Having resisted the urge to write all week – breastfeeding vouchers (um – NO!), the benefits of exercise in pregnancy (more pressure on mums-to-be!), Gove and Hunt’s continued destruction of education and health (frustrating and grim!). I’ve realised that actually taking my time to collect and digest a week full of events may be a better approach.
I’m still finding my feet as to how this blog will work for you and me. Opening up and sharing what’s in my mind may seem unusual/strange but I think it’s necessary. I think there’s an honesty missing in general about life and living.
There are three mothers at the front of my mind as I type, all totally tragic deaths. My thoughts are with their family and friends at what can only be a heartbreaking time.
The awful thing is that 1 mother a week will lose their battle with post-natal illness in the UK. How is this not headline news? Why are mothers having to fight to get the care they so desperately need? And it’s not just mothers. Becoming a parent is life changing and it’s hard without mental illness.
We need more specialist mental health midwives. More and better mother and baby units. And we need to start having more honest conversations.
There are amazing organisations (PANDAS,APNI, PNI ORG UK for example) and health professionals out there who’s work I admire so much and who are helping. But it’s not enough when mothers are still dying.
Finally the door of the Department of Health has been opened a little by the Maternal Mental Health Alliance and this gives me hope.
I know my blog won’t always make comfortable reading but I won’t apologise for that because something has to change. I’ve been told that I’m lucky that my family and friends stuck/stick with me while I recover – really well if that is true then I guess they are lucky that I didn’t take my own life while I was ill – I don’t think life works like that…
RIP Elizabeth, Emma and Linzi – gone but not forgotten.
bethbone 