Action on Postpartum Psychosis | The national charity for mums and families affected by postpartum psychosis

14 March 2024

BBC Radio 4 Appeal

BBC Radio 4 will broadcast an appeal on behalf of Action on Postpartum Psychosis (APP) later this month.

APP Ambassador and author, Laura Dockrill, will present the broadcast, sharing her experience of postpartum psychosis (PP) following the birth of her son. Laura describes how she spent her first Mother’s Day in a psychiatric hospital separated from her three-week old baby and how APP’s peer support helped her find connection, recovery and community.

BBC Radio 4 appeals are weekly three-minute programmes which highlight the work of charities and appeal for donations on their behalf. Only 49 charities from across the UK are selected to make an appeal each year and APP is delighted to be part of the 2024 programme.

APP’s appeal will be broadcast live on Sunday 24^th March at 7.54 am and at 9.25pm. It will then be repeated on Thursday 28^th March at 3.27pm.

Dr Jess Heron, APP Chief Executive, says: “The BBC Radio 4 charity appeal is an incredible opportunity for us to raise the profile of APP on a national scale, as well as really help to raise awareness of postpartum psychosis. We want to reach as many people as possible – and we’d love our supporters to spread the word and encourage family, friends and colleagues to listen.”

To find out more, visit the Radio 4 Appeal webpage. Please note, you can only donate to this appeal via the BBC web page from 24th-30th March.

The first £25,000 received in donations will be matched by a generous APP supporter, meaning donations will go twice as far.

8 March 2024

Next stop on Chris's football tour

We've been posting regular updates about Chris Wasley and his fabulous awareness raising tour of football grounds around the UK. His latest match was at St James Park - home of Newcastle United - where he met with fellow APP supporter Lee Smith.

Here's Chris's report of his most recent football adventure...

'On Friday (1st March), my wife Natalie and I visited the Chorley MBU. The Chorley Ribblemere MBU is the closest to my wife's hometown of Accrington, where I have already seen a match this season.

So as to not disturb the mums staying there, we understandably didn't go in to the MBU. But we had a long chat with the Deputy Ward Manager Lauren, explaining our story and my awareness tour and listening to the wonderful work they do there. As soon as you entered the MBU there was a whole notice board dedicated to APP. Which was great to see! But I was so interested to hear about their new endeavours in being the first MBU in the country to set up a partner programme specifically to support partners post release from the MBU.

Rightly so, medical professionals focus on the mums. The ones who have this severe mental health illness. But not to sound selfish in any way, partners go through a lot too. So it was incredible to hear about their new programme and plans to help support the partners.

On Saturday (2nd March) I attended my fourth match of my football awareness tour! I went to see Newcastle United vs Wolves at the iconic St James Park. What an experience! St James Park is 17miles from the Northumberland Tyne and Wear MBU at Morpeth.

It was an impressive win for Newcastle after some indifferent results lately, and reignites their hopes for European qualification.

I am so relieved they won and that I am not a guaranteed curse for the home teams on this challenge!

I have to say thank you to Newcastle United, for putting an entry in their match day programme to help me in raising awareness. And to all the fans and stewards at the ground who talked to me about this challenge and all things Postpartum Psychosis and MBUs.

My wife doesn't share my love of football, but she certainly enjoyed experiencing the shops and sights of Newcastle City Centre whilst I was occupied at the match! But the weekend experience was made all the greater for meeting the amazing Lee Smith in person!

Lee has done some incredible fundraising for APP after his wife Jess experienced Postpartum Psychosis in 2020. He completed a mammoth 12 fundraisers in 12 months and is currently training for the London marathon in April! You've got this mate!

We had a great weekend with Lee exploring the city. It was amazing to meet him in person, to talk about our experiences of Postpartum Psychosis, our families and our love of football. We will definitely be keeping in touch!

With this being the furthest ground I had travelled to so far, over 300 miles away from home, we also took the opportunity to visit the Northumberland Tyne and Wear MBU at Morpeth on Monday 4th March.

We were welcomed in to the MBU by the Ward Manager Sarah, who was kind enough to give us a tour of the MBU and to speak to the staff. Everyone was so friendly, and again it was so wonderful to hear about all the amazing work they do there.

The Northumberland Tyne and Wear MBU have an amazing integrated peer supporter who clearly provides invaluable support and hope. It was such a warm and welcoming environment, which clearly help new mums on the road to recovery.

It has been really interesting this trip to see and hear how different the MBUs are.

I know from our experience at the Bournemouth MBU, and from speaking to Lee and other dads in the PP community, how important the MBUs are. There aren't enough MBUs in the UK, and they really do deserve to be brought to the public's attention more. Which hopefully I am doing on this challenge.

For the first time, I don't actually know what fixture is next on my list! It has all been quite busy recently, and before I know it the season will have drawn to a close. I am trying to fit in a fifth match this season if I can, but if not I will be ready and waiting for the new seasons fixture releases to go again!

I have to say I am really enjoying this personal challenge. It has certainly evolved and grown (for the better!) since my original idea. I am so honoured by all of the support I have experienced at the grounds I have visited so far, by the clubs themselves in supporting my challenge and also the fans and football communities for taking the time to talk to me about MBUs and Postpartum Psychosis.

I am so excited to continue this challenge and for the adventures to come!'

UPDATE 18.04.2024

Chris has managed to squeeze in one more match before the season ends - this time he travelled to London for an all important derby match!

Chris says: 'Match #5 of my first season of my awareness tour complete! I am happy with that! On Sunday 14th April I attended my fifth match of my football awareness tour. I went to see West Ham United lose two nil against Fulham at the London Stadium in the east-versus-west London derby!

I went to the game with one of my oldest friends Lee 'Kiddo' who I have known since primary school. Lee and his family and friends are devoted Irons and have followed West Ham all over the world!

To my surprise, despite very high demand, I was able to get an entry about my challenge, Postpartum Psychosis and the MBUs in the match day programme - Thank you West Ham.

West Ham and the London Stadium is less than 3 miles from the City and Hackney MBU and during the week I was able to have a few phone calls with the City and Hackney MBU. Being a weekend I wasn't able to visit in person, but we have agreed that should I return this way in the future we will organise a visit. I guess I will just have to find another ground to visit for my challenge...

This was my last fixture this season, so I will be ready and waiting for the new seasons fixture releases to go again.

Up next for me is something very different - I am very honoured to have been asked to talk about my experience of Postpartum Psychosis at the Surrey University Student Midwives Conference on the 21st May. I understand there will be a few hundred student midwives in attendance. So this is certainly a new and exciting (and scary!) opportunity for me!'

Thank you Chris and we can't wait to hear about your plans for next season's fixtures!

Chris has now set up an Instagram page specifically for his challenge - you can follow him here

6 March 2024

APP March newsletter

Happy Mother’s Day

The APP team would like to wish you a very happy Mother’s Day for Sunday.

However you plan to spend the day, we hope it will be a special time for you. If you would like to support APP, you can buy Mother's Day cards at Making A Difference Cards. You’ll find a big selection of cards – both virtual and actual! – which you can personalise and add photographs as well as images.

For those who find the day difficult, feeling like recovery from postpartum psychosis is still some way off or remembering mums who are no longer with us, APP is here to support you. Our volunteers are on the forum every day of the year, or you can request email or video call support here.

BBC Appeal

Our BBC Radio 4 appeal will be airing very soon. Make a note in your diaries for 7.54am on Sunday 24th March to hear the first broadcast live (it will also broadcast again later that day at 9.25pm, and again on Thursday 28th at 3.27pm, plus it will be available forever via BBC Sounds).

Our ambassador Laura Dockrill (pictured above) is presenting our appeal and we’re so excited for everyone to hear it. We would love you all to help us spread the word about – please look out for posts on our social media platforms (@ActionOnPP) from 14th March onwards and like, comment and share!

We’d also like to ask you to invite your friends, family and networks to listen in and be part of the campaign – raising awareness of PP really does save lives. Could you host a listening party – get a group of friends or colleagues together for a cup of tea and listen in? Or perhaps simply send a message with a link to listen to your most active WhatsApp groups?

