Mental health in the postnatal period
It is common to feel low and teary as your hormones rebalance and your life changes. Adjusting to caring for a new baby, pain/discomfort, loss of sleep and hormonal changes all have an impact on your emotions. Low mood around 3 days after having your baby is known as ‘baby blues’. Make sure you talk to someone close and seek help if your mood isn’t improving 10 days after birth.
Your birth partner’s mental health is important too because they are influenced by birth experiences.
If either of you need support, please contact your midwife, GP or health visitor.
Mums matter
A service for new mothers struggling with mild to moderate mental health issues during the perinatal period across Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire.
Mums Matter is an early intervention service, offering a safe, supportive environment to meet with other mums with similar experiences. It provides an opportunity to talk through issues and offers helpful ideas they can use to help with feeling better. Encouraging ongoing peer support is also built into the course. The eight week course also includes one session for partners or supporting family members.
The perinatal period refers to any time from becoming pregnant up to a year after you give birth. Therefore, this service is designed for pregnant mums and those with babies and toddlers.
You can be referred to this service through health professionals, or if interested you can self-refer. For more information please contact mums@pcmind.org.uk or phone 07494014933 .
Visit Mums Matter -Pembrokeshire and Carmarthen Mind -for more information (opens in new tab)
Dad Matters
Dad Matters Cymru project aims to to help dads have positive parent experiences during pregnancy and early years and to support them with anxiety, stress and mental health issues.
We want to ensure that dads know how important they are, how to access support when they need it and why it can be essential for their baby’s development.
We aim to:
- Help dads have positive parent experiences during pregnancy and early years
- Support dads with their wellbeing and mental health
- Encourage dad’s participation in services that have traditionally been targeted for mums
- Provide peer support for dads from dads
Our support provides dads with a forum to share their experiences, experiences and concerns and receive guidance and support on how to navigate this crucial period of their life, as well as signposting to organisations and services that can best support them.
The support is led by a Dad Matters Coordinator and volunteers known as “Dad Champions”. We are part of Dad Matters UK and belong to a large network that successfully supports dads within other local Home-Starts across the UK.
Visit Dad Matters for further information (opens in new tab)
For further information on mental health, please visit NHS Wales by clicking here for pathways for women and families (opens in new tab) and clicking here for support and advice leaflets (opens in new tab).