If you or your partner are pregnant, or have given birth less than one year ago, help is available for your mental health.
Always speak to your midwife, GP or health visiting team if you are worried about your own or your partner’s emotional wellbeing. The First Response Service also provides 24-hour, seven days a week, 365 days a year access to mental health care, advice and support. Call 111 and select the mental health option.
Free antenatal education to help you prepare for birth and becoming parents. You can book on from 20 weeks pregnant – contact your midwife for more information.
You will meet healthcare staff for checks and scans, including midwives, health visitors, doctors and GPs. They should ask you about your mood and any past experiences with mental illness. You can speak to them about any worries.
If you’re feeling anxious, or are worried about your child or partner, call the health visiting team on 0300 029 50 50, or text on 07520 649 887. The health visiting team can also help you access specialist infant feeding support. If you or your partner are struggling to bond with your baby, health visitors can also help you access the Parent-Infant wellbeing team of specialist psychologists and psychotherapists.
Part of the National NHS Talking Therapies services and the new name for CPFT Psychological Wellbeing Service. Their aim is to make psychological therapies more accessible to people experiencing common mental health problems such as depression and anxiety. The psychological therapies offered are approved by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)
You can self-refer for short-term psychological therapy for mental health worries such as anxiety and depression.
All child and family centres offer services including baby groups, stay and play groups, young parent groups, baby weighing and breastfeeding support groups.
You can find your nearest centre on the Families Information Service website.
Find free breastfeeding and emotional wellbeing support groups and connect with other parents in the Peterborough and Cambridgeshire area.
Text FEED to 60777 with your name and postcode to speak with a peer supporter or find support on the NCT website.
Our local branch of Mind offers a wide range of groups to support your mental wellbeing:
- Connecting Mums
- Mums Matter
- Dads Matter
- Mindful Mums
- Dads Peer Support Group
- Lunch and Learn (one-off sessions on dads’ perinatal mental health)
They also offer a number of online mental health resources which provide information on staying well, suicide prevention and where to find further support.
A local service offering information and advocacy to ethnic families through pregnancy, birth and early parenthood. The Raham Project creates a safe and non-judgemental space, representative information and a maternity support network for mothers and partners from ethnic communities.
You can get in touch with the Raham Project or access the Raham Project Midwives online information hub on their website.
Dad Pad is a free app for dads offering information during the antenatal period and post-birth. It’s the essential guide for new dads, developed with the NHS. As a new dad you might feel excited, but you may also feel left out, unsure or overwhelmed.
The DadPad can help by giving you the knowledge and practical skills that you need to give your baby the best possible start in life.
Co-Parent Pad is also a quick reference guide for non-birthing (non-gestational) parents, who identify as LGBTQI. Please ask your midwife if you think this would be useful for you.
