Advice and Information

Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week 2026 is a time to recognise the emotional and psychological wellbeing of mothers at every stage of pregnancy and early parenthood. While this period can bring joy and excitement, it can also present real challenges that deserve understanding, support, and open conversation.

Mental health difficulties during pregnancy and after birth are more common than many people realise. Conditions such as anxiety, depression, and postnatal depression can affect anyone, regardless of background or circumstances. Left unsupported, these challenges can impact not only mothers but also their families and wider support networks. According to the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RGON, 2017), as many as one in five women develop a mental illness during pregnancy or in the first year after birth. Suicide is a leading cause of maternal deaths in the UK within a year after childbirth. At that time, the RGON found that pregnant women and new mothers had no access to specialist community perinatal mental health services in almost half of the UK.

We regularly send bulletins to our Friends Network to keep people updated about changes to local health and social care services and facilities, and to pass on other information and news.

In addition to telling you about our activities, our website contains a range of helpful information and advice about how you can maintain your health and wellbeing.

We carry out a range of activities as part of our duty to ensure that the authorities and organisations responsible for arranging and delivering health and social care are aware of service users’ views, experiences and needs.

Starting a fitness routine can feel like standing at the base of a mountain — the peak looks inspiring, but the climb ahead feels uncertain. Whether your goal is better energy, confidence, or health, the hardest part is often taking the first few steps.

The key isn’t to rely on fleeting bursts of motivation — it’s to build a system that keeps you moving even when inspiration fades.

Wellness and self-care are everyday practices that shape how a person thinks, feels, and functions over time. The real challenge isn’t knowing what self-care is—it’s staying consistent when life gets busy, motivation dips, or priorities shift. The good news is that sustainable wellness is less about perfection and more about building systems that fit real life.

Health isn’t built in grand moments — it’s shaped in the quiet, daily choices that ripple across our lives. Whether you live in Jakarta, Nairobi, Lisbon, or Mumbai, the essentials of well-being remain universal: movement, nourishment, rest, and mindful presence. Here’s how to strengthen each part of your body’s ecosystem — from scalp to sole — in small, powerful steps.

For many women today, the daily grind isn’t just about long hours — it’s the relentless layering of roles: professional, caregiver, partner, and friend. The result? A slow, quiet depletion that often goes unnoticed until burnout hits like a brick wall.
But escaping that grind doesn’t always mean escaping your life. It can mean reclaiming your well-being, one intentional change at a time.

It’s easy to overlook the basics when life gets busy. We wake up, we rush, we react, and before we know it, the day is gone. But feeling better, every day, isn’t about grand transformations—it’s about stacking small, sustainable choices that nourish your mind and body. You don’t need a whole new life. Just a few intentional shifts can make everything more balanced, more human, more yours.

Our activities are governed by Policies and Procedures to ensure that we approach them consistently and appropriately.

We keep them all under review to ensure that they remain relevant and effective.

Learn what NHS 111 is and how you can use the service to book an A&E appointment

A second opinion is when you choose to request the expertise of another healthcare professional after you've been given a diagnosis or treatment plan. What are the new rules about second opinions and and how can you request one?