This year #MaternalMHMatters campaign theme was: Journeys to Recovery. Our MVP volunteers gathered contacts to services that are available across Nottinghamshire, if you need help or would like to talk to someone please check the below links or speak to your Health Visitor/Midwife.
Mind the mental health charity, local Minds provide help and support directly to those who need it most. There’s a network of around 125 local Minds across England and Wales that offer specialized support and care based on the needs of the communities they support. In Nottinghamshire, we have two sites in Mansfield and Worksop Nottinghamshire Mind and Central Notts Mind.
Pandas Foundation (Pre And PostNatal Depression Advice and Support) is the leading UK charity supporting families through PND & AND. Their aim is to make sure no parent, family or carer feels alone. They have a variety of support services available to ensure help is delivered in a way that is right for you. Free Helpline: 0808 1961 776
Closed Support Group: PANDAS Foundation Closed Group: Perinatal Mental Illness Advice and Support
Dads closed group – developed to support partners and carers affected by perinatal mental illness, our PANDAS Dads volunteers are on hand to offer support and information 7 days a week PANDAS Dads Closed Group
Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust is providing services through they perinatal mental health division, please look here for more details: https://www.nottinghamshirehealthcare.nhs.uk/perinatal…
If you live in a county you can check the Healthy Family Team page and how to contact them: https://www.nottinghamshirehealthcare.nhs.uk/healthy…https://www.nottshelpyourself.org.uk/…/dir…/site.page…
If you live in Nottingham please see the services available in the postnatal period and other very useful links: https://www.nuh.nhs.uk/postnatal-care
You will find various resources on perinatal and postnatal mental health on MIND website. https://www.mind.org.uk/…/about-maternal-mental-health…/Sometimes your journey to recovery can start with a single step, with one decision to make a space, go for a walk and decide… to reach for help.
Do you know any other services in Nottinghamshire and nationwide that we could add to this list? Feel free to share with us in comments 
This year, 2021, from January-May, 3 I have had clients wanting (insisting on) home births. 2 HBACS and 1 older woman. All 3 with complex and serious medical histories. All 3 were determined to free birth if midwives were unable to attend at their home.
My job as a Doula is to support women in their birth choices. Whatever they may be. My clients are intelligent women who have done their research and educated themselves to the point where often they are better informed than your average Health Care Professional. The risks remain however and I am faced with difficult and potentially dangerous situations above and way beyond my pay grade.
I am a former nurse midwife with many years of experience and practice but I am no longer on registers and thus cannot advise or treat pregnant women. Many Doulas do not have the benefit of my background or should I call it a drawback? They possibly would not see or understand the risks involved with these women birthing without the quiet presence of experienced HCPs.
NUH current home birth situation is putting women at risk, and Doulas. Having an experienced Doula at a birth can help spot potentially dangerous situations but it is not what the Doula is trained for or expected to manage.
When is NUH going to follow the leads of Lincoln and Leicester and invest in a service which has proved itself to be cost effective and what women want and need? Studies have shown time and again that outcomes, both financially for the NHS and in overall well-being, not just physically, for the birthing person, are improved with an efficient home birth service.
Rather than being a leader in Women’s health services NUH is embarrassingly behind, as the CQC reported.
Wendy (Dee) Coe