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If you might harm yourself or your baby
If you feel you may act on thoughts of harming yourself or your baby, treat it as an emergency. Do not stay alone with the baby if you think you cannot keep everyone safe.
Call 999 now if there is immediate danger, or go to the nearest A&E department straight away. If you can, ask a partner, family member, neighbour, or friend to stay with you and help you get urgent care.
Who to contact right away
In an emergency, call 999 and say clearly that this is a mental health crisis and you are worried about harming yourself or your baby. The operator can arrange an ambulance or other emergency response.
If you are able to speak to someone from the NHS, call your GP surgery and ask for an urgent same-day assessment. You can also contact your local NHS urgent mental health helpline if your area has one.
What to do while waiting for help
Move anything you could use to hurt yourself or the baby out of reach, if you can do so safely. This includes medicines, sharp objects, cords, and anything else you are worried about.
Place the baby in a safe place, such as a cot, and step away if needed. If possible, ask another adult to take over caring for the baby until you are seen by a professional.
NHS and crisis support options
Many areas in England have NHS 24-hour mental health crisis lines. You can call these for immediate advice, support, and help arranging the right next step.
You may also be seen by the local mental health crisis team, a perinatal mental health service, or urgent care staff at A&E. These services can assess risk and decide whether you need urgent treatment, monitoring, or admission.
Other emergency helplines
If you need someone to talk to while waiting for help, Samaritans are available 24 hours a day on 116 123. They can listen, help you stay safe, and support you through the moment.
If you are worried about your baby and need urgent safeguarding advice, contact your health visitor, midwife, or GP as soon as possible. If you cannot keep your baby safe, emergency services should be contacted immediately.
What happens next
Professionals will focus first on safety for you and your baby. They may ask about thoughts, plans, support at home, medicines, sleep, and whether you can stay safe tonight.
Being honest about how you feel helps them act quickly. You will not be wasting anyone’s time by asking for emergency help, and urgent support is available now.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you think you might harm yourself or your baby, treat it as an emergency. Call 999 or go to A&E now. If you can, tell someone nearby to stay with you and help you keep yourself and your baby safe until help arrives.
Call your GP surgery and ask for an urgent same-day assessment, contact your local NHS mental health crisis team, or go to A&E if there is immediate danger. If you cannot safely wait, call 999.
Call 999 right away if you feel you may act on thoughts of harming yourself or your baby, if you are unable to stay safe, or if someone else needs to help protect you and your baby immediately.
Yes. You can go to A&E at any time if you are in crisis, feel unsafe, or think you may harm yourself or your baby. If needed, ask someone to take you or call an ambulance.
If the risk is immediate, contact 999 or go to A&E. If it is urgent but you are currently safe, contact your GP, midwife, health visitor, or NHS mental health crisis team for same-day help.
Many areas in England have an NHS 24/7 mental health crisis line, but the number varies by area. You can find the local crisis number through NHS 111 online, by calling 111, or by checking your local NHS mental health trust website.
Yes. Call 111 and choose the mental health option if available, or explain that you need urgent postnatal mental health help because you think you may harm yourself or your baby. They can direct you to crisis services.
You should be assessed urgently by a mental health professional or clinician. They will ask about your thoughts, immediate safety, support at home, and what help is needed to protect you and your baby.
If clinicians believe you or your baby are at immediate risk, they may recommend hospital admission or other urgent safeguarding measures. The main goal is to keep everyone safe and get the right treatment quickly.
Sometimes the NHS can arrange urgent home support, crisis team visits, or same-day review if it is safe to do so. If there is immediate risk, hospital or emergency services may be needed instead.
The NHS will usually try to involve supportive people if you agree, because family or trusted adults may help keep you and your baby safe. If there is serious immediate risk, information may be shared without consent if necessary for safety.
It is important to say exactly what you are thinking, even if it feels frightening or shameful. NHS staff are there to help, not judge, and being honest helps them keep you and your baby safe.
Yes. Midwives and health visitors can help you access urgent NHS mental health support and can escalate concerns quickly if they think you or your baby are at risk.
If you feel at risk and are alone, move to a safer place if possible, put your baby somewhere safe such as a cot, and call 999 or 111 urgently. If possible, contact a trusted person to come and stay with you.
Yes. Postnatal psychosis is a medical emergency, and the NHS can provide urgent psychiatric assessment, treatment, and safety planning. Call 999 or go to A&E immediately if you think this may be happening.
Treat thoughts of self-harm seriously and seek urgent help from the NHS. Call 999 if you may act on the thoughts, contact 111 or your GP for immediate advice, or go to A&E if you do not feel safe.
Get urgent help straight away, even if you do not want to act on the thoughts. Call 999 if you think you might lose control, or contact 111, your GP, midwife, or local crisis team immediately for same-day support.
The NHS will usually keep your information private, but confidentiality can be broken if there is a serious risk to you or your baby. In that situation, information may be shared with relevant professionals to protect safety.
If the risk is immediate, you should be seen urgently the same day through emergency services or A&E. If the situation is urgent but not immediately dangerous, the NHS should still arrange rapid assessment, often on the same day.
You can find local NHS crisis support by calling 111, searching your local NHS mental health trust, asking your GP or midwife, or going to A&E if you are in immediate danger. If you cannot stay safe, call 999.
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