While we’re all about playing and having fun with our babies here at Munchkin and Bear, we appreciate that this is only a small part of parenting.
As soon as you find out you’re having a baby, life as you know it changes and this can be overwhelming. Nothing can prepare you for the physical and emotional rollercoaster of parenthood and for many of us, it can be a struggle to adapt to this new life. A mixture of sleep deprivation, hormones and a tiny human to nurture can make for some really tough times.
Frankly, it is totally normal for your mental health to be affected. More than one in 10 women in the UK are affected by postnatal depression and it can also affect partners and fathers too. Many other women will experience milder postpartum symptoms such as anxiety, a lack of energy and trouble sleeping after having a baby.
With so many mums affected it naturally led to the creation of an annual Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week to address the severity of postnatal depression and to offer support to families affected.
If you feel like you’re struggling after having a baby and it’s more than feeling anxious or tearful in the first few weeks then please speak to your GP or health visitor. Don't be afraid to say something, far too many new Mums cope alone.
By expressing all, or even just some of your feelings, hopefully your partner, friends and family will be able to step forward and offer practical and emotional support to you and your baby.
No one should feel like they have to cope with poor mental health alone and there are lots of organisations out there which have the professional expertise to help. The Association for Post Natal Illness (APNI) and Pre and Postnatal Depression Advice and Support (PANDAS) have some great resources and advice.
:: Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week, which took place in May 2022, is run by the Perinatal Mental Health Partnership and more information can be found here
If you are on instagram you might find it useful to follow and contact one of these organisations: