All posts by Emma Harvey

December 2023 newsletter

Season's Greeting and a Happy New Year from all of us at APP

A message from APP's Chief Executive, Dr Jessica Heron:

"On behalf of APP, I would like to thank everyone in our community for supporting us throughout 2023. With your help, we have achieved a huge amount over the past 12 months.

Special thanks must go to our fundraisers who have worked so hard to raise awareness and much-needed funds. The phenomenal fundraising by Richard Baish, his family and friends in memory of his wife, Alex, enabled us to deliver a free webinar on suicide prevention with more than 2,500 frontline GPs, midwives, health visitors and antenatal educators signing up. The funds also supported the development of our postpartum psychosis (PP) toolkit for antenatal educators and associated media campaign.

I’d also like to thank every single person who has supported our work by sharing their stories, helping to raise awareness, donating or holding a fundraising event. In 2023, more individuals and teams have been involved in running, cycling, swimming, walking, bungee jumping and cake baking than ever before, together raising more than £160,000.

With the help of our volunteers, we provided 1:1 peer support to 292 individuals. An average of 230 used our peer support forum each month. Our regional café meet-ups, groups for dads/co-parents and grandparents continued and we added new groups for Muslim women and a UK-wide meeting. APP Insider Guides have been translated into Arabic, Bengali, Polish, Slovak and Urdu to continue our work ensuring this information is accessible to as many people as possible.

Our four NHS partnership projects, including our new collaboration with Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, provided peer support to more than 270 women and families early in their recovery journey. Our annual peer support survey showed APP’s peer support service continues to be life-saving and an essential ingredient in recovery, with 99% of respondents feeling more supported and 96% feeling less isolated.

Our campaigns have continued to make a real difference for women and families – work on a Mother and Baby Unit (MBU) in Chester serving Cheshire, Merseyside and North Wales is underway. We also saw the long-awaited announcement of a plan for a Northern Ireland MBU, thanks in no small part to our NI café group, NI regional rep Oorlagh, and the inspirational efforts of the family of Orlaith Quinn who lost her life to PP.

As always, I would like to thank all our staff, volunteers, trustees, donors and fundraisers for their dedication, passion and hard work this year. There is a lot more we want to do together in 2024. I’m delighted that APP has been selected for a BBC Radio 4 Charity Appeal, to be broadcast on 24th March, which is a great opportunity to raise funds and awareness.

For some women and families, Christmas and New Year is a difficult time. APP’s support is available for anyone facing grief or loss, for families who may have loved ones spending Christmas in a Mother and Baby Unit, or those struggling with symptoms during the recovery period. We are thinking of you and our peer supporters are available every day of the year on our Forum.

Wishing you and your loved ones a happy festive period”

Peer Support during the festive period 

APP’s Forum is open as usual over the festive period. Our staff and volunteers are ready to talk to anyone who needs support. If you would like talk to others who have been there, please get in touch.

If you are emailing the APP office or requesting one to one email or video call support over the festive period, please bear with us. It may take a few days for us to get back to you.

Chester Mother and Baby Unit 

Plans for a new Mother and Baby Unit (MBU) - a specialist in-patient treatment unit where mums with mental illness are admitted with their babies – were announced by Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust earlier this year. The eight-bed unit will be opened in Chester to support new and expectant parents across Cheshire, Merseyside and North Wales.

APP’s national team is working with the Cheshire, Wirral and North Wales NHS teams to ensure the voices of lived experience are heard throughout the whole development process, as well as ensuring the unit helps to meet the needs of families from North Wales. APP volunteers and those with lived experience of PP and inpatient units have been an integral part of the development meetings, where they have inputted into the design, landscaping, and functionality of the MBU.

APP has long been campaigning for more MBU beds in the UK and we’re delighted by the plans for Cheshire. However, in many parts of the UK it is still the case that mothers and babies are forced to travel miles for treatment or that mums can end up on an adult psychiatric ward. You can read more about APP’s campaigning for MBUs in Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and Northern Scotland and add your voice here.

Café groups

APP runs lived experience café groups across the UK where mums and parents who have been through postpartum psychosis, and their partners and family members, can meet informally.

We have a new UK-wide café group and there are currently regional groups in Birmingham, Lancashire and South Cumbria, London, Manchester, North East and North Cumbria, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Sussex and Hampshire, Wales and Yorkshire.

We also run monthly cafe groups for: dads and co-parents; grandparents; and Muslim women.

Café groups meet both online and in person, so if you can’t get to a meet-up, you can always join a group for a cuppa online.

To join us and to see the new dates for meetings in 2024 visit our website.

New Midlands peer support worker

Welcome to our new peer support worker, Rachel Rollins, who is part of our partnership project with Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health Foundation Trust.

