The MMHA Summer 2022 eBulletin has all the latest news from our Everyone’s Business campaign and the UK perinatal mental health (PMH) community, including:

1. 1. New research into perinatal workforce gaps
   2. PMH service developments from across the UK
   3. New resources from MMHA member Refugee Women Connect to help health professionals provide better care for pregnant women in the asylum system.

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Please share widely on social media, tagging @MMHAlliance and #EveryonesBusiness.

See previous editions here.

By Laura Seebohm, CEO

I joined the wonderful Maternal Mental Health Alliance (MMHA) earlier this year, new to the world of perinatal mental health. I’ve been blown away by the incredible commitment and passion of the perinatal mental health sector – whether I talk to charities, experts by experience, specialist teams in Mother and Baby Units (MBUs), obstetricians on maternity wards, policymakers and politicians – people involved with perinatal mental health come with vitality, energy, and determination for our purpose. I hope that everyone realises how valuable and now refreshing this is.

With many years in the women and girls sector, this is not a totally new landscape but the biggest surprise for me, coming specifically into the maternal mental health sector, was just how huge the distance is between investment, data and attention given to maternal mental health compared to physical health for new and expectant mothers.

In recent months, various new consultations and initiatives have been announced focusing on women’s health in England, Scotland, and Wales. The recent publication of the Women’s Health Strategy for England, the Maternity Disparities Taskforce, and the appointment of Lesley Regan as Women’s Health Ambassador are important milestones in addressing the health inequalities women face. Continue reading Parity between mental and physical health is fundamental to getting it right for women, babies and families →

What is Black Maternal Mental Health Week #BMMHW22?

Black Maternal Mental Health Week UK was launched to raise awareness, highlight disparities, provide resources, and break cultural barriers in maternal mental health for Black mothers.

When is Black Maternal Mental Health Week?

The third annual BMMHW will take place from Monday 26 September – Sunday 2 October 2022.

Who is it organised by?

The week is coordinated and led by Maternal Mental Health Alliance member, The Motherhood Group. Continue reading Black Maternal Mental Health Week 2022 →

“When we get it right for women, everyone in our society benefits.”
– Professor Dame Lesley Regan, Women’s Health Ambassador

Today, the Government released their first ‘Women’s Health Strategy for England‘, detailing:

• • their ambitions over the next 10 years
  • actions they are taking now to improve the health and wellbeing of women and girls in England.

From March to June 2021, the Government held a call for evidence to inform the strategy’s development. They received nearly 100,000 responses from women across the country, and over 400 written submissions from organisations and experts in health and care. The Maternal Mental Health Alliance (MMHA) and many of its members were among the submissions, bringing attention to women’s mental health needs before, during and after pregnancy. Continue reading Government publishes 10-year Women’s Health Strategy for England →

On 19 April 2021, the inpatient mother and baby unit (MBU) Uned Gobaith/Unit of Hope opened its doors for the first time to women, babies, and families in Wales affected by severe perinatal mental health problems.

After many years of working alongside other organisations and women and families with lived experience to campaign for an MBU in Wales, the opening of Uned Gobaith marked a significant step forward in ensuring that women needing specialist inpatient support in Wales could access this vital provision closer to home.

At the Maternal Mental Health Alliance (MMHA), we wanted to mark the one-year anniversary of Uned Gobaith opening and bring to light the difference it has made to women and their families in Wales. We worked in partnership with MMHA member, NSPCC Cymru/Wales, the staff at Uned Gobaith and the Swansea Bay University Health Board to host a two-hour webinar to celebrate all of the hard work and commitment of those working on and with Uned Gobaith. Continue reading A Year of Hope: the impact of Uned Gobaith in its first year →

When is Infant Mental Health Awareness Week 2022?

Monday 13 – Sunday 19 June 2022

What is Infant Mental Health Awareness Week (IMHAW)?

IMHAW takes place in June every year, providing an opportunity for those working in the infant mental health sector to raise awareness of the importance of babies’ social and emotional development, and to share work they are doing.

Who is it organised by?

The week is organised and led by MMHA member the Parent-Infant Foundation, who bring together and support the infant mental health sector, provide clinical leadership and campaign for policy change.

What is this year’s theme?

The overall theme of IMHAW 2022 is ‘Understanding Early Trauma’. See Parent-Infant Foundation’s calendar for a list of planned activities.

Get involved

Visit the Parent-Infant Foundation website to find out how you can get involved and for examples of how parent-infant teams and organisations have marked IMHAW in the past.

On Thursday 19 May, staff and trustees came together with Members, Lived Experience Champions and Perinatal Mental Health professionals to celebrate MMHA’s belated 10th anniversary. It was incredibly special to share the same physical space, reflect on our collective achievements and look to the future of the Alliance. Continue reading The Maternal Mental Health Alliance celebrates 10 years of creating change for women and families →