Every year on 10 October, we mark World Mental Health Day, a reminder that mental wellbeing is just as vital as physical health. For those who are expecting a baby or have recently become a parent, this message feels even more urgent and personal. Parenthood is wonderful but it can also bring fear, exhaustion, self-doubt, isolation, or anxiety.
If you’re reading this and wondering whether your struggles are ‘normal’, you’re not alone and the state of being okay can sometimes mean asking for help rather than soldiering on silently.
The mental health challenges of the perinatal period
The time during pregnancy and in the first year after birth is called the perinatal period, and many parents face mental health pressures during this time:
- Perinatal depression and anxiety: According to the NHS it’s estimated that up to 1 in 5 mothers and 1 in 10 fathers/partners may experience depression or anxiety in pregnancy or after birth.
- Perinatal OCD, birth trauma, PTSD: Intrusive thoughts, hypervigilance, flashbacks, or symptoms of post-traumatic stress can arise, especially after traumatic births.
- Postpartum psychosis: Though rarer, this is a serious condition where the parent may lose touch with reality. It needs urgent medical attention.
- Impact of fatigue, sleep deprivation, adjustment stress: Even without a psychiatric diagnosis, the combination of disrupted sleep, hormonal changes, and the big life shift of caring for a new life can adversely affect mood, concentration, or coping capacity.
- Guilt, identity shift, social isolation: Many new parents wrestle with feeling like they’ve lost their “old self,” or that they should always feel happy, which can amplify shame or guilt if they don’t.
- It’s vital to remember having mental health challenges is not a sign of weakness, and it doesn’t make you a bad parent.
Why seeking help early matters
Untreated mental health challenges during the perinatal period can have ripple effects on your bonding with baby, on relationships, on your ability to function day to day, and sometimes on the long-term development of your child. It’s also important to note that support is more effective when started early. One positive sign: NHS figures show in England, more than 57,000 new or expectant mothers received specialist perinatal mental health support in one year, an increase of a third compared to prior years. And with the NHS commitment to expand perinatal mental health services, access is improving though gaps and regional “postcode lottery” issues persist.
What help is available?
Talk to your existing health professionals
Midwife or health visitor: These professionals are often the first point of contact. You can tell them how you’re feeling even if it seems small and ask for support or referrals.
Doctor: You can always talk to your GP about your mental health. They can assess, prescribe (if appropriate), and refer to mental health or perinatal services.
Specialist perinatal mental health services
These are services dedicated to supporting mental health during pregnancy and postpartum:
Perinatal mental health teams: In many areas these teams include psychiatrists, specialist nurses, psychologists, and therapists focused on the perinatal period. They support treatment planning, medication review, psychological therapy, and parent–baby relationship work.
Community Mental Health Teams (CMHTs) / crisis teams: Where specialist perinatal services are unavailable or limited, general mental health teams may take on your care.
Charities, helplines & peer support
These organisations offer vital support, often free or low cost:
- Mind: Offers practical information, local service directories, and support for perinatal mental health.
- Maternal Mental Health Alliance (MMHA): A network of over 130 UK organisations working to improve perinatal mental health care. Their site provides links to support services and campaign information.
- Association for Post Natal Illness (APNI): Specifically supports people with postnatal depression.
- Anxiety UK: Offers helplines, resources, therapy support for anxiety, including during pregnancy/parenthood.
- Birth Trauma Association: For those affected by traumatic birth experience.
- Mothers Matter: Provides support throughout pre- and postnatal periods, including one-to-one counselling, community groups, and wellbeing services.
- National Childbirth Trust (NCT): Offers emotional and practical support, peer support groups, drop-ins, antenatal and postnatal classes.
- Bliss: Particularly for parents of premature or sick babies.
- Postpartum Support International (PSI): Though based internationally, their resources and community support may be helpful.
- These organisations often have helplines, email support, online forums, peer support groups, and local branches that can be a lifeline when professional services are slow or inaccessible.
- Local & community services
- Depending on where you live, you may find:
- Talking therapies: Many local NHS services offer cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), counselling, or guided self-help for mild to moderate depression or anxiety. Some may prioritise perinatal cases.
- Family hubs / children’s centres: These often host drop-ins, parenting groups, peer support sessions, and local wellbeing services.
- Local peer support groups: Some charities and maternity groups run in-person groups (postnatal groups, mother & baby groups, mental health peer groups) which help reduce isolation.
- Home-visiting support / befriending: Some voluntary organisations or local councils offer visits or befriending for parents who feel isolated or vulnerable.
If you email your local health authority, GP surgery, or council’s health & social care department, you can ask what is available in your area.
While waiting for help, these small but meaningful steps can aid your mental wellbeing:
- Be gentle on yourself – you’re doing more than you think.
- Prioritise sleep and rest.
- Small moments of self-care: walks, deep breathing, journaling, listening to music.
- Talk openly; share your feelings with your partner, a friend, or in a parent group.
- Stay connected – even brief social contact can reduce isolation.
- Track your mood: if low mood or anxiety lingers beyond 2–3 weeks, that is a sign to reach out.
What you can do for someone you care about
If a friend or partner is struggling:
- Listen without judgment, validate what they feel.
- Offer practical help (meals, childcare, errands).
- Encourage them to speak to a professional.
- Help them find relevant local services or make a phone call together.
- Remind them that seeking help is courageous, not shameful.
If you’re in crisis, if you ever feel like you might harm yourself or others, or thoughts become overwhelming:
- Please call 999 or go to your nearest A&E department.
- You can call Samaritans at 116 123 (free, 24/7).
- Contact local crisis teams via NHS often through your GP or mental health services.
- Tell someone you trust, don’t face it alone.
- If you feel unsafe with your thoughts, ask to be referred to specialist perinatal teams or inpatient units.
In perinatal distress, make it known you’re a parent or expecting that may help services prioritise appropriate care.
On World Mental Health Day 2025, we want to lift up this message: you don’t have to struggle silently. Your feelings are valid, your mental health matters, and help is out there. If you’re expecting or navigating those early days of parenthood, know that: You deserve compassionate support and asking for help is a sign of strength. With early intervention, many people recover and thrive. Supporting your mental wellbeing is not selfish it’s part of giving your child and yourself the best start.
