Psychologists in Peterborough say specialist help is vital for mothers who have experienced losing a baby
A new maternal mental health service for women in the city who have experienced this loss is aiming to be available in 2025
Specialist help is vital for mothers in Peterborough who have experienced the loss of a baby.
This comes as a new maternal mental health service for women is aiming to be available in the new year.
It's such an incredibly difficult experience for someone to go through
It's being launched by Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust and the team will be offering assessment, psychological treatment and specialist midwifery support.
Support is offered for women who are experiencing moderate to severe or complex mental health difficulties following a perinatal loss within the last two years.
Dr Jo Peterkin, Consultant Clinical Psychologist with the Perinatal Trauma and Loss Team, said:
"It's such an incredibly difficult experience for someone to go through."
"For some people it really affects the idea of going on to have another baby."
"For other people, they can find themselves a bit stuck. They may be very low in mood or highly anxious, and it's for those women experiencing those mental health difficulties that we're here to help."
"It makes such a difference to have a team who are trained and specialists in perinatal mental health and I think the same will apply here."
"It's that ability to understand a little bit more about what's going on and to understand a bit more about how mental health difficulties present specifically in this context."
"Hopefully with that understanding we will be able to help in a bit of a more tailored way."
13 families a day suffer the heartbreak of losing their baby
The service initially opened in the Cambridge and Ely areas.
Now there's plans to expand this to include Peterborough, Huntingdon and Fenland in 2025.
Figures from bereavement charity Sands state that currently in the UK, 13 families a day suffer the heartbreak of losing their baby before, during or shortly after birth. This is around 4,500 babies a year.
As well as this, at least 15% of pregnancies end in miscarriage.
Women in Peterborough will be able to access the Perinatal Trauma and Loss Service Support via a referral from their GP or health care professional.
Following an initial assessment, those who are eligible can access a range of specialist psychological therapies including for grief and trauma.
Alongside the clinical psychologists working in the team, there are also specialist midwives who can support women who are having or considering having another baby.
Dr Zoe Rawlings, Principal Clinical Psychologist with Perinatal Trauma and Loss Service, said:
'The loss of a baby is a devastating experience for many families.'
'We are very pleased to be expanding our perinatal provision in the area by starting this service which will provide vital support for women in our area.'