Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week is a week-long campaign (5 to 11th May 2025) dedicated to talking about mental health problems before, during and after pregnancy. We’ll be following this on our socials using #MaternalMHmatters.
It’s all about:
- raising public and professional awareness of maternal mental health problems
- advocating for women and families impacted
- changing attitudes
- helping people access the information, care and support they need to recover.
Who is it organised by?
The week is organised and led by MMHA member Perinatal Mental Health Partnership UK (PMHP UK), who launched the first-ever UK Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week in 2017.
PMHP UK is a small group of individuals, including parents with lived experience and clinicians, who came together to raise awareness of maternal mental health
Where can you find care for your mental health?
Talk to a midwife, health visitor or GP
If you feel you need help with your mental health, talk to a midwife, health visitor or GP. You can choose whichever healthcare professional you’re most comfortable with.
They’ll be able to refer you to a specialist community perinatal mental health team, more information below, or a mother and baby mental health unit (MBU) if you need it. Perinatal means the time you are pregnant and up to 12 months after giving birth.
Greater Manchester Specialist Perinatal Service (community)
The Specialist Perinatal Community Mental Health Team is a service for women experiencing moderate-severe mental health problems in the perinatal period, and for those with a past or family history of moderate to severe mental health difficulties.
They work in close partnership with maternity, parent infant mental health services, talking therapies and a wide range of other services in every borough to support women, their infants and families across Greater Manchester.
The aim of our service is to help you stay well during pregnancy and after your baby is born. Visit the Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust website for more information.
NHS therapy and counselling services
NHS talking therapies services are for people in England aged 18 or over. They are for anyone who needs help with their mental health, including before, during or after pregnancy.
- Talking therapies can treat conditions like:
- depression
- anxiety
- post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)
- eating disorders
You can talk to a GP about NHS talking therapies services. Or you can get help from an NHS talking therapy service directly, without needing to speak to a GP.
Support from charities
Some charities also offer support for mental health before, during and after pregnancy. You can talk to a GP, health visitor or midwife about local charities and support groups. The Maternal Mental Health Alliance (MMHA) also has information about other places you can get help.
Tommy’s
Tommy’s is a charity offering mental health support and advice. You can speak to one of Tommy’s midwives about your pregnancy.
Email midwife@tommys.org
Call 0800 014 7800 from Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, for free
Mind
Mind is a national charity that can give you advice on your mental health including before, during and after pregnancy.
Email info@mind.org.uk
Call 0300 123 3393
Urgent help in a crisis
Mental health crisis support
Call NHS 111 and select the mental health option if you, or someone you know, is in a mental health crisis. Available 24/7, you’ll speak to a mental health professional who can help you find the right support.
If you need help in British Sign Language (BSL) an NHS 111 SignVideo service is available. If you have a hearing problem, use text relay. Call 18001 111 using the Relay UK App or a text phone.
Mental health emergency
If you or someone else have physically harmed themselves, or if their life is at risk, then you should still call 999 or go to A&E.
For more information to keep you healthy during your pregnancy