If you have been helped by APP, we’d love to make a collage of selfies of people from our network holding a piece of paper with one word that expresses what peer support means to you (see the picture of APP National Coordinator Jenny Stevenson below for an example), or maybe you could send us a short quote about what peer support means to you. Please send them to us by 11th March. We’ll be using these words and images for a social media campaign around the time of our broadcast.

Most importantly, listen in and share with as many people as you can! All donations up to £25,000 will be matched by a generous donor - so your support will make a massive difference.

New billboard campaign

This March keep an eye out for our first ever APP billboard campaign which will be popping up on digital billboards all over the UK. The impactful initiative has been made possible through the support of the JCDecaux Community Channel and the creative design expertise of agency Mother. If you see one out and about, and it’s safe to do so, please do take a picture and share on social media, tagging @ActionOnPP.

You can read more about the billboard campaign here.

Miles for Mums and Babies

Our Miles for Mums and Babies challenge is just around the corner, and we’d love you to start thinking about how you might like to get involved.

Each year to mark Maternal Mental Health Week, we ask our supporters to take on a challenge to help raise funds and awareness for APP. In 2023, we had runners, cyclists, swimmers, paddleboarders, toddlers and hikers taking part all over the country. With Miles for Mums and Babies, you choose your own challenge: pick a number that means something to you – maybe the number of miles you or your family had to travel to the Mother and Baby Unit where you were treated – and decide how you want to complete those miles. You could do it alone, with a friend, or get a whole team together. Do it in one day, over a week, or across the month. It’s entirely up to you! Get inspired and find out more here or email Fliss at fundraising@app-network.org for more information.

Chester MBU groundbreaking

APP staff and volunteers were delighted to attend the official groundbreaking ceremony in January for Chester’s new Mother and Baby Unit.

The eight-bed unit which will support new and expectant parents across Cheshire, Merseyside and North Wales will be called Seren Lodge. The name has been chosen by mums who have experienced postpartum psychosis. APP volunteer Nia said: “It was important to the group to choose a name which signified hope and positivity, but also something which was welcoming to families no matter where they live. The name ‘Seren’ translates as ‘star’ in Welsh and ‘lodge’ felt homely and not clinical at all, which we thought was perfect.”

The picture above shows APP volunteers Sarah (front row, second left) and Nia (front row, third right), along with APP’s national co-ordinator Hannah Bissett (front row, 2nd right) at the ceremony.

You can read more about this news story here.

Seren Lodge is due to open next winter and is a result of a partnership between Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (CWP), Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCHUB), Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust, NHS England and NHS Wales.

Women’s Winter Webinar: understanding postpartum psychosis

Experts and women with lived experience from APP took part in a webinar on the latest postpartum psychosis research earlier this week.

The event was part of the National Centre for Mental Health’s Women’s Winter Webinar series. The sessions aim to raise awareness of the conditions featured and are open to the general public as well as health professionals and those with an interest in mental health research.

If you missed the live event, a recording of the webinar will be available on the NCMH’s YouTube channel.

Books about PP

Will You Read This, Please?, edited by Joanna Cannon, is a collection of stories from people about living with mental illness. The opening chapter has been written by Jenn Ashworth and Nicola Knight, who has lived experience of postpartum psychosis. The book also features a chapter by author and APP Ambassador, Catherine Cho.

Joanna will be chairing a special event at the Southbank Centre in London on 19th May. In “Stories of Living with Mental Illness” the panel will share their experiences of working on the book and highlight illnesses which aren’t often discussed or written about. You can book tickets here.

The Snow Globe by Jenny Pagdin is a poetry collection detailing Jenny’s own experience of PP. The book includes poems of pregnancy, birth, illness, and shame as well as rebuilding, love, and hope.

Jenny says: “Postpartum psychosis only affects around two in every thousand births, and stigma makes it difficult for people to share first-person accounts. Poetic accounts are especially rare. The Snow Globe employs a wide range of forms, oftentimes bespoke to this collection, reflecting multiple and jarring realities.”

