*Anika’s journey into motherhood didn’t start off as she and her family had anticipated. Seven days after giving birth to her baby boy she started to experience symptoms of postpartum psychosis, something that affects one in 1,000 new mothers each year in the UK.

Whilst postpartum psychosis is rare, it is a severe mental illness and can be extremely distressing for new mothers and their partners. Thankfully, with help from our Mother and Baby Unit’s (MBU) specialist psychiatric unit, the Chamomile Suite, Anika was able to rebuild her confidence and form a healthy, loving bond with her baby.

Anika said:

“I was admitted on 5 January 2020, just under a month after I gave birth to my son. I knew I would have a high risk of postpartum relapse and even though a plan was in place, I became so unwell. My symptoms started to come on around seven days postpartum however I had various other physical health issues postpartum which led to numerous stressful A&E admissions. During this time, I continued to deteriorate mentally, it was evident that intervention was needed as it was affecting my support system too.”

Anika’s experience at our Mother and Baby Unit became a home away from home during her stay. With help from our Perinatal Mental Health team, Anika received a tailored treatment plan to support her mental health recovery journey and her transition into motherhood.

“The MBU became a supportive space for me to get better without affecting my loved ones which I was so conscious of. It was ideal – the support needed such as to get restful sleep, to have a safe space to talk without becoming reactive and just being heard was so important. The staff were warm, engaging, empathetic and genuinely cared about my recovery and bond with my baby. Without this intervention, my recovery would have been much longer, and I feel may have affected the bond with my son long term.

“I’m forever grateful to the team and to Dr Giles Berrisford for their support and expertise during what was the most challenging period for me.”

After a two-month stay in our care, Anika was discharged from the Mother and Baby Unit, equipped with the tools she needed outside of an acute environment.

“For anyone reading this who may be in a similar position, mother and baby units are critical to your mental health recovery and in turn help you to foster a strong bond with your beautiful baby. I’d never previously had a psychiatric hospital admission and had many reservations about going in, but in reality, it was the best decision I made, and I got exactly what I needed there to aid my recovery.”

If you or a loved one can relate to Anika’s story, you can read more about our Perinatal Mental Health support services on our website today.

*Please note that Anika is an alias we have used to protect her anonymity as requested, as is the image.