A maternal mental health campaigner has urged expectant mums to seek support amid fears anxiety among pregnant woman is increasing due to the lack of services available during lockdown.
Rosey Adams, 31, a Perth-based support officer and award-winning blogger, believes the lack of normal channels available to families expecting a child is leading to growing stress levels.
The mother-of-three has experienced both prenatal and postnatal depression and has urged struggling mums to seek help where they can despite support groups and health workers no longer able to provide their usual services.
Rosey said: “There’s definitely more anxiety at the moment, especially among pregnant women.
“There’s a lack of face-to-face communication and expecting mum’s have been really worried about going to hospital.
“People aren’t allowed anyone in when you’re going for your first scan which can be nerve-wracking because you don’t know what’s going to happen.
“It’s really understandable that woman are worried because everything seems to be changing.”
NHS Tayside have implemented a number of restrictions to their normal childbirth practices including the stipulation that birth partners are no longer able to visit postnatal and antenatal wards.
Despite the reduction of services Rosey has urged mums to keep seeking support and to use online groups during the lockdown.
She said: “Make the most of the support that you can access from the likes of myself or other pregnancy groups.
“Speak to your midwife because even though contact has gone away the way it would have been they are still there to support you even if they can’t see you face-to-face.”
Rosey set up her online perinatal mental health support group when she moved to Perth four years ago after realising there was nothing like it in the area.
She now runs her PND Hour on Twitter every Wednesday from 8-9pm where expectant mums can discuss their anxieties and experiences.
Rosey said: “It’s a space for women to share how they’re feeling.
“Twitter works so well because people can be anonymous – you don’t even have to have an account you can just follow the chat.
“I set it up when I moved to Perth because I realised there wasn’t anything in Perth for maternal mental health issues and it now has people from all over Tayside.”
