15 August 2024

Sarah takes to the skies for APP!

This August, Sarah Horton will be skydiving from 10,000ft over the coast of Cornwall to raise funds and awareness.

Sarah has bravely chosen to take on this challenge after her partner Charity became ill with postpartum psychosis (PP) after the birth of their triplets three years ago.  You can read more about their story here.

Charity explains: 'Sarah decided to fundraise predominantly because PP is a relatively unknown illness (we had no knowledge of it) and something that hit us out of the blue and affected us personally and we now feel, after therapy, we have come out the other side.
It was quite comforting when I was in the psychiatric unit to be given APP leaflets explaining what I had and that there was an existing charity made up of people who knew exactly how we felt. Sarah said she wants to 'give back' - without the existence of APP giving support, researching and all of those people in the NHS who came to our aid and helped our recovery our story could've been so different.
When people ask me what I want for my birthday I always say, I don't want anything, just please donate to APP because that means more to me than any gift (and I mean that in the most non-cringey way!).
It is so important that research continues, this awful illness is so soul destroying and confusing to suffer, it leaves you feeling robbed of what is supposed to be a magical life event so it's vitally important to find out the real reason it happens so that people can move forward and be happy.
The more we shout about it, the more people will recognise the signs in the loved ones - awareness is key.  I said to Sarah the other day, I'd love to do a run or something to raise money but the reality is I'm unfit and don't have the time with 3 toddlers to train and that's where Sarah said she'd skydive for me!'
Thank you so much to both of you for sharing your story, and good luck to Sarah for your skydive, we can't wait to hear all about it!
13 August 2024

Leanne’s story: Reading other people’s recovery stories has allowed me to process what happened to me

I have always been a worrier, but I felt pregnancy was a particularly long and very anxious time in my life. I only really began to relax towards the end and then suddenly here she was!

She was actually ten days overdue when we toddled to hospital for induction in May 2022. Labour was long, and it ended in a forceps delivery which was difficult.

Post delivery, though, I began perking up. I was in theatre, and, because we love Grey's Anatomy, it was kind of exciting to be there. Plus, I finally got some pain relief. But looking back, it's hard to determine if those feelings were actually the start of my symptoms of postpartum psychosis (PP).

Immediately after the birth, my husband and I burst into tears of happiness. I was on cloud nine, and for a fair stretch of time I rarely came back down. Just over a week after giving birth, I was diagnosed with PP and our world stopped turning.

We had been discharged two days after the birth and were at home for six days. Whilst at home I was struggling to breastfeed and found being a new mum challenging. However, I was in awe of our newborn and could not process the sheer amount of joy and stimulation she had brought to our lives. The first memories of her meeting friends and family were magical and I didn't want to miss a thing. So I didn't. Within the first six days I literally only slept a handful of hours which really took its toll. It's difficult to know if the lack of sleep triggered PP or if the lack of sleep was a symptom of PP. I'm sure this must be a common conundrum amongst other survivors.

It started off gradually but things became rapidly worse.

My behaviour became really out of character, and my husband described me as a different person. I had the energy of a Duracell bunny, talking erratically and making less and less sense as things progressed. My moods were very up and down but, because we were first time parents and had been told about baby blues and hormones, it took us a week to call for help as we thought it must be normal. But I progressively got worse and fluctuated between euphoric highs and tearful lows. I began gathering items for a tool kit in a strange manner which concerned everyone.

When we eventually called NHS 24 they recommended that I should go straight to A&E. From there, I was admitted to the Mother & Baby Unit (MBU) where I stayed with my daughter for the next five weeks, at first voluntarily and then under section.

After entering hospital I declined even further and it was clear that I was extremely unwell. Despite mainly being on a high and euphoric, I was also confused and angry at the situation and responded slowly to medication, leading to the decision to receive Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT), which was a turning point in my recovery. I began to improve almost immediately - within just two sessions. The effects allowed me to slow down and rest and in turn begin to process things at a more suitable speed.

After both myself and my daughter tested positive for Covid the decision was taken that we would best recover at home. We were close to beginning the transition to home visits and I received great support from the MBU and the Acute Care and Support Team. At the time I was desperate to get home and begin our life as a family of three, however this was just the beginning in accepting what had happened.

I have since struggled a lot with the stigma of having mental health issues which is why I became so interested in raising awareness around the topic and sharing my story. When I was ill I became obsessed with music and the playlist I had prepared for labour. Sadly, we were never able to use it during the birth but, because I have always loved music, I have since found it therapeutic to listen to during my recovery. I have also enjoyed reading memoirs written by survivors as well as other books focusing on perinatal mental health. Reading different recovery stories has been the most helpful thing to process what happened to me in peace and feel like my story and feelings are valid. Despite the challenging symptoms and experiences that I would not wish on anyone, reading that I was not alone and that others had experienced similar things was the biggest help in terms of finding acceptance.

