Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week is an opportunity to highlight the emotional challenges many new and expectant parents face.

The Perinatal Parent Infant Mental Health Service (PPIMHS) at NELFT provides support for parents experiencing mental health challenges during pregnancy and the early years of their child’s life.

The service includes perinatal psychiatrists, who offer assessment, treatment, and advice on medication during pregnancy and breastfeeding, they often work closely with maternity teams. Community mental health practitioners provide home visits and guidance on accessing additional resources like children’s centres. Psychotherapists and psychologists work with parents, partners, and babies to strengthen family bonds, addressing attachment difficulties to prevent future mental health problems.

This approach ensures continuity of care for those already receiving mental health support, providing a seamless and consistent support network for both parents and children.

Deborah Epstein, Perinatal Team Lead for Barking & Dagenham and Havering and Deputy Service Manager / Co-Chair for the NEL Perinatal Network said:

'As the Perinatal Parent Infant Mental Health Service, we want to break the stigma and taboos around parenthood and mental health by providing timely robust holistic assessments that focuses on a whole family approach.'

'We aim to provide a comprehensive offer of care and treatment for the population that we cover.'

PPIMHS aims to build strength in families, supporting the emotional well-being of both parents and children, laying the foundation for a healthy future.

For those in need, reaching out to NELFT’s PPIMHS can be the first step towards recovery.

You can find support here: Perinatal parent infant mental health service-bdhvrbwf | NELFT NHS Foundation Trust

The Maternal Mental Health Alliance organises the week-long campaign dedicated to talking about mental health problems before, during, and after pregnancy. It aims to raise public awareness of perinatal mental health problems, change attitudes, and help people access the care and support they need to recover.