Share your experience: maternal mental health
Perinatal services (which cover the period of time when you become pregnant and up to a year after giving birth) were heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Some women experienced limited support from services, as well as isolation from their own families, friends, and communities.
We'd like to speak to people who have given birth since April 2020 - or their partners - and who have experienced mental health difficulties prior to becoming pregnant. This includes issues like a change in mood, change in appetite, feeling low - you don't need to have been diagnosed with a mental health issue like depression to take part.
We are particularly keen to speak to mothers from ethnic minority groups, parents in same-sex relationships and non-cisgender parents (including transgender, non-binary, and other non-cisgender identities). Our overall ambition is to improve mental health support in maternity care so that every person feels properly supported throughout their maternity journey.
If you'd like to speak to our Projects Officer, Anna King, please email anna@healthwatchbristol.co.uk or call 07857 055804. We're happy to speak to you face to face, online, or by phone.
We're holding interviews until 25th January 2023 and you'll receive a £40 high street shopping voucher to thank you for your time! If you need an interpreter or would need to arrange childcare to speak to us, we can help with this.
Information about this project can be downloaded in Bengali and Somali below.
Downloads
How your feedback has made a difference
Healthwatch England, has done various pieces of research into maternity services over the years.
In 2014, they looked at maternal mental health as part of a wider project on hospital discharge. Following this work, the NHS pledged to significantly increase the number of mother and baby units.
In 2019, they published a report highlighting the experiences of 1,738 women who had a mental health condition diagnosed before, during or after having a baby or experienced a mental health problem that was not diagnosed. This led to the creation of new 6-week mental health checks for new mums, brought in in early 2020.
If you are struggling with your mental health during pregnancy or after the birth of a baby, speak to your GP or midwife/health visitor, or reach out to one of the below organisations for help and support.
NILAARI (for Black, Asian and Minority Communities)
BNSSG Maternity Voices Partnership
Find out more about getting pregnant when you have a mental illness on the NHS website.
