Focus week on Maternal Mental Health

The Perinatal Mental Health Partnership’s campaign to highlight the issue of mental illness during and following pregnancy is in full swing this week.  By using the hashtag #maternalmhmatters on social media between 30th of April and 6th of May, you can contribute to this vital conversation.

The theme for this year is “Support for all” and focuses on families attaining the help and support they need to aid recovery from maternal mental health issues. BBC5 Live will also be supporting with their #Mumtakeover both on air and online.

There will be a different focus topic within the realm of Maternal Mental Health each day. The week kicked off with “What is Perinatal Health?” on Monday, with charities, local peer support groups and services encouraged to share their details on social media to enable families to find where they can access support throughout the UK.

Tuesday 1st was geared around support from healthcare professionals, with a Facebook live stream about breastfeeding and antidepressants with a pharmacist on hand to answer any questions.

Wednesday 2nd’s focus was World Maternal Health Day and was a collaboration between the Perinatal Mental Health partnership and Postpartum Support International with the theme entitled “The Village”. This is targeted towards working together to remove barriers to services so that everyone can access help. There is a specific focus on LBGTQ families, single parents and those with disabilities.

Thursday 3rd recognised the seriousness of paternal mental illness and was dedicated to “Dads”. Again this included a Facebook live session with Dads in Mind.

Today’s topic is “Positivity pot” and is geared towards recovery from mental illness and self-care, with a focus on hope. There will be articles, blogs and vlogs posted throughout the day from individuals with personal experience of maternal mental health issues.

PMHP Facebook page is a hub of activity with articles, blogs and live streams being posted through the week. For further information, please visit the Perinatal Mental Health Facebook page here.