If your mental health has been affected during your pregnancy, you are not alone. Below you will find the full range of services in Bristol that can offer help and support. Please contact organisations directly for the latest service delivery information during COVID 19.
If you would like your organisation to be listed here please complete and send the form in the 'Contact us' section of this website.
Checkout the latest Covid 19 guidelines for the hospital that you are booked to deliver at by clicking the relevant link below:
NHS
GPs
If you feel that your mental health, or that of your partner, is deteriorating during your pregnancy, please seek advice from your local GP. It is very common for parents to feel low or anxious during pregnancy and there is no need to suffer in silence. GPs can help you identify what help you need and support you at difficult times.
Service delivery plan during COVID 19:
GP surgeries are open as normal, but do expect to receive a phone call initially from the Doctor.
Community Midwives
Your community midwife will ask you how you are feeling at your booking appointment. She will triage you to the appropriate support, depending on your history and current mental health. In addition, you can contact your community midwife during any stage of your pregnancy if you begin to feel depressed or anxious.
Hospitals
St Michael’s Hospital, University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS FoundationTrust
The Maternal Mental Health Team at St Michael’s Hospital provides pregnant patients with mental health difficulties, with additional support during their pregnancy.
If you have booked to have your baby at St Michael’s hospital or Weston General Hospital, your Community midwife can refer you to this service. Your community midwife will continue to undertake and provide routine antenatal care, as per National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance, as a minimum standard for care. The Maternal Mental Health Team offer:
Southmead Hospital, Bristol
The Maternal Mental Health
Team at Southmead provides pregnant patients with mental
health difficulties additional support during their pregnancy.
If you
have booked to have your baby at Southmead hospital, your Community
midwife can refer you to this service. Your community
midwife will continue to undertake and provide routine antenatal care,
as per NICE guidance, as a minimum standard for care. The Maternal
Mental Health Team offer:
Specialist Community Perinatal Service - Avon & Wiltshire Partnership Mental Health Trust
Outline of service: Pregnancy can be difficult for both new mums and partners and cause mood changes and anxiety symptoms. This often gets better with the help of friends, family, GPs and other healthcare professionals. A perinatal team is involved when more specialist support is needed.
The AWP team is made up of a range of professionals including mental health nurses, parent-infant therapists, nursery nurses and specialist psychiatrists. The service offers assessment and treatment, and works with mums in community settings. It supports women with longstanding, severe mental illness during pregnancy and following birth (bipolar, psychosis, previous post-partum psychosis, eating disorders, OCD and severe anxiety). Support is also available to mums who have previously attended a mother and baby unit, and women experiencing mental illness for the first time in pregnancy/as a new parent.
The service covering Bristol, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset works in conjunction with specialist perinatal staff at the maternity hospitals.
Who can access this service:
• Women with previous mental health difficulties who want to plan their pregnancy.
• Women with a significant family history of certain mental health illnesses such as bipolar or psychosis.
• Women being cared for by secondary mental health services (the perinatal team usually works alongside them).
• Professionals supporting mum during pregnancy or following birth may feel extra mental health support/assessment is needed.
Referrals are typically between 12 week’s gestation and 9 months postnatally (but the service will accept from pre-pregnancy to 12 months postnatally), and triaged on an individual need basis.
How to refer: If you are concerned about your mental health, please contact your GP/midwife/health visitor. If you are supported by secondary mental health services your current team can discuss with you.
Who can refer: Professional referral only.
Bluebell Care
Outline of service: Bluebell offers
support to pregnant and new mums who are experiencing depression and
anxiety. Mums can access 1:1 support from a peer support buddy, group
support programs and the opportunity to come along to targeted drop-in
sessions at their central Bristol Hub.
Who can access the service: Pregnant mums and mums with little ones up to the age of 2 years old.
How to refer: Professional and self-referrals accepted. Visit website to download referral form.
The NILAARI agency
Outline of service: Nilaari is a mental health
service which focuses on Black, Asian and Minority Communities (BAME).
It is a unique, independent organisation covering Bristol and South
Gloucestershire.
Who can access the service: Nilaari offers a service to anyone who is resident in Bristol and South Gloucestershire over the age of 18 yrs.
How to refer: Self referral.
Dads in Mind
Outline of service: Dads In Mind
supports Dads who are experiencing difficulties with their mental health
surrounding pregnancy and birth of a child, or are supporting a partner
who is having difficulties. Dads can access 1:1, and group peer
support.
Who can access the service: Any dad who needs psychological support around his partner’s pregnancy, birth and up to 2 years postnatally.
How to refer: Professional and self-referrals accepted. Visit website to download referral form.
Well Aware
Outline of service: Well Aware hold information about organisations, support groups, community groups, events and activities across Bristol and South Gloucestershire that can help improve health and wellbeing.
Who can access the service: Open to all.
How to refer: See the website for all information or contact an adviser via phone/email/post.
Rockabye
Outline of service: Rockabye run groups to
support and nourish your relationship with baby through sharing
experiences with other parents, singing and sensory play. The
organisation runs both Ante-natal groups (6 weeks long) and Post-natal
groups (10-12 weeks).
Who can access the service: Parents during pregnancy and with pre-crawling babies living in Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire.
How to refer: Professional and self-referrals accepted.
Mothers for Mothers
Outline of service: Mothers for Mothers run
weekly peer support groups for women and pre-school children; a
counselling and art psychotherapy service; a helpline and pre-arranged
weekly support calls and home visits for women who are too unwell to
access services and activities outside of their home.
Who can access the service: Services are open to pregnant women and families with pre-school-aged children.
How to refer: Health Care referral and self-referral taken via the helpline number or email.
Bristol Mind
Outline of service: Bristol Mind is a Mental Health resource for people in the Bristol area.
Who can access the service: Suitable for adults over the age of 18.
How to refer: All services are available for self-referral.
Baby Bank Network
Outline of service: Provides free pre-loved baby items to families in need.
Who can access the service: Any family living in poverty, with children under the age of 5 years old.
How to refer: Any professional, support worker or charity working with family can refer via website.