Statistics show that black mothers face higher risks and barriers to care. They are more than twice as likely to be hospitalised with perinatal mental illness than white mothers*, with one in five not seeking help for depression during or after their pregnancy**.
At Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (EPUT) we are working to make sure everyone receives the care they need, and that we listen to patients to understand their unique experiences, so they receive personalised treatment and support to meet their needs.
EPUT has a number of services which can be accessed by mums struggling with their mental health, as well as people who have lost a baby:
Our Specialist Perinatal Mental Health Service is one of the largest specialist community perinatal mental health services in the country. Working collaboratively with health and care partners, the service has cared for more than 2,700 families this year.
The service is run by professionals who specialise in perinatal adult and infant mental health, and provides compassionate support for mums, mums-to-be and their families. It’s available to women and birthing parents who need specialist support during pregnancy and up to baby’s first birthday. However, it also supports some families for longer, depending on individual circumstances.
The service has partnered with Parents 1st, who offer peer support via the Essex Peer to Parent Network. Their peer supporters are local parents who know the ups and downs of having a family and are trained to support other parents to feel confident and prepared.
Another service, Together with Baby, helps parents better understand their baby’s emotional responses and communications, and strengthens the relationship between them.
Many parents find they have not bonded with their baby in the way they had hoped. Some may also have difficult feelings about being a parent which can be confusing and uncomfortable. Together with Baby works with parents and their infants in the first 1001 days of their life, from conception to age two.
By Your Side is a specialist psychological and therapeutic service for perinatal loss in Essex and supports people who have experienced a miscarriage, still birth, neonatal death or planned termination.
EPUT’s perinatal mental health services also have links with several organisations across Essex who support mothers and their families of Black, African and Caribbean heritage, including some of the below organisations:
Support for Black mums and their families in Essex
B3 – Bumps, Birth and Belonging Community Interest Company has an experienced, trained team of experts by experience to support Black mums through pregnancy and the early postnatal period.
B3 runs weekly sessions on alternate Thursdays in Purfleet, Stifford, Aveley and Tilbury, and on every third Wednesday of the month in Ockendon – creating a safe and joyful space for Afro-Caribbean and mixed-heritage mums to come together, share experiences, and feel supported.
New B3 groups are now open in Basildon on the second Thursday of every month and groups also launched in Clacton recently.
During Black Maternal Mental Health Week, they are launching their Befriender service as part of their Connected Mama’s programme. This will enable mothers who need, or want, someone to talk to access culturally competent support from parents with lived experience, reducing social isolation and barriers to support whilst building community networks.
Look for ‘b3_community’ on Instagram and ‘B3 Bumps, Birth and Belonging – Community’ on Facebook
African Families in the UK (AFiUK) supports African and other racially minoritsed families living in the UK. They provide information and support on a range of matters, including mental health, healthy family relationships, wellbeing, parenting and activities for children.
Search for ‘afiuk’ on Facebook and Instagram.
Welcome to the UK supports families from overseas who have moved to Southend and Grays to help tackle isolation and help them settle into their local communities.
Refugee, Asylum Seeker and Migrant Action (RAMA) help refugees, asylum seekers and vulnerable migrants living in north Essex.
They work with numerous organisations including NHS services, local councils and charities to ensure people receive the support they need.
Black Maternal Mental Health Week is organised by The Motherhood Group, and there is a new theme and event for each day of the week. For more information, visit The Motherhood Group.
*As reported by The Guardian.
** As reported by the Mental Health Foundation.