Mark Williams’ new book How Are You, Dad? tells his story of coming through depression following the birth of his son and how his experience inspired his campaigning work including founding International Father’s Mental Health Day. The book also features a contribution/chapter from Simon O’Mara, APP’s Partner Peer Support Coordinator.

In Mad Mothers: A memoir of postpartum psychosis, abuse, and recovery, Lorna May Davies tells her story of developing postpartum psychosis after the birth of her daughter. Lorna decided to write the book to help people understand and overcome PP.

APP’s Book Club is meeting via Zoom on Wednesday 13th March to discuss Matrescence: On the Metamorphosis of Pregnancy, Childbirth and Motherhood by Lucy Jones. New members are always welcome. You can book your free place here.

In the media

APP volunteer Tara and Chief Executive, Dr Jess Heron, spoke to the Guardian about the need to improve access to Mother and Baby Units. Tara also shared her story with Belfast Live.

APP Storyteller Ruth shared her postpartum psychosis experience with OK!

Our storyteller Emily shared her story in the Express and the Mirror.

APP’s Training Coordinator, Dr Sally Wilson, took part in a discussion about postpartum psychosis from the Beyond Baby Blues Podcast series.

Thank you to our fundraisers

A massive thank you to everyone taking part in a fundraiser for us this month – challenge season is definitely up and running again!

Andrew Rolfe completed the Paris Half Marathon last weekend. Fionnuala Sutton is taking on 10k in Nottingham next weekend. And Chris, Emma and their son Arthur will be running the Hampton Court Palace Half Marathon on 24th March as a family.

Also, a big thank you to everyone who has hosted a Facebook birthday fundraiser for us. Already this year we have raised £1,284 and it's only March!

Coming up next month, we have APP runners taking part in the London Landmarks Half Marathon, Brighton Marathon, Rutland Half, the Paris Marathon and we even have four runners taking on the official London Marathon. Fancy a challenge later in the year? Get in touch: fundraising@app-network.org.

Mums and mental health survey

The National Centre for Mental Health (NCMH) and Action on Postpartum Psychosis are working together to understand more about the causes and triggers of severe mental illness during pregnancy and following childbirth. You are invited to take part in this research if you have experienced postpartum psychosis or other severe mental illness around childbirth. For more information and to sign up to participate, please click here.

Dates for your diary

International Women’s Day, Friday 8th March
Mother’s Day, Sunday 10th March
APP Lancashire and south Cumbria virtual café group meet up, Monday 11th March
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.
APP Northern Ireland virtual café group meet up, Thursday 14th March
APP Birmingham face to face café group meet up in Birmingham, Friday 15th March
APP Lancashire and south Cumbria face to face café group meet up in Preston, Friday 15th March
APP Manchester face to face café group meet up in Manchester, Friday 15th March
APP Scotland face to face café group meet up in Edinburgh, Saturday 16th March
APP Sussex and Hampshire face to face café group meet up, Saturday 16th March
APP Yorkshire virtual café group meet up in Sheffield, Tuesday 19th March
APP dads and co-parents virtual café group meet up, Wednesday 20th March
World Storytelling Day, Wednesday 20th March
World Poetry Day, Thursday 21st March
APP London virtual café group meet up, Thursday 21st March
APP Black Country face to face café group meet up in Walsall, Tuesday 26th March
World Bipolar Day, Saturday 30th March
APP Manchester face to face café group meet up in Manchester, Friday 26th April
APP Black Country face to face café group meet up in Walsall, Tuesday 30th April

Contact information for all APP café groups is available here.

Events and conferences

Black Maternal Health Conference UK, Monday 18th March

Organised by the Motherhood Group, this London conference features keynote speakers and panel discussions focusing on how health equity for Black mothers can be achieved. More details and ticket booking here.