On the ward I regularly put my checkered Vans on (I thought of them as my ‘getaway shoes’) and tried to make a break for it, but in the time that has passed since leaving hospital there have been many days when I would be grateful to go back to the MBU for a break from my head. I wish it was known that if you require admission and some help at this vulnerable time, that its not something to fear - the care and support on an MBU is incredible, in my experience. I will be eternally grateful to the nurses and psychiatric team who looked after my tiny bundle and me - and also supported my husband and immediate family through a critical period. Having no diagnosed history of mental health issues in the past, my experience came as a big shock for us all as we managed new expectations and grieved the newborn period we had hoped for.

I had no idea such vital and important work was going on every day in a hospital, a few minutes away.

Upon my discharge from the MBU, I received leaflets from the charity Action on Postpartum Psychosis (APP). I have since benefited from their online forum, informative website, one to one support, cafe zoom groups and the continual updates on fundraising and positive recovery stories. Speaking to others who have also experienced PP has been really helpful to me, finding a community and others who can relate to my story makes me feel less alone.

We are now thrilled to be raising money for this incredible charity by walking in the Edinburgh Kiltwalk on Sunday 15th September. The walk is a unique way to raise funds for a charity you care about.

And hopefully, our now two-year-old little red head will meet us at the finish line.

To find out more about Leanne’s Kiltwalk fundraiser and to donate, click here.

12 August 2024

Matt's on a Mission for APP!

This year, Matt, a dad of two from Fleetwood in Lancashire, has been on a mission to get fit at the same time as raising funds and awareness for APP. 

He set himself the challenge of taking on a half marathon AND a triathlon before the end of September, and has been building up to these with lots of running, swimming and cycling throughout the year.  Here Matt explains what he's doing and why he decided to take on this epic challenge:

'At the beginning of the year, I started a health and fitness journey to help myself and my wellbeing.  I am now really enjoying this with many challenges already complete and more to come:

  • 4 x 10k runs complete
  • A half marathon coming up on 25th August (my first ever)
  • A sprint triathlon made up of 400m swim, 20km bike and a 5K run (my first ever) on 22nd September
  • I am now toying with the idea of a marathon in 2025!!!

I thought that this would also be an ideal opportunity to help raise some funds and awareness for a charity.  After doing some research it was a no brainer!  APP was the charity I chose with it being a charity that me and my family can relate to having being personally affected by this illness.

Watching my then partner, now wife, go through postpartum psychosis was really tough. What was supposed to be a happy and exciting time in our lives adding a second child to our already perfect family, turned out a very difficult and testing period for my wife (especially) and I.

When this illness hit, I was not aware what it was, or how this was caused and we had to contact our local midwife team, who then explained in what my wife was experiencing and how it can be helped/treated. We were then referred to our local mental health crisis team who started to diagnose and treat my wife.

This was a long process for us all but the support for my wife at this time was vital. Taking extended time periods off work and changing our short-term living arrangements amongst other changes really helped with the recovery.

It also really helped that we have a very strong and supportive family network around us.

Any funds and awareness I can raise is a massive help – even if I tell just one person about this illness, I feel like this could make a big difference.

I have had a dedicated race top made where local businesses got involved, buying a ‘sponsor’ space for a fee that went straight to my donations page. I am trying everything to get the donations in and counting on the generosity of my community to help.'

You can follow Matt's journey via his instagram page @mattymeck_fitnessjourney, and you can add your support for his mission here.

Matt - you are an inspiration! We can't wait to hear how your first ever half marathon and triathlon go - thank you so much for sharing your journey with us and for your support for APP.

1 August 2024

Sarah's ToughMudder for APP

APP  supporter Sarah Pujol is taking on the gruelling Tough Mudder South West obstacle course to help raise funds for APP and awareness of postpartum psychosis (PP).

Sarah has chosen to take on this challenge to mark three years to the day that she became unwell with PP after the birth of her daughter.

She wants to celebrate how far she's come and use her recovery journey to inspire and make a difference.

Sarah says: 'Tough Mudder, with its gruelling physical and mental challenges, serves as a symbolic representation of my belief that today, there's nothing I cannot overcome. The obstacles on the course reflect the hurdles life throws at us, and as I navigate mud pits and conquer towering walls, I'll be proving to myself and others that, after facing the darkest moments of my life, resilience and inner strength can conquer all.'

She's chosen to support APP through this event because 'APP introduced me to a community of genuine and caring people who helped me navigate the loneliness and complexities of this illness, and played a huge part in my recovery.'

Sarah is now a volunteer peer supporter for APP herself, supporting women and families who have also been affected by PP.

She will be providing regular updates on her training and her progress on the day of her challenge via her instagram page, plus you can read more and add your support for this challenge here.

Thank you Sarah and good luck!

30 July 2024

Kayleigh’s story: I was so unwell I was completely catatonic and unresponsive. But now I feel like we have the perfect family

When I suffered with postpartum psychosis after having my first daughter Daisy in 2014, me and my family had never heard of this illness. I had never suffered from any mental illness in the past but I was lucky that my family and my midwife knew that something wasn't quite right and I got the help I needed very quickly.

