Emotional and mental wellbeing

Having a baby can be joyful, exciting, and rewarding.  However, it is also common for those who are pregnant and new parents to experience anxiety, depression, or emotional distress.    

As many as one in five parents experience emotional difficulties during pregnancy and in the first year after their baby’s birth. This can happen to anyone.

Your midwife and maternity team will enquire regularly throughout your maternity journey about your emotional and mental wellbeing.

If this is not your first pregnancy and birth, you may be feeling happy and relaxed if you’ve had a positive birth experience before.

If you didn’t have a good experience last time, the thought of another pregnancy and birth might make you feel anxious or scared. Those who’ve had difficult pregnancies, labours and births can carry trauma from their previous experiences, which may make pregnancy and making a birth plan much more difficult. Please discuss your worries with your midwife or consultant, there is support available to help you.

Our Parent Education Information Padlet has useful resources and information to support your mental wellbeing: https://padlet.com/chester_classes/perinatalmentalhealth