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Pregnancy and the First Year With Baby (the perinatal period)

Whether you are mum, dad or a co-parent, during and in the first year after pregnancy it is completely normal to feel a mixture of emotions. Becoming a parent for the first, second, third time or anytime can be an exciting time, but what if some feelings and thoughts are not always positive? Who can you talk to if you are feeling anxious?

Family Hubs and Bedfordshire Rural Communities Charity run free weekly wellbeing sessions for all parents to be and parents in the first year of baby’s life, ‘Wellbeing in the Wild’. These provide the opportunity to meet and get to know others, enjoy mindful and calming nature-based activities and access local social prescribing and other support. These sessions can be booked via our Eventbrite page

MIND have a page with suggestions to help you find ways to look after yourself, that fit around your responsibilities and needs, can help your mental health.

The NHS website has support to help you if you are beginning to recognise that there has been and change in your emotions and that it is beginning to affect your life.

Bedfordshire Talking Therapies  have online Wellbeing Webinars which can be accessed at any time day or night by mothers, fathers and co-parents. Webinars can often be a helpful first step as they can help us gain some understanding of the problems we might be facing. There are a range of 30 minute pre-recorded sessions to help you learn techniques and skills to help manage difficulties yourself.

Dad Pad app is the essential free guide for new dads, developed with the NHS. As a new dad you will feel excited, but you may also feel left out, unsure or overwhelmed. The DadPad can help by giving you the knowledge and practical skills that you need.  The resource will support you and your partner to give your baby the best possible start in life. It’s free to download from Apple store and Google Play.

Becoming Dad: a guide for new fathers. The Mental Health Foundation have published a guide specifically for Dad’s which will help you make sense of what it can be like to be a Dad, to look after yourself and the others around you, and do the best possible job of becoming a confident father.

PANDAS is a community offering peer-to-peer support for you, your family and your network. They aim 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. No one suffering any form of mental illness should feel they’re on their own.

There are dedicated teams in both maternity units at Bedfordshire Hospitals to support those who are experiencing mental health difficulties during pregnancy. It is part of routine maternity care for all women and birthing people to be asked about their emotional wellbeing at every appointment. This is an important part of maternity care because many women and birthing people can experience changes in their emotions during pregnancy and this can be entirely normal, however, for some this can feel difficult to experience. If you are worried about your own wellbeing or mental health during pregnancy please talk to your midwife.

The Health Visiting Service can also offer support please call the Health Hub 0300 555 0606 (Mon-Fri 8am-5pm) or email ccs.bedsandlutonchildrenshealthhub@nhs.net.

Mind the Bump and Mind the Baby are weekly women only wellbeing groups, run from the Family Hub Children’s Centres offering emotional support in a safe environment to address low mood, anxiety and/or depression. You will be welcomed each week into a small, safe and nurturing environment for you to share any worries or concerns supported by other mums and trained staff who are there to listen and help. Mind the Bump is for women during pregnancy and Mind the Baby is for women from the time your baby is born until they are 12 months old. You can self-refer to attend this group by ringing 0300 323 0245 or emailing admin@ecpbedford.org

The Nomad Dad’s Social Group meets every 4 weeks at a different location across Bedford, and sometimes a little further away. They might meet in a café, a restaurant, a pub or even a park or similar open space. It’s a chance to grab some food, meet some other dads, ask questions, feel comforted that you’re not crazy and we’re all going through the same thing. And it’s also a chance for the kids to make new friends too. So if you’re a dad – young, old, single, married, gay, straight, with 1 child or multiple children who are babies, pre-schoolers, reception age or even in their early years at school, please feel free to join them when they meet near you.

FACES offer a range of services to support new parents including: families affected by domestic abuse, support for dads, home support and help with baby equipment and children’s clothes. You can call them on  01234 270601 for a chat and they will do their best to support you and your family.

Parentline is a secure and confidential text service for parents and carers of those aged 0-19 run by Bedfordshire Community Health Services. It offers advice and support on a range of issues such as weaning, sleep and emotional health. Simply text 07507 331456 with your question to start the conversation – the team will be there to answer your queries from 9am to 4.30pm, Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays).

Bedfordshire Hospitals to offer support before, during and even after the birth of your child. Midwives offer a listening service that offers new parents the chance to talk about and reflect upon their birth experience. The service is open to both mum and dad and helps new parents make sense of what happened and ask any questions they have, it may also help you to prepare and plan for future pregnancies by talking through your previous birth experiences. If you feel that you could benefit from this service please email: ListeningService@bedfordhospital.nhs.uk or call 01234 792095 and leave a voicemail/email requesting the listening service with your, name, date of birth and date of birth of baby.

Specialist Perinatal Mental Health Service offer mental health support to people expecting a baby or who have recently given birth and their families throughout pregnancy right up until the baby’s first birthday. You make make your own self referral and a member of the team will contact you to find out more about you and how they can support you best.

OCEAN mental health service is a maternity and mental health service providing compassionate emotional support for those affected by birth loss or birth trauma.  They can be contacted on 01234 290120 or elft.bedlutonocean@nhs.net

Your local GP can also offer support and advice and can refer you to local  mental health support teams.

Bedfordshire Talking Therapies can help asses your needs and offer therapeutic support for mums, dads and co-parents in groups or 1 to 1. You can complete an online self referral or call 01234 880400.

 

Bedfordshire Crisis Team urgent out of hours support 24/7. Call 111 Option 2 or 01234 315691 to talk to a CAMHS professional directly who can arrange additional support.

Go straight to A&E, if you can

IN AN EMERGENCY, DIAL 999