My labour with Daisy was long, painful and complicated which ended in me having an emergency c section. When she finally arrived I was so grateful she was here safe and healthy. I was totally in love with her, it felt like I was in a little bubble. The baby who we had waited so long for was here and life was perfect.

A picture of the author, Kayleigh, holding her newborn baby daughter, Daisy who is wearing a white and red sleep suit and red and black hat.
Kayleigh holding her newborn daughter Daisy

When it was time for us to leave the hospital I suddenly felt a huge wave of fear.

This tiny little baby was my responsibility to keep safe. What if I couldn't do it? What if I forgot something? How could I keep her safe from everything? I remember getting her ready to leave the hospital panicking if I had enough layers of clothes on her, would she be warm enough or would she be too hot, had I put her in the car seat right, was her head supported enough....

When we got home things started to get worse. I couldn't sleep at night thinking about all the things I needed to do and worrying I wouldn't have time to do it. I would have bursts of energy feeling like I was able to do everything at once then I would have times when I couldn't even feed Daisy feeling like I would do it wrong. I started making lists in case I forgot to do things like feed her and change her. I was frightened to bath her in case I did it wrong.

I became very suspicious of my midwife and health visitor thinking that they were coming to take my baby away from me and that they had been planning this my whole pregnancy thinking I was a bad mam. When watching telly I thought I was getting messages warning me that bad things were going to happen, that our family dog would attack the baby.

On advice from my midwife I was taken back to the maternity ward where things got frighteningly worse. I suddenly lost sight of reality and thought I had died during childbirth and that I was going to hell for something bad I had done. I remember screaming out to my husband to help me as I didn't know what to do. I was assessed by the mental health crisis team and the decision was made to section me as by this time I wasn't communicating. I had gone into a catatonic state and I couldn't move my body. I remember being put into a wheelchair and I didn't know where I was going. I felt like I was in a dream and that I needed to fall or jump to wake myself up.

A bed became available for me and Daisy at St George's Mother and Baby Unit in Morpeth so I was transferred there by ambulance. I could see my family around me but they didn't seem like the people I knew and loved - they felt like intruders or actors. I was very suspicious of them thinking they were going to hurt me.

A photo of the author, Kayleigh, holding her baby girl and brushing her hair while sitting on a bed in the Mother and Baby Unit with a pink blanket
Kayleigh and daughter Daisy in the MBU

When I arrived at the Mother and Baby Unit I thought I was being taken to hell and that I would be locked in a dark room forever and that horrible and unimaginable things were going to happen to me. I was still catatonic so in my mind I was dead and that's why I couldn't move or speak. I was given medication to help me get out of the psychosis but I was still unresponsive so I was then taken to another hospital for a brain scan to see if there was anything else going on. I remember being in the ambulance but I felt like it was all fake like they were trying to trick me into thinking it was all real. At this point I still wasn't aware of what was happening to me and I still hadn't spoken for hours. I remember being put into the machine for the brain scan and thinking I was going to be abducted by aliens. I jumped up and this was the first time I had spoken or moved in hours. The catatonia was over but my thoughts were still spiralling out of control.

I was taken back to the Mother and Baby Unit and as I walked down the corridor I could see all my family waiting for me. I could see white doors at the end of the corridor, which were actually fire exit doors, but in my mind they were the doors to heaven and I was walking there to say my goodbyes to my family.

I don’t remember much after that but the medication must have been taking effect as it helped me to sleep for the first time in days.  When I finally woke, I realised I wasn't actually dead and everyone in my family was ok, my baby was ok. I felt like I had won the lottery. The feeling was unreal and I explained to my family what I had felt and thought. It was as if all the craziness had lifted from my mind and I was me again. I was so happy to be alive.

Unfortunately, that feeling didn't last long and I was hit with a wave of crippling depression which consumed my mind. I felt like I had lost my bond with Daisy and I didn't really want to see any of my family apart from my husband Dave.

I thought I would never get better and was going to spend the rest of my life in hospital.

As the days and weeks passed, I was allowed to try an overnight home visit, thinking back at the time I don't feel I was ready for this. The Mother and Baby Unit had now become my safe place. I knew I could look after Daisy there as I had the help of the nurses. But at home it was all on me and I didn't think I could do it. I was right, as soon as I got home the rooms seemed smaller, the fear, the anxiety, the depression it all came flooding back. Then I hit rock bottom, I felt like I didn't want to be here anymore, I wanted to just curl up in a ball on the floor and die. I needed a way out of this. I couldn't see myself getting any better. I couldn't live like this. I thought Dave, Daisy and my family would all be better off without me. I thought of ways to end my life. This was the lowest I had ever felt.

I had relapsed and couldn't make it through the night at home. I broke down and the only option my family had was to take me back to the Mother and Baby Unit.