Bipolar UK annual conference, Saturday 20th March

Free annual conference which is the culmination of a week-long series of online events, including:

8pm-9pm Tuesday 26th March – Rotary Bipolar eClub hosts an ‘in conversation with’ session with a special guest
12.30pm-1.30pm Thursday 28th March – Bipolar Research Webinar: The world’s leading bipolar-focused researchers share their latest projects, findings and advice to help you live well with bipolar
6pm-8pm Saturday 30th March – Flagship Conference Event, featuring an inspiring speaker, an expert Q&A on bipolar at work, and a round-up of the charity’s activities past, present and future. Sign up here.
12.30pm-1.30pm Tuesday 2nd April – Panel Discussion: Can Advance Choice Documents save bipolar lives?

There’s more information about the week and the annual conference here.

If you would like to advertise your event here, please get in touch: app@app-network.org.

29 February 2024

Action on Postpartum Psychosis launches nationwide awareness campaign with billboards across the UK

In a groundbreaking move to raise awareness about postpartum psychosis, the charity Action on Postpartum Psychosis (APP) is launching a powerful billboard campaign across the United Kingdom throughout March. The impactful initiative has been made possible through the support of the JCDecaux Community Channel and the creative design expertise of agency Mother.

Postpartum psychosis is a treatable medical emergency that affects new mothers, occurring within the first few weeks or months after childbirth. Raising awareness about this illness is crucial to ensure timely intervention and support for the mums and families affected.

The new billboard campaign aims to raise awareness about the condition and signpost to the resources and support APP offers. In addition, there will be a week of billboards promoting an appeal on behalf of the charity by author and APP ambassador Laura Dockrill which will be broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on 24th March.

The visually striking designs have been crafted with the pro-bono help of Mother, a renowned creative agency, and developed with leading academic experts as well as those with lived experience of postpartum psychosis. They seek to capture attention and prompt conversation on a scale that hasn’t been achieved before.

Working in partnership with the JCDecaux Community Channel, the campaign is running across digital billboards in major cities across the UK, amplifying the reach of APP's message. More than one million people a week are expected to see the billboards, which will be in high traffic areas.

Chris Dooley, Head of Social Impact at JCDecaux UK, said: “We are proud to be working in partnership with APP to raise awareness around postpartum psychosis and the support the charity offers to all those affected. The JCDecaux Community Channel creates real value through the power of the public screen and aims to amplify Out-of-Home’s role as a force for good in the community.”

The campaign kicks off on Monday 4th March, coinciding with International Women’s Day (8th) and Mother’s Day (10th). APP’s appeal with author and APP ambassador Laura Dockrill will be on BBC Radio 4 on 24th March.

Action on Postpartum Psychosis would like to thank the JCDecaux Community Channel and Mother for their invaluable support.

As we embark on this impactful campaign, APP is encouraging people to join the conversation on social media. If you see one of the billboards (and it’s safe to do so) please take a picture or video and share, tagging @ActionOnPP.

You can find out more about help and support with postpartum psychosis here.

To donate to APP’s Radio 4 appeal during appeal week, starting 24th March, visit the Radio 4 Appeal webpage or search online for BBC Radio 4 Appeal.

There are lots of ways to support us and get involved with APP. We'd love you to join us. Sign up to our network here.

27 February 2024

Laura's story: I woke up in hospital on my first Mother’s Day

It was 2018. Hugo and I had an extremely happy, healthy, normal pregnancy. There was no reason anything should go wrong, no warning signs. But when it came to the birth itself, I ended up having a really traumatic labour and a C-section, and we were told our gorgeous little boy, Jet, had been starving in the womb.

Once he arrived safely, Jet needed to feed all the time to get his weight back up. I was already sleep deprived and was scared and in shock from the labour, so I started feeling all these feelings – anxiety, fear and restlessness. I had no idea how you were supposed to feel after giving birth, and I’d never experienced any mental health problems prior to this, so I thought it must be normal.

Jet and I were kept on a ward because he was underweight and I had been through such a traumatic birth. But being in such a distressed state, to me it felt like a carousel of hell. One baby would wake up, one mum would be crying, one dad would be crying. It all felt too much, I was completely unable to sleep and I was feeding Jet non-stop around the clock.

