Services
Perinatal Mental Health
Mental health problems are very common in the perinatal period and up to 1 in 5 women struggle with their wellbeing during this time. We know that women often suffer in silence, but we also know with the right treatment and support that the prognosis is good.
About us
The Gloucestershire Perinatal Mental Health Team prioritise women with serious and complex mental health needs, including those who have experienced trauma and loss.
Contact us
Telephone: 0300 421 3342
We are a multidisciplinary team made up of a consultant perinatal psychiatrist, specialist nurses, clinical psychologist / therapists, occupational therapist, social workers, nursery-nurses, specialist midwives and peer support workers.
The Birth Anxiety and Trauma Service is a part of the Perinatal Mental Health Team and we provide dedicated psychological support for women living through birth trauma, fear of birth or pregnancy and baby loss and are experiencing high levels of distress in relation to their maternity experience – see below for details.
Accessing the Perinatal Mental Health service
Your midwife, GP, health visitor or other healthcare professional can refer you. If you are already working with a mental health team such as a recovery team, or Let’s Talk or if you are under the care of crisis team then they may refer into our service. We can work jointly with other mental health teams to ensure that your perinatal needs are met.
Why have I been referred to the service?
There are various reasons why you may have been referred. Perhaps:
- you have been treated for a mental health problem in the past and you are planning a further pregnancy or are already pregnant.
- your GP, midwife, obstetrician or health visitor feels that you may be unwell and could benefit from our help.
- there is a family history of certain mental health problems, such as bipolar affective disorder or postpartum psychosis, which can sometimes increase the risk of mental health problems after childbirth.
- you have become mentally unwell after experiencing the loss of a baby.
- you have experienced birth trauma, which is significantly impacting on your mental health.
I’ve been referred, what happens next?
We will either contact you by phone to discuss the referral or alternatively we may send you an appointment letter with an assessment date. This assessment may be in person or via video link.
With your agreement we work with your partner and family members and are available to answer any questions or concerns.
If you are unable to keep your appointment we ask that you give us as much notice as possible. This allows us to make best use of our clinical time. To cancel or rearrange your appointment please call us.
If you need an interpreter to be present or require any specific support to attend your appointment please inform let us know when you receive your appointment letter.
How long will I have to wait for an appointment?
We aim to see everyone within 6 weeks of referral, the majority we try and see within 2 weeks. An appointment will take around one hour. We want to support you and your family, so please feel free to bring whoever you wish to your appointment.
What can I expect from the first appointment?
An assessment that embraces what is important to you in your pregnancy or the postnatal period and gives you the time to talk through any concerns you may have about your mental health. At the end of the assessment we will make a plan of care and you will get a written letter reflecting on the points raised during the assessment.
If it is felt that you don’t need the input of our team we will offer advice and look at alternative support for you, which might include; Let’s Talk, our Infant Mental Health Team, Home start or other local support groups.
How we can help
Following an initial assessment, if support from our team is needed, you will be allocated a lead healthcare professional who will be your main contact and will help to coordinate your care. We will work alongside you to create a care plan that will be tailored to meet your individual needs.
Common treatments may include:
- Psychological treatments including cognitive behaviour therapy – skills to help manage your emotions
- Pregnancy and birth planning for women who have had a previous serious episode of mental illness
- Advice in prescribing medication for mental health reasons in pregnancy.
- Help for women who are struggling to build a relationship with their baby including support from our nursery nurses such as baby massage.
- Signposting and referrals to other professionals – we can provide links for you to a wide range of other health and care professionals, including peer support workers, social workers, community nursery nurses, occupational therapists, mental health nurses, midwives, art therapists, psychologists and psychiatrists.
- Information about other services for example Let’s Talk and community organisations such as Home-Start.
Confidentiality and consent
When you talk with a health professional in private you will expect that what is said remains confidential. This principle is central to trust between patients and their doctor or other health professionals. Details of your care and treatment, including anything you tell us, remain confidential and will only be shared within our multidisciplinary clinical team (which includes health and social care staff) if necessary.
All health professionals are bound by law and professional codes of conduct to this duty of confidentiality to their patients.
Dads and partners
Dads and partners play an important role in your recovery. We know that dads and partners of women experiencing mental health difficulties are more likely to experience mental health difficulties themselves. We therefore may offer your partner a review of his mental health needs. We know that it can also be a difficult time for partners and for their own wellbeing. With consent we work closely with them to support their individual needs.
