Your Mental Health and Wellbeing in Pregnancy

Having a baby can be exciting! But sometimes, you can feel worried or sad. It is normal to feel this way when your are pregnant. If you feel this way, you’re not alone.

First Appointment (Booking)

At your first visit, your midwife will chat with you about how you’re feeling. This helps them know if you need any extra help. You will be asked how to feel at every appointment. So, if you’re feeling worried, scared, or lonely, tell your midwife. They want to help you.

Your midwife will want to know:

  • How you’re feeling.
  • If you ever felt very sad or anxious in the past.
  • If any family member had mental health problems when they had a baby.

Always tell the truth. Your midwife won’t judge you. If they think you need more help, they will guide you to the right place.

How to Know If You Need Help

Sometimes you can start feeling very sad or worried when you are pregnant.  If you feel any of the following, tell your midwife or doctor:

  • Sad or worried a lot for over two weeks.
  • Not liking things you used to enjoy.
  • Having panic attacks.
  • Feeling you’re not good enough.
  • Not wanting to eat.
  • Bad thoughts you can’t stop.
  • Doing the same thing over and over to feel better.
  • Too many fast thoughts or feeling too happy.
  • Very scared about having the baby.
  • Thinking you won’t be a good parent.
  • Thoughts of hurting yourself.

If you ever had a problem with food (like an eating disorder), tell them too. They will help.

Help & Support with your Mental Health:

  • Talking Therapies:

    Is when you speak about your feelings with a trained therapist. This could be just you and the therapist, in a group, on the phone, with your family, or with your partner.

    If you live in Somerset and are aged 18 or older, you can access our talking therapies for common mental health problems. This includes anxiety, depression, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD).

    A GP doctor can refer you, or you can refer yourself directly without a referral. This is called a self-referral.

  • Perinatal Specialist Mental Health Service:

    In Somerset, we have a specialist community based Maternal Mental Health Service and Perinatal Mental Health Service. Our teams work across county borders, like Devon and Bristol, and work closely with health visitors, GP doctor’s, midwives from local hospitals to provide support and advice to those who have mental health needs before, during or after pregnancy.

    You can be referred to us by your GP doctor, Health Visitor, Mental Health Service or Community Midwives.

Ways to Feel Better

You might think everyone else is okay, but a lot of women/people go through tough times during or after pregnancy. Here are some things you can do:

  • Move and Eat Good Food: Doing activities like walking or swimming can make you feel better. Eating good food is good for you and your baby.
  • Take Time for You: Do something fun just for yourself every day.
  • Learn to Relax: Learn ways to breathe or meditate to feel calm.
  • Talk to Someone: Share your feelings with a friend or family. It helps to talk.
  • Ask for Help: If things are hard, ask someone you trust for help. Rest when you need to.
  • Think About Talking Therapy: Sometimes talking to someone new helps.

Always remember, you’re not alone, and it’s okay to ask for help.