Over the next few weeks I was helped by the nursing staff and psychologists to put things in place so that I could return home and I did, this time only for a few hours but it was lovely, totally different from my last home visit. I felt like I was where I should be at home with my beautiful little family.

Home visits became more regular and I was now spending a week at home. Everything was starting to click into place and it felt amazing. I finally believed I could be the mam that I had always wanted to be. I was discharged from the Mother and Baby Unit after six weeks and could finally start enjoying normal life again as a family. I was to continue with my medication for 12 months and be supported by a community mental health nurse who would visit me at home. I continued to recover from the illness but did relapse a year later, again out of the blue, but this time I could be supported at home and did not need to be admitted.

In 2017 we decided that we would try for another baby. We knew the risks and that there was a 50/50 chance that I would become poorly again but I was determined to put things in place this time to ensure it didn't happen. I was placed under a consultant who I would see regularly and I stopped my medication. We were lucky enough to fall pregnant quite quickly and plans were put in place for me to try to prevent another episode of postpartum psychosis. I was given the option to return to my medication soon after having the baby. I would also stay on the maternity ward for five days after the birth so I could be monitored, and a bed was even held for me at the same Mother and Baby Unit in case I needed it.

Author Kayleigh in a close up photo with her family of four all smiling at the camera with a blue sky background. Left to right Jasmine, Daisy, Kayleigh and husband Dave
Kayleigh’s family: Left to right Jasmine, Daisy, Kayleigh and husband Dave

 

On 1st August 2018 after the most perfect labour our second daughter Jasmine was born and our little family was now complete. I agreed to stay on the maternity ward for five days after birth as that's when my psychosis happened with Daisy and I was advised if it was to happen again it would be the same time frame. Everything was perfect. I didn't have any of the anxiety or depression that I had experienced previously and we could go home and enjoy life as a family of four.

Eight lovely months passed and we were the perfect family. Then one day the hallucinations came back and I started to see and hear things that weren't there. Having felt like this previously I told my husband Dave that I thought my psychosis was happening again. My family contacted the crisis team and by the time they came to assess me I was catatonic again. I was sectioned and admitted for the second time to the same Mother and Baby Unit.  I have been told by my family that this psychosis was way worse than the first and I'm thankful that I actually don't remember a lot of it. I think my mind somehow blocked all the bad stuff out. It took longer for the medication to work this time and after a while my family were concerned that I didn't seem to be getting any better.

It was agreed by my family that I would have electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) which is a treatment that involves sending an electric current through your brain. This causes a brief surge of electrical activity within your brain and helps to relieve severe symptoms of mental health problems. The treatment seemed to work, and I was again allowed home visits starting off with a few hours, then progressing to an overnight stay. Eventually, I was going home for a full week’s home leave.

As with my previous episode of psychosis, I was discharged from the Mother and Baby Unit six weeks after being sectioned. To this day I continue with my medication as I know this is a huge preventative measure to stop me having psychosis in the future.

Author Kayleigh on the right taking a selfie of her with her husband Dave, wearing a purple APP t-shirt during their fundraising walk.
Dave and Kayleigh on their fundraising walk from Sunderland to the Morpeth MBU

It’s now been over five years since my last psychosis and for the first time I’ve felt ready to share my story and raise awareness of this heartbreaking illness. Me and my husband Dave completed a 27 mile charity walk in May for which we walked from our house in Sunderland to St George’s MBU in Morpeth to raise funds for Action on Postpartum Psychosis.  We left our home at 5:40am and arrived at St George’s at 4:10pm, 27 miles and 10 and a half hours later, greeted at the end by our lovely daughters Daisy and Jasmine which was a very special moment.

We have the perfect family with our two beautiful daughters and because of what we have been through together it makes me even more grateful for what we have. The whole experience has definitely brought us closer together.

24 July 2024

APP July Newsletter

Free APP webinar: Essential knowledge for preventing maternal suicide

Book your place on APP’s free webinar – on Wednesday 16th October at 12pm - here. 

Suicide is the leading cause of maternal death in the UK and rates are increasing nationally. APP’s second annual Alex Baish Memorial webinar is aimed at GPs (but all frontline health professionals are welcome) and will outline the actions needed to support and protect women who develop postpartum psychosis (PP). The webinar, delivered in collaboration with The National Centre for Mental Health at Cardiff University (NCMH) and General Practitioners Championing Perinatal Mental Health Care (GPCPC) will include a Q&A session with APP’s clinical, academic and lived experience experts.

More than 2,500 health professionals signed up for last year’s webinar. Of the attendees, 92% rated the training as ‘excellent' and 100% agreed they would change their practice as a result.

Book your free place here and share with your networks to let as many people as possible who work with new mothers know how to join us. 

Annual peer support survey

If you have accessed APP’s peer support services, please tell us what you think by completing our survey.

The survey will take 15-20 minutes to fill in. It is open to anyone who has used APP's peer support service (online forum, café groups, one to one support via email, video/phone call or face-to-face, NHS partnership projects, or any other contact with an APP peer support volunteer or staff member). We would also like to hear from our volunteers who have delivered peer support.

