Are you a mother struggling with your mental health?

28 Mar 25

Sunday 30 March is Mother’s Day and for many this is a time of celebration and being with loved ones. However for some, this is not the case and it can actually highlight and accentuate the difficulties that some mothers are facing.

A baby’s hand resting in a mother’s hand on a white fabric background.

If you are a mother who is struggling with your feelings and your mental health, please contact your GP – we want to reassure you that there is support available.

Our free and confidential talking therapy service can help with problems such as worry, low mood, insomnia and stress and you can self-refer into the service here.

We also have a community perinatal team for women who are experiencing, or are at high risk of experiencing, moderate to severe mental health difficulties when they are pregnant and after having their baby. This is a referral service for women who have a Hertfordshire GP. Find out more here.

For mothers with much more severe mental health difficulties during pregnancy or if they have a baby less than 12 months of age, HPFT has a dedicated mother and baby unit called Thumbswood. If you get referred into our service, our aim is to provide a safe and therapeutic environment where you can receive care and treatment without being separated from your baby, and we want to ensure that both you and your baby are safe and feel secure.

Sarah, a Staff Nurse at Thumbswood, shares:

“We want you to know that there is hope.

“Since the start of 2024, Thumbswood has supported 59 mothers struggling with their mental health. Mothers who are referred to us experience conditions such as postpartum depression, postpartum psychosis and anxiety.

“One mother who came to us was struggling with postpartum psychosis shortly after having her baby. Over time, we witnessed a big change in her mood, and she is doing great on her road to recovery. She is hoping to buy a house soon and is looking forward to her future with her baby and partner.”

You can learn more about the unit here.

For people who are staying at our inpatient units, we want to give them the opportunity to still celebrate the day if they wish. At Elizabeth Court, one of our mental health units for older people, service users and staff have been creating handmade Mother’s Day cards.

Handmade Mother's Day cards featuring the text “Happy Mother's Day” with illustrations of hearts, flowers, and rabbits.

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Are you a mother struggling with your mental health?