Bereaved husband calls for reform as new research reveals gaps in maternity care
The teacher from Oxfordshire said he is frustrated with the system, having lost his wife to postpartum psychosis three years ago
Researchers have warned that advice from coroners to prevent pregnant women and new mothers from dying is not being acted upon.
A study from King’s College London examined prevention of future deaths reports issued by coroners when they believe action could have been taken to prevent deaths.
They found that in 29 maternity cases, one in five women took their own lives.
Richard Baish from Witney is calling for better mental health support for pregnant women and new mums after losing his wife to postpartum psychosis in 2022.
He said: “I feel like my wife was one of the people who slipped through the net unnecessarily. There were no red flags with her in that she had a supportive network around her and no history of mental health issues before we lost her. There were lots of things that, therefore, weren't picked up on.”
Richard explained that he and his wife saw a few midwives after the pregnancy, which he said “in itself is an issue,” as he understands that many women find it takes a long time to open up to someone.
However, Richard also said that “each midwife had their own kind of agenda”, and this often meant discussing his wife’s issues with breastfeeding rather than her mental health.
When one midwife suggested switching to using formula to alleviate some of the pressure, Richard said: “It was just a little bit too late.”
Postpartum psychosis affects around one in a thousand mothers.
Richard said his wife’s GP prescribed antidepressants and arranged for her to see a medical psychologist, but the appointment was scheduled days away and the medication would have taken weeks to work.
He said: “What really needed to have happened is for my wife's case to be treated like a medical emergency and a psychiatric emergency.”
In the years since his wife’s death, Richard has been raising money and awareness for mental health support as part of maternity care.
This includes a 500-mile bike ride, raising £53,000 for charity Action on Postpartum Psychosis.
The money has been used to fund free webinars, which have helped over 10,000 attendees, including healthcare workers, recognise and respond to postpartum psychosis.