Your responses will help us improve APP’s peer support and report to our funders on the importance of our work. If you have used our service this year, please complete the survey and help us demonstrate how many people our service is reaching. 

The survey can be completed anonymously and is confidential.  Any comments or quotes you may wish to add will also remain anonymous. If you haven't used our peer support service but know someone else who has, please forward the link on to them.

Respond to our survey here. 

Health professional training: book your place 

Book now for our online training “Best practice care in postpartum psychosis” on 5th February 2025.

The one-day online training is suitable for professionals working with pregnant and postnatal women and families. It draws upon cutting-edge research in postpartum psychosis and bipolar disorder and the real experiences of women and families. It will develop confidence in identifying and managing risk, identifying early symptoms, and providing high quality support to women and families from preconception to recovery.

Really brilliant session. Balanced, informed, inspiring, emotional. So raw and real and yet very professional and contained. Best training I've attended in a very long time.

Tickets are now available at the early bird special rate at £165 for bookings made before 29th September.  Tickets cost £195 for places booked after 29th September. Find out more and book here.

If you would like to talk about tailored training for your team, have any questions, or to join our mailing list to hear about further training dates please email: training@app-network.org

Peer support volunteer training day

APP’s peer support service connects people who are recovering from postpartum psychosis (and their loved ones) with others who have been through the experience. Each year we train new volunteers, who offer support on our peer support forum, at our café groups and to individuals.

We were delighted to run a peer support training day on Saturday 22nd June in Birmingham (pictured above). Seven new volunteers joined us to learn about peer support, share experiences and make new friends.

We can’t do what we do without our wonderful volunteers and are thrilled to welcome new supporters to our team.

 It was incredibly inspiring and informative. I came away feeling ready to be part of the APP family.

 

I left the training feeling so empowered, and strong. And even though I was being trained to support others it was incredibly healing for myself too.

 

I feel welcomed into a special family. And I can't wait to get started supporting other mums.


 You can watch a short reel from the day here.

New bereavement peer support project

On 23rd June 2024, APP held our first training day for bereavement peer support volunteers.

We were joined by five new volunteers who want to use their experiences to help provide support for other families who have lost family members to PP.

During the day, which was held at the Barberry National Centre for Mental Health in Birmingham, we discussed the types of information and resources that would be useful for bereaved families. We are incredibly grateful to Rich, Sean, Iain, Don and FM for sharing their experiences. It was an inspiring and moving day, especially seeing peer support in action as trainee volunteers connected with, and learned from, each other. 

Our new volunteers will help us develop web content for bereaved family members in the coming months and develop a peer support group for families bereaved by PP. If you would like to get involved with this project, or hear more as it develops please contact us at app@app-network.org.

Pictured above: APP’s bereavement volunteers with APP Chief Executive Dr Jess Heron, Peer Support trainer Clare Foster and National Peer Support Coordinators Jenny Stevenson and Ellie Ware.

New PP stories from our volunteers

A foot spa on the MBU turned into a really powerful peer support session.

APP’s fantastic volunteers regularly share their experiences of postpartum psychosis to help raise awareness of PP and campaign for improved services. 

Thank you to Shaheda, Eli and Jenny whose stories have recently been added to our website.  

If you have been affected by these stories, need any support, or want to meet others affected by PP, please get in touch. 

Pamper packs to Mother and Baby Units

We’d like to say a huge thank you to Walgreens Boots Alliance for their support of our pamper packs, which have been delivered to every mum currently admitted to a Mother and Baby Unit (MBU).

The packs are made up of beautifully gifted pamper items including moisturiser and soaps, which were donated by Walgreens Boots Alliance. They also contain letters from APP which explain more about our peer support service and link to our website where families affected by PP can find help, information and support.

We have received some lovely feedback from MBUs across the UK. The team at the West of Scotland MBU said:

Huge thank you to @ActionOnPP and @BootsUK for the lovely donation of spring pamper packs for our women. The gifts went down a treat tonight and were very appreciated.

You can read more about the pamper packs on our website. 

Pictured above: APP’s Soukaina Bennani, Hannah Bissett and Natalie Thompson delivering packs to Birmingham MBU. 

Could you share your story at a healthcare professionals conference?  

Are you a black mum who has experienced psychosis in the perinatal period? APP will be at a conference for health professionals on Monday 4th November in London and we’re looking for a volunteer to help out at our stand, raising awareness and helping to improve care for others going through the illness.

We will support you with preparation and provide literature about APP and PP which you can share with delegates on the day. 

Please get in touch with Shaheda or Ellie for more information: shaheda@app-network.org or ellie@app-network.org 

The Birth Experience Study

The Birth Experience Study (BESt) has recently been launched in the UK, led by a team at King’s College London. The survey aims to explore the factors that contribute to a good or bad birth experience, the prevalence of birth trauma and how different models of care impact childbirth experiences.

