from staff on her weight, a history of depression and anxiety, and the mental health challenges her partner, Simon*, faced all led to a feeling of failure.Blog -
Helen had postnatal depression (PND) following the birth of her son. She explains what she thinks could have made her first weeks as a new mum better, and the importance of making sure parents get the help they need, when they need it.Blog -
It took two and a half years for Jane’s* son to be diagnosed with gastritis. She explains how months and months of pushing for him to get the help he needed affected her mental health.Blog -
After a traumatic birth, Zoe struggled to get the support she needed to prepare for the arrival of her second baby. She shares her story about the impact this had on her mental health, and how she’d like things to be different for other mums.Blog -
Sharelle had a traumatic experience giving birth to her first son, which caused her to become anxious when she was pregnant with her second. This is her story.Blog -
Last year, thousands of women told us about their experiences of mental health problems during and after pregnancy – including those who lost their babies. As part of Baby Loss Awareness Week, we're sharing stories people have shared.Blog -
For Baby Loss Awareness Week, we're sharing stories people have shared about the impact that miscarriage and stillbirth had on their mental health, and how the support given to parents should improve.Blog -
In our blog for Baby Loss Awareness Week, people share their experience of baby loss, the impact it had on their mental health and the support they wish they’d received.Blog -
From April, all new mothers will receive a six-week mental health check-up. Find out why this would not have happened if people had remained silent.Blog -
Your experiences of maternal mental health care continue to shape NHS services, with NHS England recently announcing improvements to maternity and neo-natal services. Over the coming weeks, we will be sharing stories from new mothers to highlight the importance of delivering on those plans.Blog -
Research shows that continuity of carer is best practice in maternity care. Yet, the experiences of the new mothers we spoke to showed that services don’t always implement it. Read their stories.Blog -
Research shows mental health issues are widespread and of significant concern for new parents. Yet, the new mothers we interviewed faced substantial challenges in accessing mental health services. Read their stories.Blog -
The commitment to personalised care has been a cornerstone of NHS policy on maternity care for many years. A crucial part of personalised care is good communication, listening and agreeing on actions together. In this blog, we share new mothers' stories highlighting the role of communication and choice.Blog -
The statutory inquiry into how nurse Lucy Letby was able to murder seven babies is likely to result in lessons that the wider NHS needs to act on. One of the questions it will need to explore is how the NHS can tackle the culture of denial and secrecy that often lies at the heart of tragic scandals.
