City play group set up to offer one-to-one support for mums

MENTAL HEALTH CHARITY SESSIONS OFFER EMOTIONAL SUPPORT

THEY say that becoming a mum will turn everything you once knew upside down.

And for many, that could also mean your emotions and mental wellbeing. You now have a tiny human depending on you, and the significance of that can be overwhelming.

That is why Coventry and Warwickshire MIND have set up a group for mums with a difference. As well as giving your little one a chance to play, there are mental health professionals on hand to help too.

Mums in Mind is “a friendly support group for mums and pregnant women who are experiencing low mood, anxiety or loneliness. A safe space to be yourself, enjoy a cuppa and receive emotional support.”

The service is for women aged over 16 who are pregnant or who have a child aged under one. The service may especially benefit those experiencing antenatal or postnatal depression or anxiety, feel lonely or isolated, are single or have low selfesteem and confidence.

As well as one-to-one support, the service provides peer support and baby massage sessions.

There are two Mums in Mind groups, one that has been running for the past year and requires a referral from the charity, and the other which is open to all.

A spokesman from Mums in Mind said: “We have two support groups that run in Coventry. One is by referral only, as it has been established for over a year and has quite a few-mums who regularly attend.

“The idea is to offer a smaller, tailor-made support group, as some-mums can find a normal stay and play group too daunting.

“The support group in Stoke Aldermoor has been going since March by referral to Mind but has recently been opened up so that anyone can come along.

“We offer a safe place for mums to talk about the problems that they are facing, such as low mood, isolation, anxiety, PND to name only a few.”

The organisers try and make it as easy as possible for all to come along.

A spokesman added: “We know how hard it can be to arrange childcare and we welcome our mums to bring along their babies and preschool children.

“We have toys available to keep them busy while our-mums have a chance to have a cuppa and a chat.

“All of the Mums in Mind volunteers have specific mental health training and many of them have their own experiences of mental illness, whether personally or someone close to them.

“Mums in Mind also offer one-toone peer support, which can be accessed by referral to Mind. We can go to the mum’s home and be someone who listens without judging and can also support the mum’s to get out and about, when their low mood makes this difficult.”

Steven Hill, CEO of Coventry and Warwickshire Mind, added: “Coventry and Warwickshire Mind is pleased to deliver a range of free to access mental health services to individuals across Coventry and Warwickshire, and we are proud of the support Mums in Mind provides to new and expectant mums in the city.

“Mums in Mind is run by committed Coventry and Warwickshire Mind staff and volunteers whose valuable work is being recognised nationally, as they are finalists in the Positive Practice in Mental Health awards with the results due on World Mental Health Day. We would urge any mum who is struggling with their mental health to contact this service.”