The research team is interested in hearing from people who have given birth in hospital as well as in other settings. They are looking for experiences from across the UK 

If you have given birth in the last five years and would like to participate in the survey you can do so here.  

Is Psychiatry Working - focus on Mother and Baby Units

The BBC’s Is Psychiatry Working programme focused on postpartum psychosis and how the Mother and Baby Unit model looks after mother, baby and the family unit. 

We’re incredibly grateful to Professor Femi Oyebode and journalist Emma Close for featuring postpartum psychosis in the series. Emma met with APP Chief Executive Dr Jess Heron, National Training Coordinator Dr Sally Wilson and Partners Coordinator Simon O’Hara when planning the programme. APP volunteers Jade and Lee shared their PP experiences on the programme, alongside psychiatrist Dr Trudi Seneviratne, Consultant Perinatal Psychiatrist and Clinical Director at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust. 

You can listen to the programme here. If you have been affected by any of the issues featured in the episode and would like to talk to someone, you can access APP’s peer support service here. 

In the media

APP volunteer Jade shared her postpartum psychosis experience on the Is Psychiatry Working? series. Listen on BBC Sounds.  

Ruth Hanna shared her story in Tyla to raise awareness of PP and APP’s peer support service. 

Sarah shared her PP experience including a stay at a Mother and Baby Unit with The Obs Pod.

Kayleigh’s story was featured in the Northumberland Gazette and Mail Online as part of her Miles For Mums and Babies fundraiser. 

Teresa supported the campaign for a Mother and Baby Unit in Northern Ireland by sharing her story with ITV news. 

APP Ambassador, Laura Dockrill, shared her PP story on the BBC World Service and in the Sunday Times magazine (payment required to access the full article).

Fabulous fundraisers

A big thank you to our recent fundraisers, including Helen Baines and her daughter Amelia who raised £300 with a Big Bake sale at the Methodist Church in Appleton Wiske; a team of pupils from Richard Baish’s school in Oxfordshire who sold all sorts of crafts at their summer fair and raised £80; Cee Jae who took part in a 12 hour online gameathon to mark her birthday; Carole Harris and her team at Burford Golf Club who have organised various events over the last few months. A special shout out to Jade Lloyd (pictured above with her team) who organised a lovely Cream Tea afternoon at her local nursery and raised an amazing £1,700! 

Over the summer, we still have lots of fundraisers taking on challenges for us, so do look out for them and give them a cheer if you’re in the area!

  •       Will Swannell is taking part in the London Tri on 28th July
  •       Sarah Pujol is taking on a ToughMudder on 8th August
  •         Cheryl, her son and friends are planning a 10k walk on 17th August
  •       Matt Mecklebrough who is continuing his epic year of challenges for us, with a half marathon in Fleetwood on 25th August
  •       Sarah is skydiving in Cornwall at the end of August

And we have five fabulous runners signed up for the Great North Run on 8th September – Tim, Louisa, Rob, Owen and Philippa! Look out for our social media posts about all out fundraisers and add your support if you can! 

If you’re feeling inspired to take on an event for us in the coming months, or maybe even in 2025, check out our updated challenge page – highlights for next year include the London Landmarks Half, Brighton Marathon, Paris Marathon and so many more - you can now also search by region of the UK if you want to.

Do you or does anyone you know work for the Reed Group? This year, the Reed Group is asking employees to nominate charities to receive £10,000 - one charity a week for 52 weeks - so if you work there or know someone who does, please ask them to nominate APP to be one of the charities! More info here.

10 ways to support APP for free!

We're so grateful to all our supporters for continuing to think of APP and donating to help us support mums and families, but we understand that not everyone may be in a position to donate financially. We've come up with some ideas for ways you can support APP that won't cost you a single penny:

  1. Are you a member of any clubs, societies, or groups - for example a golf club, choir, religious organisation - that could help raise awareness and funds? Let us know!
  2. Sign up with EasyFundraising to raise money as you shop online - we could get some great donations if you're booking summer travel, hotels or airport parking. Plus if we get ten or more new supporters signed up this week, we'll receive a £1 bonus for each new supporter! It costs you nothing and every donation makes a difference, so please take a moment to do this for us and ask everyone you can to do the same! Sign up here.
  3. Got a birthday or anniversary coming up? Set up a Facebook Birthday Fundraiser: https://bit.ly/fbbdayapp
  4. Nominate us for a Movement for Good Award - it takes less than 1 minute and we might win £1000: www.bit.ly/NominateAPP
  5. Do you or anyone you know work for a company that has a charity of the year award, match funds donations, or can nominate charities for funds?
  6. Do you own or work in a shop or business that could host one of our loose change collectors?
  7. Sell any unwanted goods on eBay: https://bit.ly/APPebay
  8. Donate old broken or unwanted jewellery and old banknotes for recycling. Simply fill an A5-sized envelope, print off this freepost address, send it off and APP will receive a donation: https://bit.ly/apprecycle
  9. Recycle your inkjet printer cartridges and raise money for APP. Find out more and get your freepost label here: recycle4charity.co.uk
  10. Like and share all our posts to help us reach even more people.