Rachel joins Natalie and Soukaina in the Birmingham team, providing peer support to inpatients at Birmingham Mother and Baby Unit (MBU) and at APP’s café groups in the area.

Rachel has volunteered as a peer supporter with APP, attending café groups, after being supported through the West Midlands teams after the birth of her second child. You can read more about our Birmingham and Solihull project and find out how to get involved as a volunteer here. To join the café group, please email birmingham@app-network.org.

(Pictured above Rachel Rollins, left, with Peer Support Facilitator Natalie Thompson)

Festive bake off

A big thank you to Cheshire and Mersey Specialist Perinatal Service for holding a Christmassy Big Bake in support of APP. It looks like there was lots of festive fun and plenty of tasty treats on offer!

If you fancy holding your own Big Bake to help raise funds as well as awareness of postpartum psychosis and APP, please email fundraising@app-network.org and we’ll send you more details and your Big Bake fundraising pack so you can get started.

APP Book Club

Join us for the next meeting of APP’s Book Club on Wednesday 13th March. We’ll be meeting on Zoom to discuss Matrescence: On the Metamorphosis of Pregnancy, Childbirth and Motherhood by Lucy Jones. Find out more and book your free place here.

Fundraising

Lee completes his final challenge!

Our amazing fundraiser Lee Smith (pictured above with MBU staff) has finished his epic year of challenges to raise awareness of, and funds for, APP His final challenge saw him run 22 miles from his home in Washington to the Mother and Baby Unit (MBU) in Morpeth, where his wife Jess was treated in December 2020. Lee said:

"Huge thank you to the staff on the Mother and Baby Unit in Morpeth, giving me a tour of the ward at the end of the 22-mile run. Due to covid restrictions I [had only been able] to imagine where Jess was staying. A really comfortable, homely environment to get the best support with staff - the mothers are definitely in safe hands."

Over the course of the year Lee has completed the Great North Run, a Tough Warrior event, climbed mountains and even braved a bungee jump! He's raised more than £4,300 and done a huge amount to raise awareness of PP as well. Find out more about his amazing feats here. Lee's work is not quite finished yet though - keep an eye on our social media platforms to hear about an interview with him on BBC Radio 5Live in the run-up to Christmas!

Thank you

A massive thank you to every single person who has taken on a fundraising challenge for us during 2023 - whether you were involved with Miles for Mums and Babies, organised a Big Bake, took on a marathon, did a collection at work, climbed a mountain, cycled, swam, swam, walked, toddled or jumped...! Every single fundraiser has been absolutely amazing this year and we are so grateful to all of you. You've helped raise an incredible amount of money this year which is already making a huge difference. Thank you for being part of Team APP! We can't do any of this without you.

Nominate APP

To end the year, easyfundraising is giving fifty causes £50 each. If you would like to nominate Action on Postpartum Psychosis for a £50 award - please take a minute to complete this form and tell them why you love APP in 50 words or fewer by 31st December. It's a really short form - just the 50 words or fewer plus your name. If you have 5 minutes any time before the end of the year, please do give it a go and we'll let you know if we win! Thank you.

Festive support
We'd love your support over the festive season! Every donation makes a difference. Here are a few ways you can support us this December if you would like to.

APP gift voucher
Are you struggling to think of present ideas for the person who has everything? Make a donation to APP in their name then drop us an email and we’ll send you a downloadable gift voucher for you to print and wrap for them for the big day. 

Dates for your diary

APP Lancashire and south Cumbria face to face café group meet up in Blackburn, Friday 5th January 2024: APP regional café groups webpage

APP Lancashire and south Cumbria virtual café group meet up, Monday 8th January 2024: APP regional café groups webpage

APP Lancashire and south Cumbria face to face café group meet up in Lancaster, Wednesday 10th January 2024: APP regional café groups webpage

APP London virtual café group meet up, Thursday 11th January 2024: APP regional café groups webpage

APP Lancashire and south Cumbria face to face café group meet up in Blackpool, Friday 12th January 2024: APP regional café groups webpage

APP Northern Ireland virtual café group meet up, Thursday 18th January 2024: APP regional café groups webpage

APP Birmingham face to face café group meet up in Birmingham, Friday 19th January 2024: APP regional café groups webpage

APP Lancashire and south Cumbria face to face café group meet up in Preston, Friday 19th January 2024: APP regional café groups webpage

APP Yorkshire virtual café group meet up, Tuesday 23rd January 2024: APP regional café groups webpage

APP Scotland virtual café group meet up, Thursday 25th January 2024: APP regional café groups webpage

APP Manchester face to face café group meet up, Friday 26th January 2024: APP regional café groups webpage