Dad Matters Gloucestershire exists to support dads to have the best possible relationship with their families. Find out more here>
Mother and baby unit
If you become increasingly unwell, we may talk to you about admission to a mother and baby unit. This is a specialist hospital that will offer intensive treatment for you and your baby. Our nearest mother and baby unit is New Horizons in Bristol.
Birth Anxiety and Trauma Service
The Birth Anxiety and Trauma Service (previously known as the Maternal Mental Health Service) is a part of the Perinatal Mental Health Team. We provide dedicated psychological support for women living through birth trauma, fear of birth or pregnancy and baby loss and are experiencing high levels of distress in relation to their maternity experience.
Who we are & what we offer
The team includes a range of professionals to be able to offer a variety of different interventions depending on individual need. This may include:
- Individual Therapy where we will help you to make sense of your experiences, learn new skills, clarify what is important and plan a way forward. This might be through CBT or EMDR
- Group Work which helps you to learn ways to manage difficult emotions, to connect with others who may be going through a similar experience
- Peer Support is a way of meeting people who have had similar experiences offering hope and building support networks as part of your recovery journey
- Specialist Midwifery. If you are currently pregnant or planning another pregnancy after a traumatic birth, the team will provide advice and support around your maternity choices, the birth experience and postnatal care. We can also support you by developing specialist care plans.
Appointments may take place at our offices in Pullman Place in Gloucester, at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital, online or at your home address.
Access this service
You do not need to wait to be referred to us, to self-refer please email your contact details to: talkaboutbirth@ghc.nhs.uk and we will be in touch.
Professionals can refer using the online form. See also the Information for Professionals section below.
A member of our team will then call you to arrange an initial assessment appointment either face-to-face or online. This will allow us to consider how best to support you and your needs.
Other sources of support
- Contact your GP if you have concerns about your mental or physical health
- Self-refer to Let’s Talk if you are concerned about your mental health
- If you need help in a mental health crisis you can contact the Gloucestershire Crisis Teams by calling 0800 169 0398. If there is an immediate danger to life, please dial 999 or go to your nearest Accident and Emergency Department.
- The Samaritans are available 24 hours a day to provide confidential emotional support for people who are experiencing feelings of distress, despair or suicidal thoughts on 116 123
- SHOUT is a free, confidential 24/7 text messaging support service for anyone struggling to cope. Text 85258
- Talk to your community midwife to reflect upon your birth experience
- Share your maternity experience with Maternity Voice Partnership at glosmaternityvoices.nhs.uk They can feed this back to Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust for you
- Speak to your Health Visitor about parenthood or baby and child development.
Useful online resources
- birthtraumaassociation.org.uk is made up of peer supporters; women who have all experienced traumatic birth themselves and been through a process of recovery. If you’d like to talk to them over email about your experience, contact them at support@birthtraumaassociation.org.uk
- tommys.org provide useful information as well as a useful ‘pregnancy and post-birth wellbeing plan’
- makebirthbetter.org Information and support for parents who have experienced birth trauma
- footstepscandc.org.uk offers counselling and care for anyone in the Gloucestershire area affected by pregnancy-related issues, the loss of a baby for any reason, traumatic birth, fertility problems and pregnancy-related mental health
- shine-support.org Creative therapy, peer support, weekly drop-in and meet-up sessions, for mothers
- home-startgloucestershire.org.uk is a charity which provides emotional and practical support to parents with at least one child under five years old
- dadmatters.org.uk/gloucestershire/ provides support dads to have the best possible relationship with their families.
Feedback
We want to hear about your experiences, whether good or bad to help us develop our services and make them better. We want to understand what is important to you about the care and treatment you receive.
We use your feedback to make improvements to our environments, our wards and to the services we provide.
Information for professionals
Referrals to our service can be made using the referral form via the Trust’s contact centre. Referrals are prioritised according to urgency.
The contact centre will contact the perinatal mental health team regarding urgent referrals to ensure prompt response. Urgent referrals are managed by a duty worker who will arrange an assessment appointment within the agreed time standard.
Our team can offer advice and guidance to all colleagues either prior to referral or for any concerns. The advice number is 01452 894952. A clinician will return your call within 24 hours for non-urgent calls.
