Support available if you are struggling with maternal mental health

A specialist service is available to support women experiencing pregnancy-related fear, trauma or loss.

Who the service can help

The Maternal Mental Health Service can offer support to women before, during and after pregnancy who are struggling with:

  • birth trauma and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

  • moderate-to-severe fear of childbirth (Tokophobia)

  • baby loss including miscarriages, IVF failure, stillbirth or neonatal death.

What help is available

The service supports those with more complex needs, and those who may not qualify for perinatal mental health support (PMHT).

It offers psychological assessments, evidence-based psychological therapy and specialist counselling from two dedicated clinical psychologists.

The service has no time constraints on support, which means that we can talk about baby loss and birth trauma years later if necessary.

Those referred to the service can be seen in their own homes, online or at a location where they feel comfortable.

How to use the service

To access the service, please speak to your GP or other health professional and ask them to make a referral.

All referrals are screened daily and screened jointly with the perinatal team, to decide which service is most appropriate.

If the referral is not accepted, we will liaise with other services such as Steps 2 Wellbeing to ensure that access to some support is available.