Learn More About Perinatal Mental Health

  • Up to one in five women development mental illness during their perinatal period

  • Symptoms include feeling sad, low mood, low energy, fatigue, insomnia, poor concentration, agitation, rage, apathy, intrusive thoughts, suicide and self-harm

  • Suicide is still the leading cause of death for women in the perinatal period

  • Postpartum psychosis is serious, but rare, occurring in around 1 in 1,000 births. Symptoms usually start suddenly soon after birth. For support contact Action on Postpartum Psychosis

  • The transition in to parenthood can impact mens mental health too. For support check out Dads Matter UK

The term ‘perinatal’ is formed of two Latin words. ‘Peri’, meaning around and ‘Natal’, meaning birth. When we refer to perinatal mental illness we refer to mental illness during pregnancy and up to two years after birth.

Perinatal wellbeing is a priority for us. A Cochrane review of continuous support in labour found that having an experienced supporter who wasn’t a medic, friend or family member, improved women’s experience of birth, shortened labour, reduced the need for intervention and was associated with better Apgar scores. These factors support improved mental wellbeing for the mother.

(NHS currently defines the perinatal period as pregnancy, up to one year after birth.)