Here at Nurture Families, we offer a variety of perinatal mental health services in the community. From checking in with one of our parent-infant practitioners, to talking therapy with one of our clinical psychologists, we have support available for parents during those important early years.
What is Perinatal Mental Health?
Perinatal mental health is a term used to describe the mental health of pregnant women and new mothers. Worcester has a fantastic perinatal mental health team based at the hospital that provides services for moderate to severe depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and postpartum psychosis.
Not all women experience severe perinatal mental health issues. A lot of new parents might struggle to cope – parenting is not easy! You may feel unsure or have a lack of confidence in your own abilities as a parent. You may have questions such as, why does my baby cry all the time? Why won't my baby sleep? Have I got post-natal depression (PND)? Why is being a new parent more difficult than I thought? When does becoming a parent get easier?
The most important thing to do is to seek help. As humans, we are not designed to raise children alone. We are here to help and support you through these early years of parenting.
Nurture Families Perinatal Mental Health Team
Our perinatal mental health team is called a parent-infant relationship team. We are part of the Parent Infant Foundation Network, and work in the community across Worcestershire and Herefordshire. Our team includes Clinical Psychologists and Parent-infant Therapists who specialise in Early Childhood, Midwifery, and Home Visiting.
We work directly with families during pregnancy through to the child’s second birthday. After that, we have specialist Early Years Practitioners who will guide you through the next stages of your child’s life.
What Perinatal Mental Health Services are Available to me?
Talking therapy can be an incredibly helpful tool for women who are struggling during those early years. It can provide a safe space for you to talk about your thoughts, feelings, and experiences without feeling judged or judged. Your therapist will listen to you without judgment and help you explore your thoughts and feelings in order to gain insight into yourself and your experiences.
Talking therapy can also help you learn new coping strategies for managing difficult emotions and situations. Your therapist may provide practical tools to help you regulate your own emotions, so that you can regulate your baby.
Nurture Families parent-infant relationship team provide sessions for you and your baby. Your partner is welcome to come to sessions too.
Every baby is unique and some are harder to settle than others. For example, you may be finding it difficult to read or meet your baby’s needs. Your baby crying may trigger extreme feelings. It’s important to know that your response to such a situation is directly linked to your baby’s response and can create a vicious circle.
You and your baby are certainly not alone in finding it hard to understand each other. The most important thing to remember is that you are not a bad parent.
Our parent-infant relationship team are incredibly effective in helping parents during pregnancy and the postnatal phase. At Nurture Families we can help you take the first step, providing the space for you to explore your feelings and learn how to regulate your emotions and your child’s emotions. Get in touch today.