Got any other ideas of ways you can help raise funds without spending a penny? We’d love to hear from you! Email us at: fundraising@app-network.org

Dates for your diary

APP Black Country face to face café group meet up in Walsall, Wednesday 31st July  

APP Sussex and Hampshire virtual café group meet up, Wednesday 31st July 

APP dads and co-parents virtual café group meet up, Wednesday 21st August

APP Manchester face to face café group meet up, Friday 23rd August 

APP Scotland virtual café group meet up, Thursday 29th August 

APP Black Country face to face café group meet up in Walsall, Wednesday 4th September

APP Northern Ireland virtual café group meet up, Thursday 12th September 

All APP café groups can be booked here. 

Contact information for all APP café groups is available here.

 

APP launches new bereavement peer support project

On 23rd June 2024, APP held our first training day for bereavement peer support volunteers.

We were joined by five new volunteers, all of whom have been bereaved by postpartum psychosis (PP) and who want to use their experiences to help provide support for other families.

During the day, which was held at the Barberry National Centre for Mental Health in Birmingham, we discussed the types of information and resources that would be useful for bereaved families. The ideas and feedback will be used to develop new pages for the APP website and peer support for bereaved families.

We are incredibly grateful to Rich, Sean, Iain, Don and FM for sharing their experiences. It was an inspiring and moving day, especially seeing peer support in action as trainee volunteers connected with, and learned from, each other:

I felt isolated. Other people were getting on with their lives. Being able to talk to other people who have been through what I have gives me a warm feeling.

As well as learning more about the importance peer support could make to families bereaved by PP: 

Feeling like you are usefully doing something for others helps you feel like you are remembering the person you have lost.

Our new volunteers will help us develop web content for bereaved family members in the coming months and develop a peer support group for families bereaved by PP. If you would like to get involved with this project, or hear more as it develops please contact us at app@app-network.org.

Pictured above: APP’s bereavement volunteers with APP Chief Executive Dr Jessica Heron, APP Peer Support trainer Clare Foster and National Peer Support Coordinators Jenny Stevenson and Ellie Ware.

APP’s bereavement peer support project is supported by fundraising in memory of Alex Baish and by the Department of Health and Social Care’s Suicide Prevention VCSE Grant Fund. A total of 79 charities across England have received funding for life-saving suicide prevention services.

18 June 2024

Cee Jae's 12 hour gameathon for APP

APP supporter Cee Jae has been raising awareness and funds for APP via live streaming their xbox games to Twitch for a while, but now Cee Jae has decided to step up their efforts even further, and on 30th June they will be holding an epic one off, 12 hour non stop streaming event, during which they will also share snippets of their journey through postpartum psychosis, alongside their gaming community gang.

Cee Jae is passionate about raising awareness of PP and of APP and says: 'I received some very meaningful support from APP on recovering from postnatal psychosis myself back a few years ago, so this cause is crucial to me.'

Cee Jae has shared some photos with us, saying 'These are from the time when me and Henri were in the MBU and when he came to visit me with his grandmother when I was in acute wards during my time through PP.

 

The photo of me and him all grown up (main photo above) is us today, five years later, still healing from the memories myself and still making more beautiful memories with my little dude.

 

It really is an understatement when I say that I am passionate about spreading awareness. My experience fuels my desire to fundraise for your organisation.'

 
You can add your support for Cee Jae via JustGiving here.

Follow Cee Jae on their Twitch channel (username mush_roomgoblin)

They are promoting their fundraiser, and more details about their recovery from APP in their discord server too.
30th June also just happens to be Cee Jae's birthday - what a great way to celebrate! We're so grateful to you for choosing to spend your birthday doing this for APP!
13 June 2024

APP's delivery of pamper packs to mums in Mother and Baby Units

Action on Postpartum Psychosis is delighted to be working with Walgreens Boots Alliance to deliver pamper packs and resources to every mum currently admitted to a Mother and Baby Unit (MBU).

There are 22 Mother and Baby Units run by the NHS across the UK. APP has Peer Support Workers embedded with these teams in Chorley, Manchester and Birmingham but connecting with Mother and Baby Units more widely is central to our work with mums and families. Hearing from APP can often be the start of a lifelong connection for women to the charity, providing hope and enabling women to access peer support and much more.

A selection of toiletries kindly donated by Boots. The packs are made up of beautifully gifted pamper items including moisturiser and soaps, which have been donated by Walgreens Boots Alliance. They also contain letters from APP which explain more about our peer support service and link to our website where families affected by PP can find help, information and support.

Volunteer Gemma, delivering packs to staff at her local MBU

The idea for pamper packs to MBUs came from APP volunteer Gemma and her husband Stephen. They first organised deliveries in 2020 as a way of providing a small boost to mothers who were unwell, providing a little bit of “me time” to help their recovery. Gemma made a delivery of the packs to Brockington Parent and Baby Unit this year (Gemma is pictured left with the packs and Unit staff).

