<h1>Getting help</h1>
<img src="https://admin.mumandbaby.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/3.5.2.jpg" alt="Mother making mobile phone call with in a sling strapped to her" width="650" height="406" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1239" />

<span style="font-weight: 400;">It can be difficult to talk about how you are feeling and ask for help. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Common reasons for this are:</span>
<ul>
 	<li><span style="font-weight: 400;">you may not know what is wrong</span></li>
 	<li><span style="font-weight: 400;">you may feel ashamed that you are not enjoying your baby or coping as you believe you should</span></li>
 	<li><span style="font-weight: 400;">you may worry that your baby will be taken away.</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">Asking for help doesn’t mean you can’t cope or are not able to care for your child. It’s the start of getting the right help and support to ensure you can be the parent you want to be.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Try talking to someone you trust (friends or family) and contact your midwife, health visitor and/or GP to discuss how you are feeling. Your health care professionals are all trained to recognise postnatal depression and will be able to offer a range of support services to help you.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Women with more severe or complex illnesses, for example, severe anxiety, severe depression, psychosis and bipolar affective disorder, should be seen by a specialist perinatal mental health team.</span>
<div data-cat="submenu" class="submenu">

<a href="https://admin.mumandbaby.uk/2018/08/22/self-help-tips-for-postnatal-emotional-wellbeing/">Self-help tips for postnatal emotional wellbeing</a>

<a href="https://admin.mumandbaby.uk/2018/08/23/what-type-of-support-is-available/">What type of support is available?</a>

<a href="https://admin.mumandbaby.uk/2018/08/23/talking-therapies-2/">Talking therapies</a>

</div>
<div data-cat="goto" class="goto">

<a href="https://admin.mumandbaby.uk/2018/08/06/maternity-units/"internal="true">Contact my maternity unit</a>

</div>

<div data-cat="relatedlinks" class="relatedlinks">

<a href="https://www.beyondbirthlivinglibrary.org/" type= "nhs">Beyond Birth Living Library - parents helping other parents</a>

<a href="https://letsmush.com">Social network for mums</a>

<a href="http://www.birthtraumaassociation.org.uk">Birth Trauma Association</a>

<a href="https://apni.org">Association for Postnatal Illness</a>

<a href="https://www.makebirthbetter.org">Make Birth Better</a>

<a href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/961453/8413739-episode-55-birth-trauma">Birth Trauma: The Obs Pod, Episode 55</a>

</div>

Getting help

<h1>Loneliness: Emma's Diary</h1>
<img src="https://admin.mumandbaby.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Loneliness-300x200.jpg" alt="woman sitting by a window looking sad" width="300" height="200" class="size-medium wp-image-17710" />

<span>Feeling lonely and isolated after the birth of a baby is not uncommon for new parents, particularly for those who may not have close family nearby for companionship and support.</span>

<span>Read the article in Emma's diary to find out what you can do if you feel lonely.</span>

<div data-cat="relatedlinks" class="relatedlinks">
<a href="https://www.emmasdiary.co.uk/wellbeing/postnatal/loneliness">Loneliness after having a baby and on maternity leave</a>
</div>


Loneliness: Emma’s Diary

<h1>Your emotional health</h1>
<img src="https://admin.mumandbaby.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/3.5.1.jpg" alt="Smiling mother holds her baby" width="650" height="406" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1235" />

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Having a baby can be joyful, exciting and rewarding. However, mothers and fathers can be under great pressure to act and feel happy and excited during pregnancy and after birth. The reality of transitioning to parenthood is quite different and you may be surprised to experience feelings you hadn't expected. Be assured: it is also common for new mothers or fathers to experience anxiety, depression or emotional distress.</span>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">As many as one in five women experience emotional difficulties during pregnancy and in the first year after their baby’s birth. This can happen to anyone.</span>
<div data-cat="video" class="videoplayer">

Perinatal positivity - a video developed by expert clinicians with local women and charities in North West London

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/277677428?title=0&amp;byline=0" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitallowfullscreen" mozallowfullscreen="mozallowfullscreen" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>

</div>

<span>If you are experiencing emotional difficulties during this time, it may be that you are experiencing postnatal depression and anxiety. It can occur straight after the baby is born or months later. Each woman is affected in her own particular way but some of the common causes, symptoms and advice about what helps can be found in the pages and related links below.</span>

<div data-cat="submenu" class="submenu">

<a href="https://admin.mumandbaby.uk/2018/08/22/baby-blues/">Baby blues</a>

<a href="https://admin.mumandbaby.uk/2018/08/22/postnatal-depression-and-anxiety/">Postnatal depression and anxiety</a>

<a href="https://admin.mumandbaby.uk/2018/08/22/postpartum-psychosis-pp/">Postpartum Psychosis (PP)</a>

<a href="https://admin.mumandbaby.uk/2020/05/28/transition-to-motherhood/">Transition to motherhood</a>

</div>
<div data-cat="relatedlinks" class="relatedlinks">

<a href="https://www.nct.org.uk/parenting/your-emotions-after-birth" type="nct">Your emotions after birth</a>

<a type="nct" href="https://www.nct.org.uk/life-parent/how-you-might-be-feeling">Emotional and mental health</a>

</div>

Your emotional health

<h1>Your emotional health and wellbeing after birth</h1>
<img src="https://admin.mumandbaby.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/3.5.jpg" alt="Smiling couple with their baby" width="650" height="406" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-3348" />
<div data-cat="submenu" class="submenu">

<a href="https://admin.mumandbaby.uk/2018/08/22/your-emotional-health/">Your emotional health</a>

<a href="https://admin.mumandbaby.uk/2018/08/22/getting-help/">Getting help</a>

<a href="https://admin.mumandbaby.uk/2021/09/02/loneliness/">Loneliness: Emma's diary</a>

</div>

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Getting help

Loneliness: Emma’s Diary

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