Dr C: “New mums are being failed by doctors”

Half of mums experience mental health problems, and they aren’t being spotted by GPS. Dr C says more should be done

Agroup of A politicians are demanding that all mums in England have their emotional and mental health assessed six weeks after giving birth. It should already be happening, but it’s clearly not.

MENTION WORRIES

The focus is being put on the baby, so mums’ problems are being missed, and that’s not good enough. A fifth of new mums felt they were suffering with mental health issues, but weren’t confident to raise that with their doctor. If you feel exhausted, like you’re not enjoying life, and you’re struggling to bond with your baby, don’t ignore those feelings – tell your GP.

Women can worry they’ll be judged, or that they’ll have their baby taken away, but we see postnatal depression (PND) day in, day out. We absolutely won’t take babies away. It’s not what we’re here for – we’re here to help mums feel better, and taking their baby away won’t do that. You may also be suffering with something other than PND; it could be anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, or post-traumatic stress disorder if you had a difficult birth. If you’re feeling low, your doctor can help identify what you’re dealing with and offer the right support.

With a new child to coo over, nobody ever asks how Mum is doing, and there’s nothing wrong with thinking it’s grim, it’s not what you expected and that you are not enjoying it.

DON’T NEGLECT YOUR OWN NEEDS

It’s also easy for mums to see their own health as less important than their baby’s, but if you can feel better, you’ll be better able to deal with the demands of motherhood. Around half of all perinatal mental health problems are untreated or undetected. It’s probably a combination of factors, which can be hard to spot. For example, mums trying really hard to soldier on and hide it, women not wanting to say they’re not coping, and all the attention being on the baby.

Women may not want to admit to themselves they’re unhappy, let alone anyone else. There’s such stigma and pressure on them to be the “perfect mother”, but depression is an illness like any other and, left untreated, it can become a long-term problem. It’s not your fault, and help is available. It’s far better to get support than struggle. Similarly, if you suspect someone you know isn’t coping well, talk to them and ask how they’re doing, don’t ignore it.