In this episode I speak to academic Dr Andrew Mayers, a psychologist specialising in mental health, particularly perinatal mental illness and young people's mental health. He is part of the Perinatal Mental Health Partnership and is the Principal Academic In Psychology at Bournemouth University. We talk about guilt that comes with postnatal depression (PND), the societal pressures new mothers face, and the implications of medication on breastfeeding and pregnancy. We talk about paternal and same-sex partner postnatal depression and the impact it can have on the family as a whole. Andy helps define birth trauma and looks at the impact COVID-19 and the exclusion of partners at antenatal appointments and birth is having on mental health for both mother and partner. Links to support groups listed below.

Support links:

https://maternalmentalhealthalliance.org/

https://www.instagram.com/perinatalmhpartnership/

https://www.facebook.com/PerinatalMHPartnershipUK/

https://www.makebirthbetter.org/

https://www.bestbeginnings.org.uk/

Sign up to Pachamama's Pandemic and Perinatal Mental Health Talk on Thursday 12 Nov at 1pm: https://pachamama-london.com/product/pandemicandmentalhealth/ 

More about Dr Andrew Mayers:

https://andrewmayers.uk/perinatal-mental-health

https://andrewmayers.uk/

https://www.instagram.com/drandymayers/

More about Pachamama:

https://pachamama-london.com/

IG @pachamama.london

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