APP Black Country face to face café group meet up in Walsall, Tuesday 30th January 2024: APP regional café groups webpage

APP Wales virtual café group meet up, Tuesday 30th January 2024: APP regional café groups webpage

APP Sussex and Hampshire virtual café group meet up, Wednesday 31st January 2024: APP regional café groups webpage

APP Lancashire and south Cumbria face to face café group meet up in Blackburn, Friday 2nd February 2024: APP regional café groups webpage

APP Muslim women’s virtual café group meet up, Thursday 8th February 2024: APP regional café groups webpage

APP UK-wide virtual café group meet up, Thursday 8th February 2024: APP regional café groups webpage

APP Lancashire and south Cumbria face to face café group meet up in Blackpool, Friday 9th February 2024: APP regional café groups webpage

APP Lancashire and south Cumbria virtual café group meet up, Monday 12th February 2024: APP regional café groups webpage

APP Lancashire and south Cumbria face to face café group meet up in Lancaster, Wednesday 14th February 2024: APP regional café groups webpage

APP Lancashire and south Cumbria face to face café group meet up in Preston, Friday 16th February 2024: APP regional café groups webpage

APP Birmingham face to face café group meet up in Birmingham, Friday 23rd February 2024: APP regional café groups webpage

APP Manchester face to face café group meet up in Manchester, Friday 23rd February 2024: APP regional café groups webpage

APP Black Country face to face café group meet up in Walsall, Tuesday 27th February 2024: APP regional café groups webpage

APP Sussex and Hampshire virtual café group meet up, Tuesday 27th February 2024: APP regional café groups webpage

APP Book Club virtual meeting, Wednesday 13th March 2024. Discussing Matrescence: On the Metamorphosis of Pregnancy, Childbirth and Motherhood by Lucy Jones. Book your free place here.

This information has been updated, click here to read our latest information on Postpartum Psychosis and Covid-19

We know that pregnant women and new mothers have many questions about what will happen to their care and how they should access services during coronavirus outbreak. Action on Postpartum Psychosis (APP) is trying to compile up-to-date information for pregnant women at high risk of PP; women and families in crisis or who think they are developing symptoms of psychosis; and for those recovering from PP.

This is a fast-moving situation and health trusts across England, Wales and Scotland are continuing to make changes to their services. APP will update this guide as information becomes available.

Pregnant women

(i.e. those who have had a previous PP or who have a bipolar disorder diagnosis):

You can find APP’s general resources on this topic here & here.

1. What will happen to my antenatal psychiatric appointments or preconception advice appointments?

• In England, Scotland & Wales, there are plans in place for routine home visits and out-patient appointments to continue, but they will be done by telephone or video conferencing. We will add information from Northern Ireland when we have it.
• Perinatal Psychiatrists say that birth planning for women at high risk of PP will in most cases be offered remotely but will still be thorough and comprehensive.

2. How do I get medication during this crisis?

• In England, Scotland and Wales, medication plans for women known to be at high risk can be made with perinatal psychiatrists in advance to ensure there is plenty of time to get prescriptions filled.
• Women who are remaining on Lithium throughout pregnancy will continue to need the same degree of medical vigilance. Antenatal care is still “open for business” and obstetrics/ maternity and perinatal mental health will work collaboratively to ensure the safest possible antenatal care remains uninterrupted.
• In Scotland, medication prescribing remains with GPs on recommendation of mental health services.
• You can phone your GP prescriptions line / psychiatric services and they can send prescriptions directly to your local pharmacy for collection. We will add more information here as we know more.

3. What impact does Covid-19 have on pregnancy, foetal development or risk of postnatal illness?

• Our best knowledge to date is that Covid-19 doesn’t seem to cause problems with pregnancy or transmit to the foetus, so it is believed that having CV-19 is unlikely to impact on your baby’s development. Most pregnant women who develop the illness will experience mild or moderate cold or flu-like symptoms. Pregnant women with other health conditions should be extra cautious as they may be more unwell than other women. Pregnant women have been placed in the ‘vulnerable group’ as a precautionary measure as not enough is yet known about the virus. The Royal College of Midwives and The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists have produced some excellent guidance for health professionals and women, which is being regularly updated here and here.
• We do not yet know whether anxiety or stress due to the crisis will impact on rates of maternal mental illness. We know that managing stress in pregnancy and the postnatal period is important. You can find excellent advice from Mind about managing anxiety and isolation here and from the Mental Health Foundation here.
• APP are here for you. If you are a pregnant women with previous experience of PP, you can talk to an APP peer supporter by visiting our forum or registering for email or video support here. We are looking at other services we can provide for women and families with our network of peer supporters and clinical experts during this anxious time.

