If you or someone you know is affected by Perinatal illness and depression, you may find the following resources helpful. They include:
- Books and help guides: One of the best ways to cope with Perinatal illness and depression is to educate yourself about the condition and learn some effective techniques to manage your symptoms and improve your well-being. There are many books and help guides that can provide you with useful information, tips, and strategies to deal with Perinatal illness and depression. Some of the books and help guides that we recommend are:
- Overcoming Perinatal Depression: A Five Areas Approach by Christopher Williams and Roch Cantwell. This book is based on cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), a proven method of treating depression. It helps you identify and change the negative thoughts and behaviours that contribute to your low mood. It also helps you set realistic goals and plan positive activities.
- The Perinatal Depletion Cure: A Complete Guide to Rebuilding Your Health and Reclaiming Your Energy for Mothers of Newborns, Toddlers, and Young Children by Oscar Serrallach. This book is a comprehensive guide to restoring your physical and mental health after childbirth. It covers topics such as nutrition, hormones, sleep, stress, exercise, and mindfulness. It also offers practical advice on how to balance your personal and professional life.
- The Mother-to-Mother Postpartum Depression Support Book by Sandra Poulin. This book is a collection of stories from real women who have experienced Perinatal depression. It offers hope, comfort, and encouragement to other women who are going through the same thing. It also provides tips on how to seek help and support from others.
- Perinatal Depression: The Essential Guide by Catherine Burrows. This book is a concise and easy-to-read introduction to Perinatal depression. It explains what Perinatal depression is, what causes it, how it affects you and your baby, and how it can be treated. It also answers some common questions and myths about Perinatal depression.
- Mind Over Mood: Change How You Feel by Changing the Way You Think by Dennis Greenberger and Christine Padesky. This book is a self-help workbook that teaches you how to use CBT to overcome depression, anxiety, anger, guilt, shame, low self-esteem, and other emotional problems. It helps you identify and challenge the distorted thoughts that make you feel bad. It also helps you develop new skills and habits that make you feel good.
- Help phone lines: Sometimes you may need someone to talk to who understands what you are going through and can offer you emotional support and information. You can call or text our helpline at 0800 683 1579 anytime to speak to one of our trained volunteers who can provide you with empathy, compassion, and guidance.
You can also call or text other helplines, such as Family Action, Family Line (0808 802 6666), Pandas (0808 196 1776), Family Lives (0808 800 2222), or Anxiety UK (0344 775 774). - Community support groups: Meeting other women who are going through the same thing as you can be very helpful and reassuring. You can join our local groups where you can participate in various activities, such as coffee mornings, walks, crafts, yoga, etc., in a safe and supportive environment. You can find a group near you on our website or contact us for more information.
- Online forums: If you prefer online support, you can join our online forums where you can chat with other women who are facing similar challenges and get advice and support from our trained volunteers. You can also join other online forums, such as Netmums, Mumsnet, or BabyCentre.
- Screening tools and quizzes: Taking some screening tools and quizzes can help you assess your mood and mental health. They are not a substitute for professional diagnosis, but they can give you an indication of whether you may have Perinatal illness and depression. Some of the screening tools and quizzes that we suggest are:
- Edinburgh Perinatal Depression Scale (EPDS): This is a 10-item questionnaire that measures your feelings in the past week. You can take it online here: https://med.stanford.edu/content/dam/sm/ppc/documents/DBP/EDPS_text_added.pdf
- Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9): This is a 9-item questionnaire that measures your level of depression in the past two weeks. https://patient.info/doctor/patient-health-questionnaire-phq-9
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7): This is a 7-item questionnaire that measures your level of anxiety in the past two weeks. https://adaa.org/sites/default/files/GAD-7_Anxiety-updated_0.pdf
- Postpartum Stress Quiz: This is a 10-item quiz that measures your level of stress in the past month. https://www.babycenter.com/baby/postpartum-health/postpartum-depression-quiz_20000530
We hope these resources are helpful for you. Please remember that you are not alone. You are not to blame. You will get better.