Then my feelings of dread and doom massively intensified.

I felt like something really, really bad was going to happen but I just couldn’t put my finger on it. I kept thinking that when we get home with Hugo we’ll all be OK and things will calm down. But that couldn’t have been further from the truth.

When we arrived back home it felt as though I was in some kind of vacant holiday home. It didn’t feel like the home I loved. Within days – possibly even hours – I was experiencing racing thoughts, delusions, I couldn’t eat, sleep or concentrate on anything. I was very unwell but looking back I do feel I was explaining my symptoms quite coherently to the health professionals. However, I wasn’t given any diagnosis and we were more or less left to get on with it.

The delusions started becoming obvious to others soon after, particularly to Hugo. I started thinking that every ambulance or police car was coming for me, that teddy bears had cameras in their eyes and that Hugo was trying to steal our baby. Eventually, I became suicidal.

I was admitted to a psych ward when Jet was just three weeks old.

At that point I was so out of touch with reality I wasn’t sure if I was going to a police station, a zoo or an asylum to be locked up. The idea of a psych ward feels like a frightening place anyway but now I know that psychiatric patients are just like anyone else – just like you and me. In fact, more than anything, being admitted to the psych ward actually filled me with relief – I felt that I’d finally found the right type of help that was needed.

Waking up the next morning alone in this room with no baby, no Hugo and these starchy white sheets, I realised that it was the first time I’d slept in three weeks. I remember the nurses saying ‘it’s Sunday today so just chill’ but my brain was racing in some kind of frantic hell. It was, in fact, my first Mother’s Day.

I started therapy from the Monday alongside people in addiction, or diagnosed with a personality disorder or schizophrenia, and it took me a while to work out why I was there. But I’m pleased I’m a bit of a goodie two-shoes because I did everything the doctors told me – attending the sessions, taking the meds. But recovery was really up and down, and for a while I was still occasionally thinking that Hugo was part of a conspiracy.

After two weeks in hospital I fell into a deep depression - which in some ways felt worse. Depression has this awful effect of making you feel like you’re in debt to everyone for everything. I felt guilty because I’d taken time out from motherhood – but it wasn’t like I was snorkelling in the Maldives!

I was on anti psychotics, antidepressants, sleeping pills – I felt like a zombie mum, so I certainly couldn’t just get back to parenting no problem. Hugo and I really relied on our bond and our trust. My conspiracies were off the wall, but Hugo really knew me and helped me, giving me time and patience.

I was also really worried that my bond with Jet was compromised. But when he bumped his head and he wanted me I kind of thought ah - he does forgive me, he does love me and trust me.

Taking action to recover

There’s a large part of recovery you have to do yourself – you have to take whatever steps you feel able to. I taught myself CBT, read every book that everyone had written on motherhood and mental illness, I spent time with my beautiful friends and family, and met other mums who had been through what I had at APP café groups.

The beautiful thing about losing the plot is that you just don’t care anymore it’s so liberating! Things don’t bother me as much as they used to. Rejections happen all the time in my work as a writer and I more easily take them in my stride these days. And if I trip over in the street I just don’t care - I’ve waved goodbye to shame and guilt – they are useless emotions that we really don’t need. And to think that Hugo and Jet would ever hold me accountable for this illness that wasn’t my fault was just ridiculous.

Writing my memoir has also really helped me.

I think Hugo and my family were worried it might be too triggering for me but it really does come down to acceptance – I wasn’t trying to rail against it or be angry at it. Writing about it is like trying to bottle a night terror. It’s so meta - you’re trying to tell a story within a story. When your brain cracks like that, you believe anything. If you told me at the time that I was a crisp I would have believed you – I might have thought, oh this is because I didn’t look after my hamster when I was ten and he’s getting his own back. Throw into that the irregularities of a newborn, the spontaneity, the unpredictability, the expectations – it’s a complete recipe for madness.

But we made it out alive! And writing played an important part in helping me to process what we had been through. It was like the final part of my recovery.

Laura’s book, What Have I Done? is published by Square Peg and available from all good bookstores. To find out more click here.

