Emotional wellbeing

After you have given birth your Midwife and Health Visitor will check how you are doing emotionally as well as physically. Baby blues or pinks are quite common, but if you are feeling either low or high after two weeks please let your Health visitor know.

Postnatal depression and anxiety is more common than you think, and there is support available to help you navigate through these early days and nights.

If you have an existing complex or severe mental health issue, you will be have regular contact with you Specialist Community Perinatal Mental Health key worker. Please raise any concerns you may have about how you are feeling with them so they can support you in the best way.

Sometimes women and birthing parents may require perinatal mental health support, even if you do not have any underlying mental health issues. If you are struggling please tell your midwife and health visitor and they can refer you to the right service.

A very small number of women and birthing parents may need inpatient care. There are Specialist Mother and Baby Units available if this is the case.

Red flags to look out for, and seek advice from your midwife, GP or mental health team:

• Do you have new feelings or thoughts that you have never had before, which make you disturbed or anxious?
• Are you experiencing thoughts of suicide or harming yourself in violent ways?
• Are you having severe struggles to sleep?
• Are you feeling incompetent, as though you can’t cope, or estranged from your baby? Are these feelings persistent?
• Do you feel you are getting worse?