Reflecting on good care this maternal mental health awareness week | Latest news

Nottingham University Hospitals Trust is marking Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week this week. The week runs from 5 – 11 May, aiming to get people talking about mental health before, during and after pregnancy. 

Each day of the Awareness Week has its own unique focus, with today (Wednesday 7 May) focusing on World Mental Health Day and being ‘stronger together’.

With this in mind, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH) is reminding women and birthing people about our Birth Reflections Service - a listening service led by midwives open to women, birthing people and their partners who have had maternity care recently at NUH.

One woman has shared their experience of the service to help mark the week.

Becky, used the service in early 2024, following the challenging birth of her son. She was offered a face-to-face appointment to discuss the birth, which offered Becky the opportunity to ask questions, learn more and reflect on the experience.

She said: “It was so helpful to have this space and time to go through everything, the matron who met with me had clearly read through my patient record prior to our meeting and was able to answer lots of questions, which is so valuable when you have experienced trauma. She also offered a space for me to feel heard and understood.

“The appointment also allowed me to learn more information about the birth, which I was not aware of, whilst also helping me to make sense of what had happened. It offered a lot of closure that both me and my partner needed.

“We then accessed support through the birth reflections team for our recent subsequent pregnancy. We had a few appointments to talk through birth options based on our last birthing experience. No question felt too silly to ask, and we were offered support, which was informative as well as encouraging. 

“I can honestly say that having this support from the birth reflections service helped to process a past traumatic event - and prepare for an upcoming triggering event making it more manageable and controllable. This was invaluable, and I really hope that this is a service that continues and expands. I believe that the service had a significantly positive impact on my mental health without the need to access longer term psychological therapy. Thank you to the service for everything you support us with.”

Sharon Wallis, Director of Midwifery at NUH said: “Our Birth Reflections Service is so important as it provides that safe space for families to go though things with a trained midwife, ask questions and learn more about their experience. We know we don’t always get it right, but by providing this service we have put support in place, which can help support and reassure women and their partners and ensure that we continue to learn from these experiences and improve our services.”