Having a baby can bring on a real mix of emotions and feelings.

Whether you’re feeling joy, fear, anxiety, exhaustion, excitement or all these combined, you’re not alone.

Looking after your emotional health and wellbeing is about finding healthy ways to manage the inevitable worries, or difficult thoughts and feelings, which come with pregnancy and looking after a new baby.

For many people support to deal with these worries comes from the people who know them best, such as a partner, their family and friends. Bump, Birth and Beyond have lots of information on coping with your emotions and worries.

Your mental wellbeing during pregnancy

Looking after your mental health is just as important as looking after your body during pregnancy. If you have days when you feel emotional, overwhelmed, stressed or struggling to cope, talking about how you feel can really help.

It’s a good idea to discuss how you feel with your midwife during your antenatal appointments. They can offer guidance and refer you to the right people who can offer you time to talk about how you’re feeling.

There is local support available for you during your pregnancy.

Mental wellbeing support

HUGS service at Medway Maternity

Helping You Grow Stronger (HUGS) is run by midwives specialising in mental health at Medway Hospital.

HUGS consists of four 90-minute self-help sessions on MS Teams. It aims to support women who are experiencing difficulties with their emotional wellbeing, by educating and helping them to develop the tools to identify and manage their needs during challenging life experiences.

If you feel you need mental wellbeing support, do speak to your midwife who is there for you. They may offer you a referral to perinatal mental health services or other emotional support. Perinatal covers the time you are pregnant and up to 12 months after giving birth.

Contact the HUGS team

Looking after your mental wellbeing can help you to feel more supported and prepared for your baby’s arrival.

For more information about mental health support antenatally, visit the Maternal mental health services.

Maternal mental health services at Medway Hospital

Antenatal care in Medway

NHS support for mental health

Your mental wellbeing after your baby arrives

Adjusting to life with a new baby can bring on lots of different emotions, thoughts and feelings. With big changes and added tiredness, it’s common to feel emotional in the days and months following the birth of your little one.

If you’re feeling low, anxious or overwhelmed for more than a few weeks, it could be a sign you need some extra support. Conditions like stress, postnatal depression and anxiety can be common and are manageable.

Baby and mum holding hands

Birth Reflections

A small number of women will leave the hospital with their new baby and have lots of questions they want to ask about their experience of birth.

Birth reflections is a service available to any woman who has given birth, or is planning to give birth, with Medway NHS Foundation Trust. It is a service that provides an opportunity to discuss and understand what happened during both labour and birth.

Birth Reflections service

Some people find breastfeeding rewarding and it comes naturally, while many find it has its challenges. Whether you feel the pressure to breastfeed, or worry it’s not going as well as you want, it’s easy to feel frustrated and guilty.

If you’d like a chat with other mums to share experiences or escape from your daily routine, pop along to one of our weekly breastfeeding socials.

Icon baby and mother

Did you know that breastfeeding can help improve your mental health as it lowers your stress response?

Self-care for when you need a breather

When you’re busy and looking after a little one, it’s easy for things to get on top of you. There are lots of things you can try to help when you need a 5-minute break.

Here are just a few suggestions:

  • talking about your feelings to a friend, family member or midwife
  • try calming breathing exercises if you feel overwhelmed
  • take part in some form of physical activity if you can – this can improve your mood and help you sleep
  • spend a few minutes stretching to release any tension
  • have a healthy snack and / or drink
  • listen to your favourite song
  • hug your nearest and dearest. This can help release oxytocin, the love hormone that can aid in relaxing and calming you

Speak to your health visitor or GP if you feel like you’re struggling. There is support available for you, your partner and family too.

Taking care of your mental wellbeing is a vital part of caring for yourself, and your baby.

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