Whilst pregnancy is a hugely exciting time, there is a risk that it can bring about significant changes in mental health. From physical changes to hormonal changes, the body undergoes dramatic transformations, which can take its toll on yourself and your partner. We’ve called on the expert speakers from The Baby Show (www.thebabyshow.co.uk), the UK’s largest and best-loved pregnancy and parenting event, to share their tips on what to look out for and what to do to help.
Advice from the Experts
It’s crucial to recognize signs of mental strain in both yourself and your partner. Common triggers include overwhelming fatigue and feeling disconnected from one’s pre-parent self. Support networks like family, friends, and parenting groups play a critical role, as do professional resources like therapists or counselors. Sleep is so often the secret sauce and whilst it might be lacking with a new baby waking frequently, make sure you get enough rest and accept help from others so that you can take a break. Even small windows of time for deep breathing, closing your eyes and putting your feet up will go a long way for your well-being. Never hesitate to seek help; doing so demonstrates strength, not weakness.
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed at the prospect of giving birth and having the responsibility of a little human in your hands.
Lucy Shrimpton, Sleep and Well-Being Expert and founder of The Sleep Nanny
The feelings of excitement about your new baby are often totally overshadowed by memories of fear and sheer terror, yet everyone around you insists you must be so happy and looking forward to meeting your little one. It can be an isolating and confusing time, being convinced you should feel one way when actually you feel a million different things all at the same time. Sometimes it’s hard to make sense of how you feel, as if there is too many streams of traffic rolling into your brain all at once. You may feel relatively fine or you may feel utterly traumatised but most women will know that something just isn’t quite right. Often just speaking to someone, who is totally neutral, someone who doesn’t know you and you don’t know them but they do understand birth can be totally liberating.
Victoria Holyoak aka Midwife Vic from C-Section UK
Perinatal Mental Health is the umbrella term for all mental health conditions around pregnancy, including the year after birth. Pregnancy can be a trigger for pre-existing mental health conditions to resurface or for mental health conditions to develop for the first time. We know mental health is just as important as physical health, so we recommend being open and talking to people who can help address any problems that arise. As mental health conditions are now known to increase during pregnancy and in the postnatal period, there have been improvements in NHS maternity services. You may find that there are dedicated mental health services or midwifery teams, if you need them, in your local area.
Lesley Bland, Consultant Midwife from My Expert Midwife
Lesley, Midwife Vic, and Lucy are all expert speakers at The Baby Show which returns to the ExCel London 7th-9th March and the NEC Birmingham 9th-11th May. For more information visit http://www.thebabyshow.co.uk