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Start with your GP or midwife
Your GP is often the best first step if you are struggling with low mood, anxiety, panic, or feeling overwhelmed after having a baby. They can listen to your concerns and talk through the right NHS support for you.
If you are still seeing a midwife, health visitor, or community maternity team, you can also speak to them. They can help you get a referral or signpost you to local support services.
Health visitors and children’s centres
Health visitors are trained to support parents with both emotional wellbeing and practical parenting concerns. They can help if you are finding sleep, feeding, settling your baby, or coping with daily stress difficult.
In some areas, children’s centres and family hubs offer NHS-linked support, parent groups, or early help services. These can be useful if you feel isolated or want advice in a more informal setting.
Perinatal mental health services
If your mental health symptoms started during pregnancy or after birth, ask about a perinatal mental health service. These NHS specialist services support people with postnatal depression, anxiety, obsessive thoughts, trauma, and more serious mental health problems.
You may be referred by your GP, midwife, or health visitor. Some areas also have community teams that can support you at home or in local clinics.
Talking therapies through the NHS
NHS Talking Therapies can help with stress, anxiety, depression, and low confidence. You can usually self-refer in England, or ask your GP to refer you if you prefer.
Therapies may include cognitive behavioural therapy, counselling, or guided self-help. If parenting stress is affecting your day-to-day life, this can be a good place to start.
Urgent help if you feel unsafe
If you are thinking about harming yourself, feel unable to cope, or are worried about your baby’s safety, seek urgent help immediately. Contact your GP, NHS 111, or go to A&E if you need immediate support.
If you feel you or your baby are at immediate risk, call 999. If you can, tell someone you trust what is happening so you are not dealing with it alone.
How to ask for help
Be as honest as you can about how you are feeling, even if it feels awkward. You can say you are struggling with postnatal mental health, parenting stress, sleep, anxiety, or feeling overwhelmed.
It can help to mention how long you have felt this way, what is making things harder, and whether you are managing everyday tasks. The NHS can only help properly when it knows what is going on.
Frequently Asked Questions
Postnatal mental health and parenting-related stress NHS support is NHS help for emotional wellbeing problems and stress linked to caring for a new baby. It can include advice, assessment, talking therapies, mental health care, and support from your GP, midwife, health visitor, or specialist perinatal mental health services.
Anyone experiencing anxiety, low mood, depression, panic, trauma, overwhelm, or parenting-related stress after giving birth may be eligible for postnatal mental health and parenting-related stress NHS support. Eligibility depends on your needs and local NHS services, and you can usually ask your GP, midwife, or health visitor for help.
You can contact your GP, health visitor, midwife, or local NHS mental health service and say you need help with postnatal mental health and parenting-related stress NHS support. If you are struggling urgently, tell a professional the same day so they can arrange a quicker assessment.
You should seek postnatal mental health and parenting-related stress NHS support if you have persistent sadness, anxiety, panic attacks, intrusive thoughts, difficulty sleeping even when the baby sleeps, feeling unable to cope, or frightening thoughts about yourself or the baby. If you feel unsafe, seek urgent help immediately.
Yes, postnatal mental health and parenting-related stress NHS support can help with postnatal depression. The NHS may offer an assessment, counselling, talking therapies, medication advice, and specialist perinatal mental health support if needed.
Yes, postnatal mental health and parenting-related stress NHS support can help with postnatal anxiety and panic. NHS professionals may suggest talking therapies, coping strategies, breathing techniques, and, if appropriate, medication or specialist referral.
Yes, postnatal mental health and parenting-related stress NHS support can help if you have intrusive thoughts about your baby. These thoughts can be distressing, and NHS professionals can assess them, explain what they mean, and offer support or specialist care if needed.
During an assessment for postnatal mental health and parenting-related stress NHS support, a clinician will ask about your mood, anxiety, sleep, thoughts, safety, support at home, and how you are coping. They use this information to decide what type of help is most suitable.
Yes, postnatal mental health and parenting-related stress NHS support often includes talking therapies such as counselling or cognitive behavioural therapy. These can help you manage stress, low mood, worry, and unhelpful thought patterns.
Yes, postnatal mental health and parenting-related stress NHS support may include medication if a clinician thinks it is appropriate. Your doctor will discuss the benefits, risks, and whether the medicine is suitable if you are breastfeeding or have other health needs.
Yes, postnatal mental health and parenting-related stress NHS support can be accessed while breastfeeding. NHS professionals can discuss treatment options, including therapies and any medicines, with breastfeeding safety in mind.
The time to start postnatal mental health and parenting-related stress NHS support varies by area and the level of need. Some people are seen quickly, while others may wait longer for therapy or specialist services, but urgent concerns should be prioritised.
Yes, a partner, family member, friend, midwife, or health visitor can help you contact services for postnatal mental health and parenting-related stress NHS support. They can help you explain your symptoms, attend appointments, and support you with follow-up.
If you feel you are not coping and need urgent postnatal mental health and parenting-related stress NHS support, contact your GP, midwife, health visitor, NHS 111, or local urgent mental health service the same day. If you or your baby are at immediate risk, call emergency services.
Yes, postnatal mental health and parenting-related stress NHS support can help with sleep deprivation and exhaustion by looking at both emotional and practical causes of stress. NHS professionals may suggest coping strategies, support services, and treatment for anxiety or depression if present.
If postnatal mental health and parenting-related stress NHS support is not enough, you can ask for a review or a referral to specialist perinatal mental health services. The NHS may step up your care if your symptoms are severe or not improving.
Yes, postnatal mental health and parenting-related stress NHS support can help with trauma after birth, including birth-related anxiety or post-traumatic stress symptoms. NHS support may include therapy and specialist assessment if needed.
You can find local postnatal mental health and parenting-related stress NHS support by asking your GP, health visitor, midwife, or searching your local NHS services online. They can tell you what is available in your area and how to access it.
Yes, postnatal mental health and parenting-related stress NHS support is confidential, and your information is handled according to NHS privacy rules. Professionals may need to share information if they believe you or your baby are at serious risk.
If you might harm yourself or your baby, treat this as an emergency and seek immediate help for postnatal mental health and parenting-related stress NHS support. Call emergency services, go to A&E, or contact a crisis mental health line right away, and do not stay alone.
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