Laura also presents a BBC Radio 4 Appeal for APP, broadcasting on 24th March 2024.

5 February 2024

Name revealed for new Mother and Baby Unit

The name of a new regional Mother and Baby mental health unit has been revealed.

Preparatory building work officially started in November on the £7.5m single storey building, which is the first of its kind across Cheshire, Merseyside, and North Wales.

The name ‘Seren Lodge’ has been chosen by Mums who have experienced maternal mental ill-health and features a nod to the new cross-border partnership with NHS Wales.

Nia Foulkes, APP storyteller, said: “It was important to the group to choose a name which signified hope and positivity, but also something which was welcoming to families no matter where they live. The name ‘Seren’ translates as ‘star’ in Welsh and ‘lodge’ felt homely and not clinical at all, which we thought was perfect.

Sarah Dearden, APP storyteller, added: “Having previously been admitted to a unit which was really far away from home, it is particularly exciting to see the new site as it today and know that our ideas and designs are being put into action. Units like this make a huge impact by keeping babies and their mothers together at a crucial time.”

The unit is a result of a partnership between Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (CWP), Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCHUB), Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust, NHS England and NHS Wales and will see a disused training centre transformed into a new specialist, eight bedded unit for perinatal mothers, babies and their families. Once open the unit will work alongside the existing regional Community Perinatal Mental Health service who already care for thousands of women every year.

The occasion was marked with a special ground-breaking ceremony. Mums from across the region joined members of the clinical, construction and project teams to place the first official spade in the ground.

Preparatory work on the project is progressing well with both external and internal designs agreed, enabling building works underway and recruitment for the new centre set to begin imminently.

Suzanne Edwards, CWP director of operations and deputy CEO, said: “The new unit will support new and expectant mothers in a therapeutic environment which has been purposefully designed for people experiencing maternal mental health difficulties, such as post-natal depression, psychosis or a relapse of an existing mental health condition.

“It is estimated that one in four women experience mental health problems in pregnancy and during the 24 months after giving birth. Whilst only a small number of women will need admission to a specialist unit like Seren Lodge, I’m delighted that we’ll be able to offer this care closer to home, in addition to the thousands of families we see in the community every year.”

A group of people in hi vis jackets and hard hats, holding a spade. The photo includes APP storytellers Sarah (front row, second left) and Nia (front row 3rd right), along with APP’s national co-ordinator Hannah Bissett (front row 2nd right) join the team to celebrate the groundbreaking — APP storytellers Sarah (front row, second left) and Nia (front row 3rd right), along with APP’s national co-ordinator Hannah Bissett (front row 2nd right) join the team to celebrate the groundbreaking

Dr Alberto Salmoiraghi, medical director for Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board’s Mental Health and Learning Disabilities Division, said: “We’re delighted that Seren Lodge will enable high quality specialist care to be provided to new and expectant mothers from across North Wales, Cheshire, Wirral, and Merseyside in a purpose built, recovery focused environment.

“Women from North Wales who have a lived experience of perinatal mental illness have played a central role in designing this new service and we’re very pleased to see that this is reflected in the name of the unit. We look forward to continuing to work with our partners in Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust to deliver this much-needed unit.”

Once open, Seren Lodge will provide a home from home for women and their babies and include a nursery, sensory room, and multiple lounges to support quiet time and family visits. Having access to outside spaces is central to the development with two garden areas and a walking pram loop, with families benefitting from close access to the Countess Country Park.

Dr Jessica Heron, APP’s chief executive, added:
“We are so delighted to see the progress being made. The new unit will mean new mothers across North Wales, Cheshire and Merseyside with severe postnatal illness will be cared for appropriately and supported with parenting, without having to travel miles from their families to other areas of the UK or ending up in adult psychiatric wards separated from their newborn. APP has been working with the team to ensure the voices of lived experience are heard throughout the development process, inputting into the design and functionality of the MBU. APP volunteers are keen to ensure the unit meets the needs of families from across North Wales and Cheshire and Merseyside.”

Seren Lodge is set to open next winter.

