In the 17 years I have been aware of the need for good care of mental health of new mothers, I have also known that it is patchy in the UK. This week the coalition of many organisations involved in young families, The Maternal Mental Health Alliance (MMHA), published a shocking map to illustrate this. This is a snapshot of it – at a glance the green areas have a full specialist network – the red and pink areas fall outside the recommended guidelines.
In some ares we have a world class service. In others we have next to nothing. A second map shows the Mother and Baby units. Can you imagine the outcry if care for say, a broken leg or cancer, was so patchy? Can you imagine going to hospital with a fractured leg to be told you need to travel 4 hours to get a specialist to treat it? Or being told that it is unfortunate that you have cancer, but the ward where you could have received great care has just been closed? This has happened in Wales where the ONLY specialist Mother and Baby unit has just been closed. This comes just before a global conference for the Marce Society is held in Swansea this September for international aspects of perinatal mental health. How embarrassing and awful is that?
The Guardian featured the results and wrote:
I was honoured to be asked to represent the MMHA on BBC Breakfast on Tuesday morning. It was great that the feature was given two slots at 7:10 and again at 8:40. The link to the first clip is here.
Alongside me was a beautiful young lady called Lucie Holland. She very bravely told of the tragic loss of her sister Emma Cadwouldy three years ago. Emma took her own life after having her baby son. I remember reading about her in a newspaper article here because I could relate to the sleep deprivation she had described. I also can empathise with her troubled mind and simply wanting it to stop. I went walking aimlessly in my nightdress on a wet December night when my baby was a few months old, with my mind in total chaos. Had geography been different I too could have been another mum who so sadly had been killed by a vehicle – instead I was found curled up on a church doorstep. Emma’s family also want to raise awareness of the need for specialist mental health care for new mothers as they say that had Emma been admitted to a unit she would probably still be alive.
It is outrageous that depending on where you live in the UK, that you can access some great services – or get next to nothing. We must have parity of esteem (equal care for mental and physical health) regarding pregnancy. We must have a NATIONAL system in place for services and resources that is part of regular funding as opposed to project-based or short-term. There are some amazing and passionate healthcare professionals out there equally desperate for the services they know they could deliver if the recognition and funding was there. One such lady told me this week that she has sleepless nights knowing that she is attempting to give the care to new families single-handedly that a whole team should. She dreads the headlines of an avoidable death in her area.
Emma’s family, especially her son, have to continue their lives with the huge pain of loss that her death has brought. The pang of her not being here to celebrate his milestones in life must be dreadful. How many more families have to suffer before we can have the necessary services and awareness for all? I acknowledge that suicide of new mothers (and some fathers) is relatively rare. If it is unavoidable though, isn’t that the issue? The long term impact on all those involved then has huge financial costs alongside the human ones.
I strongly urge you to take a look at the Everyone’s Business campaign and information that the MMHA have produced.
Often poor maternal (and paternal) mental health is not considered a priority until you or someone close to you, is involved. Sitting next to Lucie at the BBC made me feel very lucky and grateful to be alive. I appreciate every day that I am able to be a mother to my son. I adore my little sister and niece (pictured below). The thought of seeing Sophie grow up without the love and support of her mother is beyond imaginable thought.
Let’s avoid any more headlines and heartbreak of maternal deaths. The postcode lottery for perinatal mental health in the UK is not just an embarrassment – I feel it is potentially criminal as we have the knowledge and ability to save and improve lives.
PLEASE help me and others to take action NOW so that more families can enjoy the human right of well being and happiness.
Elaine
