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Maternal Mental Health Week: Lived Experience, Creativity, and Support
Maternal Mental Health Week: Lived Experience, Creativity, and Support
Maternal Mental Health Week, 6-10 May, is an important opportunity to raise awareness of the emotional and psychological wellbeing of women during pregnancy and the first year after birth. This year, our Perinatal Parent Infant Mental Health Service is proud to highlight the voices and lived experiences of the people we support.
Octavia's Story
Octavia, a career‑driven mother, reflects on her pregnancy, early motherhood and the support that helped her find strength, clarity and peace.
Looking back, Octavia says she needed to remember that she mattered. Speaking with other mothers helped her feel less alone, while professional support gave her language and understanding for what she was experiencing, including recognising behaviour that was emotionally harmful. She valued the space the perinatal service provided to be heard without judgement or minimisation.
Octavia shares how she has learnt that protecting your peace is not selfish, it is necessary. By setting boundaries, reconnecting with parts of herself she loved, such as music, culture and travel, and persevering to secure housing for herself and her son, she has built a strong foundation for their future.
Her message to other mothers is clear: you are not failing. Motherhood is exhausting, especially without a “village”, but kindness to yourself, self‑advocacy and support can make a powerful difference.
Connie shared: "Octavia recognises and, expresses so well that she believed in herself, it required ‘putting the pieces together’ but a testament to the fullness of life."
Stories like this are a reminder of why our services matter and the impact they can have on families’ lives.
Expressing through art
We are also honoured to share some pieces of artwork created by another service user, Ruby.
Ruby, who has been making art all her life, shared: "I hope the symbols and colour in my art will speak to you. I did these during pregnancy, it gave great peace when drawing, time to relax my mind and focus on the beautiful seed I had within me, I felt a connection with Mother Earth and God during this time."
Connie share with us: "In my work with families as a Psychotherapist I encourage play and art making. Spontaneous creativity reveals how you feel in this moment, without having to think about it. The idea of 'allowing' spontaneity is the act of stepping out of resistance to your originality and into alignment with what you are feeling in the moment. Creativity is one way to deepen emotional awareness and free up the stuck, stagnant parts of yourself. Cultivate Stillness, as creativity expresses in the quiet moments, in the spaces between thoughts, in the gaps where stillness allows it to be heard. Trust your first impulse: Spontaneity does not require deliberation. It arrives quickly, often as a subtle feeling, a knowing, a gentle pull in a certain direction.
"Babies teach us to really look, as they discover, they feel pleasure in what to us has become very ordinary. Searching with such intention, and reaching for what interests them."
Why Maternal Mental Health Matters
Perinatal mental health problems can affect up to 1 in 5 women and can include conditions such as anxiety, depression, and postpartum psychosis. With the right support, recovery is not only possible but expected.
The Royal College of Psychiatrists have reported that up to 1,200 new mums suffer from psychosis each year.
Our Perinatal Service works alongside families to provide specialist care during pregnancy and after birth, supporting both parents and infants to build strong, healthy relationships.
Maternal Mental Health Week is a reminder that mental health is a vital part of maternity care. By listening to lived experience and creating space for open conversations, we can continue to reduce stigma and ensure that no one feels they have to cope alone.
Thank you to our service users who have generously shared their experiences and creativity with us.
Contact the service
If you are experiencing mental health difficulties during pregnancy or in post-partum you can contact the Perinatal Parent Infant Mental Health Service using the details below:
Tel: 0300 555 1119
Email: perinatal.service@nelft.nhs.uk
The service is open from 9am-5pm Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays). For support outside of these hours, please call NHS 111 Option 2
View the leaflets for our perinatal service by clicking the links below:
Perinatal Parent Infant Mental Health Service Leaflet [pdf] 208KB
Perinatal service information leaflet for partners, families and SOs [pdf] 983KB