Postnatal depression
What is postnatal depression?
It is a type of depression. Many parents experience this after having a baby. It affects more than 1 in every 10 women within a year of giving birth. It can also affect fathers and partners.
What to look out for?
- feeling of sadness and low mood
- lack of enjoyment
- feeling tired all the time
- trouble sleeping at night
- finding it difficult to look after yourself and your baby
- problems concentrating and making decisions
- thoughts of harming yourself or baby
It is important to get help as soon as possible. With the right support most people make a full recovery.
The NHS website has more information about postnatal depression.
Specialist Health Visitors for Perinatal Mental Health
The Specialist Health Visitors for Perinatal Mental Health work with your Health Visitor and other community practitioners to support parents with adjusting emotionally to becoming parents from the antenatal period to around the second year of your child's life. The team works with parents across the City of Southend with low to moderate mental health needs. This is done in conjuction with your Health Visiting contact. Read more about it on the A Better Start Southend website.