#minimeltdowns
Welcome to my first #minimeltdowns post. A bit daunting to say the least but here we go….
My aim in starting this blog is simple – to help you to understand, to talk and importantly to action.
I’m extremely passionate about mental health and having recently given birth I wanted to be able to use my experiences to help other people. We ran an Emotional and Mental Health for New Parents get-together a few weeks ago at our local post natal coffee morning. The feedback was good, so I wanted to start this blog by sharing what we talked about and signposting you to some resources that may help.
You’re busier and more stretched (don’t take that literally mums) than you probably ever thought possible, I get that, which is why I’m going to keep things brief but helpful. I am however going to point you in the direction of the full article for the details and the resources that go along with this post.
2 in 5 new parents experience mental health issues
Poll of 2,000 new mothers and fathers, The Royal College of Nursing (RCN)
There were 30 new parents at the coffee morning, which means that around 12 people who came could be suffering with a mental health issue. That’s huge but it is sadly the reality.
What is even more heart breaking is that half of these new parents are not seeking any sort of professional help.
The spectrum of emotional and mental health issues facing new parents is huge, ranging from the hormonal tears and the frustration of sleep deprivation to pre and post natal anxiety disorders and depression (including perinatal depression, perinatal anxiety, perinatal OCD and postpartum PTSD). These feelings are common to both mum AND dad.
Official guidelines say feeling low for 14 consecutive days is a sign that you should seek help.
There is help out there, it may not always be obvious, easy or immediately effective, but it is SO important to seek help. For information on how to do this, click here.
What’s next?
For further information and links/resources see Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health Pre and Post Baby: A Closer Look
And of course, look for the next instalment of #minimeltdowns
