Perinatal mental health

You may expect pregnancy and the postnatal period after your baby is born (both known as the perinatal period) to be the happiest time in your life. But sometimes it doesn’t feel that way. We can help you to get the support you need if you’re struggling with your mental health.

Your mental health matters

There are lots of changes that come with pregnancy. Physical changes, changes in hormones, changes in relationships and social groups – all of which affect people differently. Not everyone will feel like they’re blooming!

Think about who is around you to share your thoughts and feelings about your pregnancy with and who will support you when your baby is born. It is important to share your worries and know that your midwife, GP and health visitor can give you individual advice and support.

The first few days and weeks with your new baby can feel overwhelming. You will be recovering from the birth and adjusting to a new way of life with extra demands on you and very little sleep. Around 3 to 4 days after birth, more than half of new birth parents experience the baby blues. You may have mood swings and burst into tears easily. You can also feel irritable, low and anxious at times and may over-react to things that wouldn’t usually bother you. If you continue to feel like this for more than 2 weeks, please speak to your Health Visitor or GP.

It is common for pregnant women and new parents to experience:

Low mood, sadness and tearfulness
Anxiety, worry and tension
Irritability and anger
Difficult or unexpected feelings towards your pregnancy or baby
Poor sleep even when your baby sleeps well
Feeling unable to cope or enjoy anything
Thoughts that you are not a good enough parent
Worrying thoughts about your baby
Anxiety about labour or struggling to come to terms with a difficult labour.

It can feel frightening and embarrassing to tell someone that you don’t feel like you’re coping but we’re here to help.

You are not alone, you deserve support.

Watch more perinatal positivity video clips (including translations)

Getting help

There are many options for treatment and support available through the NHS. Talk to your midwife, health visitor or GP and they will be able to refer you to the right service for you.

Help in an emergency

If there is immediate risk to a parent and their baby, please call your GP (during office hours) or go to A&E.
If you know, or are looking after, a parent who you believe is in crisis and requires an urgent response out of hours, call the Sussex Mental Healthline, Monday to Friday from 5pm-9am, and 24 hours at weekends and bank holidays on 0300 5000 101.

Talking therapy

Trained therapists and counsellors provide a range of different therapies through the NHS, known as IAPT services (Improving Access to Psychological Therapies).

The Time to Talk Service (West Sussex), the Wellbeing Service (Brighton and Hove) and Health in Mind (East Sussex) all provide talking therapy for people with:

mild to moderate depression
general anxiety and worry
panic attacks
social anxiety
traumatic memories, and
obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Parents can self-refer to all IAPT services.

Specialist Perinatal Mental Health Service – SPMHS

This service is for people experiencing moderate to severe mental health difficulties. The SPMHS is a team of psychiatrists, mental health nurses, psychologists, parent-infant psychotherapists and nursery nurses who provide support during pregnancy and for up to a year after the birth of your baby.

Your midwife, GP, health visitor or adult mental health lead practitioner can make a referral to the SPMHS if you meet the criteria.