MUMS are being urged to talk about their wellbeing by a Welsh family support charity.
Home-Start Cymru is urging mums to talk and to reach out for support if they need it and advising that alongside their clinical services, the charity provides vital peer support through a network of confidential, trained volunteers.
The support ranges from wellbeing walks, 1-2-1 support in the home, weekly support groups and virtual catchups.
Leanne Joy, a volunteer with Home-Start Cymru, experienced perinatal mental health. She said: “After rounds of IVY, I fell pregnant with my first and after giving birth, I had everything I wanted but I didn’t feel how I should be feeling.
"I felt the loneliest and most vulnerable I ever felt. I was lucky to be referred by my GP and supported by the perinatal mental health team.
“After my diagnosis and treatment, I wanted to give back and found Home-Start Cymru by chance.
"This was my opportunity to help parents who are experiencing the same as me. I really wanted to help others feel less alone and make a difference for those who feel there is no way out. Because there’s a way out. You just have to reach out.”
Another mum who was supported by Home-Start said: “Please don’t shy away from asking for help. We all have limits and it’s important to recognise them.
"Looking back I probably had post-natal depression but didn’t realise it at the time.
"To me, Home-Start support was like taking the weight off your shoulders for a while, so you can be the parent you want to be.
"Without Home-Start I think I would have fallen into a deep depression, but I didn’t and that’s thanks to my volunteer.”
Bethan Webber, chief executive of Home-Start Cymru, said: “There is still a real stigma around talking openly about parental mental health.
"We would love to encourage mums who are feeling overwhelmed to take the brave decision to reach out for support.
"Parenting is hard. It can be wonderful, but it can also be lonely and relentless.
"That is why Home-Start Cymru is ready to stand alongside families when they need us most with compassionate, non-judgemental support.”
Home-Start Cymru works across 18 local authorities in Wales providing compassionate support to local families who are facing a wide range of challenges including mental health, bereavement, isolation, multiple births, domestic abuse, financial hardship or supporting a parent or child who has a disability or health issue.
Once a family is matched, their trained volunteer visits once a week for two hours to support in a wide variety of ways that meet the individual needs of that family.
To find out how to access support from your local Home-Start follow the link: https://www.home-start.org.uk/find-your-nearest-home-start
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