Pregnancy and Early Childhood within Trafford Psychological Therapies

Pregnancy and early parenthood can be both an exciting and overwhelming time. Becoming a parent is a major life change, and it can come with a whole host of emotions, thoughts, expectations and role changes.

As many as 1 in 5 women can experience emotional difficulties and 1 in 3 new fathers/partners are concerned about their mental health during this time. This can happen to anyone. It is not your fault!

The perinatal pathway within our service welcomes individuals who are struggling with their mental health, from pregnancy through to children under 2 years old, and includes mums, dads, same sex partners, adoptive parents or any other primary care giver.

2020/2021 has come with so many unexpected challenges that may have had a lasting impact on you and your family. Lots of parents may feel their mental health difficulties have been exacerbated by the lockdown; a recent report found that 6 in 10 parents shared significant concerns about their mental health, with 9 in 10 parents reporting they were more anxious as a result of COVID-19. You are not alone! Our service welcomes anyone who feels they have been impacted by the lockdown, so please don’t hesitate to get in touch!

It is common for pregnant women or parents to experience any number of the following symptoms:

Low mood, sadness and tearfulness Anxiety, worry and tension Irritability and anger Difficult or unexpected feelings towards your pregnancy or baby Poor sleep (even when your baby sleeps well)

Feeling unable to cope or enjoy anything Thoughts that you are not a good enough parent Worrying/ intrusive thoughts about your baby Anxiety around giving birth or struggling to come to terms with a difficult labour or loss

Luckily, there are lots of services that are here to support you with these struggles. Asking for help doesn’t mean you can’t cope or can’t care for your child, but getting the right help is key to ensure you can be the parent you want to be. A common fear that parents may have is that seeking support will lead to their children being taken away from them, however this is incredibly rare! Please do not let these fears prevent you from accessing the support that you and your family deserve.

We know how difficult it can be to engage in treatment, particularly when dealing with the challenges of becoming a parent, therefore we aim to make our service as accessible as possible; we offer flexibility with appointments, provide sessions in family friendly venues and offer you shorter waiting times for assessment and treatment.