Created in partnership with NCT, Tommy’s digital tool Your Baby’s Mum: A wellbeing plan for pregnancy and post-birth is designed to help mums consider their own mental wellbeing
During pregnancy and in the early days after your baby is born, you’ll probably spend a lot of time thinking about how your baby is, and whether you’re looking after it properly. But you might not spend so much time thinking about how your baby’s mum – you – are feeling.
One in five mums experience mental health issues during and after pregnancy
Because of this, Tommy’s has launched Your Baby’s Mum: A wellbeing plan for pregnancy and post-birth. It is a digital version of the NICE-approved Pregnancy and Post-birth Wellbeing Plan, created in partnership with NCT, the Institute of Health Visitors (IHV), Netmums, NHS England, Public Health England (PHE) and the Royal College of Midwives (RCM).
The tool can be used by all pregnant mums, no matter what stage they are in their pregnancy. It can help them plan for support and self-care after the birth, and give extra help to those who need it during pregnancy. Part of the tool is a tailored route for women who have suffered a previous pregnancy loss or premature birth.
Women are most likely to be affected by mental health issues during pregnancy and after the birth of their baby than at any other time in their lives. This is the case even if they have not experienced mental health issues previously.
With this in mind, the digital tool includes a call back service from a Tommy’s midwife to women who are at a higher risk of poorer mental health and may need extra support.
Suicide is the leading cause of death during the first year after pregnancy
Jane Brewin, CEO of Tommy’s, says: ‘The importance of maternal mental health cannot be stressed enough.
‘Suicide is the leading cause of death during the first year after pregnancy. Despite this, there is far more information provided to pregnant women on physical wellbeing than on mental wellbeing.
‘The majority of resources and services that do exist tend to focus on women with an existing mental illness diagnosis, rather than helping those who develop problems during their pregnancy.
‘The Tommy’s digital mental health tool will help women think about and plan for their mental wellbeing and get support if they need it – because the mother’s wellbeing affects the whole family.’
If you’d like to create your own Wellbeing Plan, visit the Tommy’s website here.
