Charlotte (Cardiff)

Following the birth of my son in 2012 I felt very unwell mentally. However, because Wales’ only mother and baby unit (MBU) in Cardiff was closed, I faced being admitted to an adult psychiatric ward without my baby. At that point, I completely broke down and said I was going nowhere without my child.

Hallucinations and paranoia

Following this event, I started to be treated at home. Sadly, things took a turn for the worse and I began to experience hallucinations and paranoia. At one point, I was listening to a news broadcast on the radio and heard a voice say, “Charlotte, I’m talking to you. Get them men out of your house. They’re going to hurt you and your baby.”

I got up, ran to the kitchen and started to shout at my husband, saying that I wanted him out of the house because he was going to hurt me and my baby. Richard told me that the radio wasn’t even on. That it was unplugged. It was frightening stuff. Horrible.

Treated for 18 months

Eventually I was diagnosed with postpartum psychosis, and went on to be treated for it at home for one and a half years. If the MBU in Cardiff had still been open, it’s possible my condition could have been treated in around 12 weeks.

This is why I’m determined to get the unit reopened. Women need it. They should never have to face the possibility of being parted from their children to get the support they need. The fear of having your baby taken away is a real worry for new mothers with mental health problems, so a lot of them suffer in silence which leads to problems becoming more severe.

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