Essex Mums

Hello all.

I wonder if you would spare a minute to let me know your thoughts....

Would an antenatal emotional wellbeing course be interesting to you? Would you have considered it or consider it in future?
The focus would be on your emotional wellbeing during the perinatal period and the huge emotional upheaval you experience.
The course could look at mental health issues, post natal depression, previous trauma (including birth trauma). There could be discussion about attitudes towards parenting, how you envisage yourself as a parent and how you were parented and the effect this has on you.
There could be some practical elements to this such as hypnobirthing and some therapuetic group work facilitated by qualified practitioners.

I'd really appreciate feedback on the premise of the course and any suggestions you may have about things you may or might have found useful.

Many thanks.

I think it would be something that could be useful, but honestly I don't know if it's something I would pay for (I know you didn't ask that but thought it worth mentioning). It might be particularly useful if you had a history of PND etc. in your family, or had suffered with previous pregnancies, and I imagine it could be something that would be really beneficial if you were referred to it by your midwife. I imagine a lot of people it could help might not find it if they were left to find it themselves though.

Hey everyone loves free stuff huh!
I forgot to mention the emotional upheaval experienced in pregnancy and early parenthood. Looking at the change in relationship/family dynamics. (This being the major part of the course!)

i think that would be great, i have suffered from depression since i was 16 and recently my mum thought i might be bipolar but i think its just down to hormones, but i do get really really low days and the pregnancy is so overwhelming (was with my partner for 2 months when i fell pregnant), ive never been maternal and i do wonder how i will cope with it all and being called 'mummy' !! i am fine one minute and crying the next, have really strange thoughts about how i will cope when my own mum isnt around anymore and will my other half leave me if my 'nasty' hormones come back again! i think its a great idea xx

Thanks, Morrisko
Where are? Have you disussed this with your midwife and if so what was her reaction? Have you access to any emotional wellbeing services locally?

Lynsey.

Is this something you offer Lynsey?

Michelle, I'm a psychotherapeutic counsellor. I do a lot of work with new mums and I feel there is a big gap in this type of support. Antenatal classes such as those offered by the NCT do touch on these issues but fail to go to any depth beyond focussing on the subject of birthing really.
A lot of the issues that come to the surface when counselling PND mothers tend to begin surfacing in pregnancy but don't get examined. I think the expectations of early motherhood and the reality can often be very different and that can cause difficulties.

I have a few young mums who have had premature babies and some have PND and there is limited support available for them. One mum in particular suffers with depression anyway and now she actually has her baby, its borderline.

I think this is a brilliant idea.

hi i was shrugged off by my midwife telling me that i should have discussed this with the midwife at the hospital when i was 12wks, at this point when i needed someone i was 14 weeks and now feel much much better so ive just left it and not spoken to anyone but i dont feel depressed at all anymore. im based in westcliff. sounds good what classes you run though x

Just FYI - your midwife or health visitor should refer you to PEWS - perinatal emotional wellbeing service.

www.babyblues.nhs.uk