- Overview
- Directions
- How do I register for this service?
- Contact us
- Reviews and feedback
- Accessibility Information
- Useful resources and links
- Professionals
Type
Maternal mental health serviceThe Maternal Mental Health Service is a specialist service that provides assessment, support and psychological care for people who develop moderate to severe mental health difficulties relating to their maternity experience. This includes people who have experienced:
- a traumatic birth
- an extreme fear of child birth (known as tokophobia) or
- a loss of a baby and/or complex fertility issues.
It is important that you get the right support. In the first instance, contact your GP, midwife or health visitor and let them know what you are experiencing and ask them to make a referral to this service.
Who is this service for: People across Northamptonshire with moderate to severe mental health condition related to their maternity experience.
*Patients and service users will be seen at locations across Northamptonshire or via video call*
How do I register for this service?
The service does not accept self referrals. Please speak to a health professional to be referred.
Referrals can be made by any health professional working with an individual including midwives, health visitors, GP’s, hospital based teams and mental health services.
A member of the clinical team is available to discuss potential referrals during working hours.
Within two weeks of receiving a referral, a team member will arrange an appointment to carry out an initial assessment. From this if we agree that this is the right service for you, we will build a plan of care to suit your needs and further appointments with a team member. The appointments will be offered at locations across Northamptonshire, or via Microsoft Teams.
If after the initial appointment we agree this service is not right for you, we will signpost you to a service more suited to your needs.
Contact us
The service is available to contact Monday - Friday between 9am and 5pm.
Telephone: 03000 270 480
Email: nhft.perinatal@nhs.net
If you are a medical professional please click the link below to refer your patient
Specialist Perinatal and Maternal Mental HealthIf you are in need of mental health support outside of these hours, please call the Mental Health Number on 0800 448 0828. Lines available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Reviews and feedback
We value your feedback in order to help us develop our services and ensure that we're making a difference for you, with you.
If you would like to provide your feedback please take a moment to complete the I Want Great Care form.
Accessibility Information
As a service, we are committed to making any adjustments which service users require in order to receive care.
Please speak to your medical professional who is referring you to the service (for example, GP, midwife) if you have any accessibility requirements at the point of referral.
Useful resources and links
Make Birth Better
Offer support to guide all people affected by traumatic birth experiences
www.makebirthbetter.org
Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Society - SANDS
SANDS support bereaved parents and families if a baby dies before, during or after childbirth.
www.sands.org.uk
Helpline: 0808 164 3332 (lines open Monday – Friday 10am - 3pm, Tuesday and Thursday 6pm – 9.30pm)
Email: helpline@sands.org.uk
Fertility Network UK
Provides free and impartial support, advice, information and understanding for anyone affected by fertility issues.
www.fertilitynetworkuk.org
Helpline: 0121 323 5025 (Monday to Friday) 10am – 4pm
Email: support@fertilitynetworkuk.org
The National Childbirth Trust
NCT offer information and advice about pregnancy, childbirth and postnatal care to parents and parents-to-be.
www.nct.org.uk
Helpline: 0300 33 00 700 (lines open 8am - midnight)
Tommy’s
Tommy’s offer information about premature birth, miscarriage and stillbirth
www.tommys.org.uk
Email: info@tommys.org
Professionals
The Maternal Mental Health Service is a psychology led service for people experiencing moderate to severe mental health difficulties which directly relate to their maternity experience. This includes perinatal loss (including complex fertility), severe fear of pregnancy and/or childbirth (tokophobia), or a traumatic childbirth.
This service works with maternity and bereavement services and can provide assessments, psychological care and support (birth planning / peer support).
Service criteria
The service accepts the following referrals:
- Pre-conceptions referrals – relevant in cases of primary tokophobia
- Where an individual is not pregnant – in the context of complex fertility and loss
- Where an individual has experienced a traumatic birth
- Referrals made from 0-24 months* (referral for mothers of infants between 12-24 months will be assessed on a case by case basis)
The service will not accept referrals for people when there is intervention and/or separation of the child(ren) from the mother due to safeguarding concerns or removal of a child by court order.
Please complete a referral form (on the contact us tab).
Once a referral is received it will be reviewed to confirm it meets the criteria for the service. If it does, an appointment will be made with the individual. The service has a two to six week lead time to complete an assessment and create a treatment plan for the individual. A letter of acceptance or non acceptance of the referral will be sent to the referrer, the individual and their GP. Where the referral is not accepted, the individual will be signposted to other appropriate services and this will also be detailed within the letter.
At the end of the individual's time with the service, they will then be discharged or discharged to other appropriate service if required and a letter will be sent to the referrer, patient and their GP.