Talking to your midwife, GP or health visitor
You can talk to your midwife, GP or health visitor at any stage about how you’re feeling.
They’ll ask a few questions to better understand what you’re experiencing and talk with you about what support might help. This could include emotional support, talking therapies, local groups or specialist services if needed.
Any health professional you speak to should treat you with care and respect. If you don’t feel listened to, it’s okay to speak to someone else until you find a person you feel comfortable with.
Finding support in Leeds
You can find wide range of support in the MindWell Directory:
Key support services include:
- Baby Steps Antenatal Programme – Baby Steps is a group-based support service for families who need some extra support in preparing for the birth of their baby (on top of the Preparation for Birth and Beyond course).
- Children’s Centres – Based around the city offering support, advice and groups for local parents and parent-to-be.
- Forget Me Not Child – A dedicated service just for families whose baby has been diagnosed with a life-shortening condition.
- Leeds Mental Wellbeing Service (LMWS) – LMWS is a city-wide service that provides support and psychological therapies for common mental health problems, such as anxiety, stress and depression for people aged 17 and over.
- Pregnancy in Mind Programme – Programme for parents-to-be to try different ways of improving their emotional wellbeing during pregnancy.
- Preparation for Birth and Beyond (PBB) course – Antenatal education courses for first time parents, held at local Children’s Centres.
- Perinatal Mental Health Service (Women’s Counselling and Therapy Service) – A specialist service for women who are pregnant, or who’ve been pregnant in the last 12 months, or women who have or care for a child under 1 years old.
- The Teenage Pregnancy Team – The team offers information and emotional support specifically for pregnant women under the age of 19.
Support for more serious mental health difficulties
If you’re experiencing more severe or complex mental health problems, your midwife, GP or health visitor can work with you to decide which specialist service is best placed to support you.
This may include referral to the Leeds Specialist Perinatal Mental Health Team, which supports some people during late pregnancy and throughout the first year after birth.
In some cases, inpatient care may be recommended. This happens at the Yorkshire and Humber Mother and Baby Unit, where parents can receive intensive mental health support while staying together with their baby. Care is provided by a specialist team including mental health nurses, psychiatrists and support workers.
Watch this video about inpatient care at the Yorkshire and Humber Mother and Baby Unit.
Support for young people
If you’re under 18 and experiencing mental health difficulties during your pregnancy, you may be referred to the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS).
More information about emotional health support for young people is available at MindMate.