Women and families in crisis or developing symptoms

You can find APP’s general resources about symptoms of postpartum psychosis here and getting help here. You can find more information on common early symptoms here. You can find APP information guides about PP for women and partners here.

1. If I develop symptoms of PP, how will assessment happen?

• If you believe you are developing symptoms of postpartum psychosis (or your partner, family members is) you need to act urgently via the normal routes: telephone your GP, maternity services, or 111. If you believe you or someone in your household is in imminent danger, call 999. In most areas, urgent home visits are still being completed, but initial contact may be via video call (particularly if the person also has a cough or high temperature).
• In Scotland, A&E mental health presentations are being diverted directly to mental health sites. Crisis/Out of Hours staff will work in assessment centres with extra resources, seeing people from A&E and other urgent referrals. Glasgow is currently looking to complete urgent referrals, where the specific team has capacity, at the assessment centres which are more likely to be set up for assessment of patients who may already be infected. Other areas of Scotland are likely to be making similar arrangements.

2. Are Mother & Baby Units staying open?

• In England and Scotland MBUs will remain open and are doing an enormous amount of work to minimise any risk of infection on inpatient units (There are no units in Wales; Welsh admissions are normally transferred to MBUs in England.)

3. How are MBU’s managing coronavirus?

• MBUs are following general NHS inpatient guidance on barrier nursing and staff will be using personal protection equipment (PPE) for patients with coronavirus symptoms. MBUs have set up isolation areas to care for women separately.
• As we write, MBU visiting is still in place. Traditional visiting hours are not being restricted in order to avoid peak numbers. However, visitor numbers are being limited for any individual, restricting visitors to close family and no children. Units will have different advice for this – some units will restrict visits to one named family member per patient. We believe this advice may change today, and visiting in-person may be restricted.
• Patients will be supported to use facetime and telephone video calling more. Peer Support, including that delivered by APP, will be available via video call.
• NHS guidance on visiting during the coronavirus crisis can be found here.

During recovery

You can find APP’s general resources on recovery here.

1. How will I get medication? How will I be monitored and supported during recovery?

Urgent home visits will continue. Most route appointments will happen via video call. There is a possibility that other professionals will reduce their routine home visits but this is not entirely clear at the moment and this is an evolving situation.

2. How can I manage my anxiety, depression, isolation during recovery if home visits do not happen, and we are meant to be socially distancing?

UK wide, online resources and peer support will be incredibly important for recovering women. There is already a wide range of online resources and more are being produced each day. The links below contains further resources, recommended reading and support and will be added to.

3. Social distancing and isolation mean my usual family support, and especially grandparents, are not available. Where can we find help?

APP will continue our national peer support services throughout the outbreak. Our Forum is available for you to talk to other women and partners: www.www.app-network.org/peer-support/

We also offer one to one peer support for anyone in the UK, where you are paired with an APP coordinator with lived experience, or a volunteer peer supporter. We can give this one to one peer support via private messaging on the forum, or via video call. If you would like to access this support, email app@www.app-network.org.

Action on Postpartum Psychosis

Connect with APP via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and follow the news on our website to find out more about what APP can offer.

Links and more information/support:

For a list of England’s community teams go to: https://nhswebbeds.co.uk/community-team/list
For a list of Mother & Baby Units go to: https://nhswebbeds.co.uk

APP offer support for those affected by postpartum psychosis or at risk of PP, due to bipolar disorder. For telephone, email or Facebook support for postnatal depression and anxiety, see: https://www.pandasfoundation.org.uk/

For general advice about managing mental health, isolation and anxiety:

• Government Advice: Looking after mental health: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-for-the-public-on-mental-health-and-wellbeing/guidance-for-the-public-on-the-mental-health-and-wellbeing-aspects-of-coronavirus-covid-19
• NHS: Dealing with a mental health crisis: https://www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/nhs-services/mental-health-services/dealing-with-a-mental-health-crisis-or-emergency/
• Recovery College Online: https://www.recoverycollegeonline.co.uk/your-mental-health/coronavirus/
• MIND: www.mind.org.uk/information-support/coronavirus-and-your-wellbeing/
• The Mental Health Foundation: www.mentalhealth.org.uk/publications/looking-after-your-mental-health-during-coronavirus-outbreak

For advice specific to perinatal mental health during Coronavirus:

• RCPsych: Covid-10: Mental health before, during and after pregnancy: https://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/mental-health/treatments-and-wellbeing/perinatal-care-and-covid-19

For more advice about Coronovirus:

• Coronavirus (COVID-19): latest information and advice on GOV.uk
• Information about the virus and how to protect yourself on NHS.uk
• Royal College of Psychiatrists advice for Perinatal Services
• Maternal Mental Health Alliance update
• Bipolar UK coronavirus update for pregnant women with bipolar disorder