Dr Jess Heron, Chief Executive of Action on Postpartum Psychosis said,

APP’s pamper packs are organised by our lived experience staff and volunteers and go out to inpatient psychiatric Mother and Baby Units. It’s our way of providing a little comfort and hope amid the storm. Everything in the packs has been kindly donated by Boots, a very generous donation to support mums.

A mum who received one of our pamper packs in 2020 said,

I didn’t feel like I deserved anything nice...And then this package was kindly given to me and the other mums on the unit. It was like someone gave me permission to do the things I'd resisted as a form of punishment for myself: i.e. brushing / washing my hair or even showering. These gifts hold so much meaning to the women who receive them. I cannot thank Action on Postpartum Psychosis enough for this gift...

This year Walgreens Boots Alliance staff have gone above and beyond to support the distribution of the pamper packs, volunteering their time to parcel up the gifts, folding letters and getting the packs ready for shipping (pictured below).  Staff have also kindly volunteered to hand deliver the packs to MBU’s near their offices - adding a really personal touch to their support. The pamper packs would not be possible without the generous support of Walgreens Boots Alliance.  We would like to thank them all for their invaluable help.

Staff at Boots volunteering to parcel up the gifts
We have received some lovely feedback from MBUs across the UK. The team at the West of Scotland MBU said:

Huge thank you to @ActionOnPP and @BootsUK for the lovely donation of spring pamper packs for our women. The gifts went down a treat tonight and were very appreciated.

Social media post of packs arriving at West of Scotland MBU

And further feedback from staff at Combewood MBU, sharing on social media:

Thank you @actiononpp for sending such thoughtful self-care packs for our mums.

Deliveries being made to Birmingham (left below) and Leeds (right below) MBUs by APP staff.

If you’re interested in being involved in future pamper pack projects, please get in touch app@app-network.org.

BBC Radio 4 Appeal Round Up

Thank you to everyone who supported APP’s BBC Radio 4 Appeal which was broadcast on 23rd March 2024. 

It provided us with an incredible opportunity to reach new audiences, raise awareness of postpartum psychosis as well as APP, and raise vital funds to support our work.

The broadcast is still available to listen to here: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001xm04

The appeal aimed to raise funds and awareness, and reach people who had not heard of APP before.

Our ambassador, author Laura Dockrill presented the appeal, which focused on the importance of providing peer support.  As part of the three minute broadcast, Laura shared some of her own PP story, and made a suggested donation ask of £34 which could enable APP to reach out to and support a new mum affected by PP.

All donations made to the appeal were matched by a generous donor.

Alongside the appeal we also successfully applied for an electronic billboard campaign with JC Decaux - this was live for four weeks during March 2024, with a focus on the BBC appeal for one week.

 

The appeal raised (with Gift Aid and match funding) £18,977.  The average donation received was £43.

The impact of the appeal goes far beyond the donations though - the awareness raised will have even longer term effects for APP and the families we support:

  • Increased profile for APP - only 49 charities are chosen for BBC Radio 4 appeals each year.
  • Our electronic billboard campaign reached 16 million people across the UK.
  • MBUs and perinatal mental health teams across the country were invited to listen in, several did and some held listening parties and cake sales to mark the broadcast.
  • New people found APP - we received letters and emails from individuals who had been personally affected by PP.
  • The appeal and billboard campaign was shared by Maternal Mental Health Alliance, NCT, Royal College of Midwives, iHealthVisiting, Pandas UK and others.
  • Huge reach and lots of engagement on social media during the month of the appeal (158,000 reach, a 76% increase on the previous month!) including shares from Laura Dockrill, singer Paloma Faith, musician Hugo White, author Catherine Cho and others.
  • Anecdotal evidence of increase in referrals to local perinatal mental health teams.
  • Significant increase in number of new users on our forum.

Some quotes from donors:

‘I am giving a donation as I listen to the Radio 4 appeal - as it was something that happened in our family but was never talked about - our great grandmother died in an asylum in 1901 having been admitted following the birth of my grandmother in 1900. Last year I went to read the medical notes in the public record offices - she was an inmate for a harrowing 10 months, her behaviour - she believed her body was not her own and wished it destroyed - all meticulously recorded by the staff. Sadly she died of an unrelated infection. My grandmother never had a mother. So to find out your charity exists is a good thing. Good luck with your future.’

‘I’m so glad you're raising awareness about this. My mother was a sufferer’

‘I follow Laura Dockrill on Instagram and I saw she had posted about the campaign on Radio 4, which is why I have donated. I know two people who have a suffered from postpartum psychosis and after going through peri and post natal depression myself, I’m so grateful charities such as APP exist. Keep up the good work!’

Our Impact Story is live on the BBC Radio 4 Charity Appeal website.

Thank you to everyone for getting involved, donating, sharing our social media posts, holding events and using this appeal as a way to start new conversations about PP and maternal mental health.