If your mental health has been affected during your pregnancy, you are not alone. Below you will find the full range of services in North Somerset 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.
Health Visitors
All mothers are contacted by the health
visiting service from 28 weeks on wards. This visit forms part of
statutory care and women are entitled to take the time for this visit as
part of their ante natal care.
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.
VitaMinds
Outline of service: Vitaminds support clients experiencing depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, excessive worry or low mood. This service provides a range of evidence-based talking therapies as well as advice and guidance on community services that can support you in your local area.
Who can access this service: Suitable for over 16 year olds living in the Bristol, North Somerset & South Gloucestershire.
How to refer: Professional and Self referrals accepted. Referrals can be made via the telephone or via the online referral form which can be found on the website.
North Somerset Council Children’s Centres
Outline of services: Mellow Bumps is a six week programme for mothers who are between 16-30 weeks gestation. The aim of the group is to help you relax and has a focus on what the baby can already do and what you can do to make him/her feel even more welcome.
Who can access this service: pregnant mums between 16 – 30 weeks gestation.
How to refer: Professional referral only. If you like to access this group, please contact your health care professional or support worker.
Home-Start North Somerset
Outline of service: Home-Start North Somerset offers a lifeline to families with young children (age 0-5) going through difficult times and needing emotional support and practical help. One-to-one support for mums/dads is done weekly by trained volunteers on the phone or park walks for up to a year. Mums in Mind Online Groups from October 2020, small peer to peer support groups for mums with babies under 1, who are feeling low to share experiences and discuss wellbeing.
Who can access the service: Any family with at least one child under the age of 5 years.
How to refer: Professional referral and self-referral. All details and referral forms can be found on the website.
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.
Mothers for Mothers
Outline of service: Mothers for Mothers run weekly peer support groups for women with 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: Professional and self referral taken via the helpline number or email.
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: Parents during pregnancy and with pre-crawling babies living in Bristol, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset.
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.
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.
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.