23 January 2024

APP January newsletter

January 2024 newsletter

APP in 2024

APP’s Chief Executive, Dr Jess Heron, explains APP’s priorities for the coming year.

“Thank you from everyone at APP for your support in 2023. We have some exciting plans for 2024 - and we would love you to get involved.

I must warmly thank the University of Birmingham for hosting APP as a research network for more than 25 years, and as a charity for the past 13 years. We have achieved great change over this period and we are so thankful for the University’s support. APP is now an independent charity, but we’ll maintain links with The Institute of Mental Health at Birmingham University, The National Centre for Mental Health at Cardiff University and we’re developing new links with the National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit at Oxford University.

In 2024, we’ll continue our focus on peer support, health professional training, awareness-raising, campaigning and research.

PEER SUPPORT: APP’s national peer support project has grown every year since its inception, supporting women, partners and grandparents throughout the UK, via: email, phone, video call, community forum, in person meet-ups, regional café groups, wellbeing and creative activities. In 2024, our new Muslim women’s café group will continue, and we will launch a new group for Black women. We will develop a new bereavement support online group. We’re also conducting work to understand the legal, rights-based and employment issues faced when recovering from PP, and developing web content on managing suicidal thoughts during recovery.

TRAINING: We’re working on our first two e-modules to extend the reach of our health professional training. These in-depth modules will complement our full day online and in-person courses for NHS teams, and our shorter lived experience talks. In October, the second annual Alex Baish memorial lecture will focus specifically on helping GPs to prevent maternal suicide.

CAMPAIGNING: We’ll continue our campaign to ensure that all women affected by PP have access to a Mother and Baby Unit (MBU) and that policy-makers understand the value of these services. We’ll maintain pressure for the delivery of an MBU in Northern Ireland, working with our NI café group, storytellers and linking with journalists, MPs and third sector partners. Our lived experience engagement work with the new N Wales/Chester MBU will continue, and we’ll carry on supporting calls for an MBU in north Scotland. We’re assessing the impact of our campaign for all expectant parents to be given information about postpartum psychosis during pregnancy and continuing to share our antenatal education toolkit widely to midwives, health visitors, birth educators and GPs.

AWARENESS-RAISING: We’d love your help to share our BBC Radio 4 Charity Appeal, which will be broadcast on 24th March. We’ll be in touch to ask you to make short clips on your phone about why APP is important to you and why you want people to support us. It is a fantastic opportunity to raise funds and awareness of PP and we are delighted to have been selected as one of this year’s charities. Our media team have a year-long programme of awareness-raising media and creative pieces, working with lived experience storytellers, to reduce stigma and promote hope for recovery.

RESEARCH: We are continuing our work with researchers at Cardiff University on clinical and genetic studies- look out for our webinar in March reporting findings from this collaboration. We’re working with sleep researchers and recovery researchers on new studies that we hope will receive funding.

We rely on your donations to do our work. To make a one off or regular donation, visit: www.bit.ly/APPdonate or to become a fundraiser or hold a fundraising event, get in touch. We’re always looking for more people to get involved. To find out more about training as a peer supporter, storyteller or lived experience speaker, email us.

Thank you for everything you do to support us – and I look forward to seeing you during the year.”

Café groups

APP runs monthly peer support social/café groups, which are informal friendly spaces to share experiences and meet others who have also had psychosis in the perinatal period.

Most of our groups meet both in-person and on Zoom. We have regional groups for London, Sussex and Hampshire, Wales, Scotland, NI, Yorkshire, North East/Newcastle, Birmingham, Black Country, Lancashire and South Cumbria, and Manchester.

We also have a group that meets every other month on Zoom which is for anyone who lives in the UK. The next meeting for this group will be on Thursday 8th February, 7.30pm - 9pm and you can sign up on Eventbrite here.

Our group for Muslim women who have experienced psychosis in the perinatal period will next meet up on 8th February, at 12.30pm - 2pm. You can sign up on Eventbrite.

Information about all our peer support, including upcoming café group dates, details of our regular groups for dads/co-parents and grandparents and how to join, is on our website.