Parental Mental
Health

Parental mental health is the emotional and psychological wellbeing of parents that can affect the ability to parent and bond with their child. Good parental mental health is vital for positive parenting and family health.

Your mental health

1 in 4 mums and 1 in 10 dads struggle with their mental health in the perinatal period (conception up to 2 years old). Factors like birth trauma, stress, anxiety, depression, post traumatic stress disorder or general feelings of overwhelm can all impact our parental mental health.

In the first few weeks after the birth of a baby, feelings related to postnatal depression, can often be mistaken for the ‘baby blues’, which is a short period of feeling low, anxious and irritable and affects 80% of new mums. Postnatal depression is when these feelings last for much longer, can vary from mild to severe, and it can affect women in different ways.

Your mental health

Signs and symptoms of poor parental mental health:

  • Low mood, sadness
  • Anxiety
  • Feelings of worthlessness
  • Tearfulness
  • Self-blame or guilt
  • Irritability or emotional highs and lows
  • Lack of energy
  • Lack of interest in activities
  • Increased or decreased appetite
  • Reduced concentration and decision making ability
  • Sleep disturbance
  • Slowed or fast speech
  • Feeling of hopelessness
  • Obsessional or intrusive thoughts
  • Thoughts about death and suicide
  • Birth trauma
  • Flashbacks

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, help and support is available.

Help & support

At Bright Beginnings we recognise good parental mental health is crucial at every stage of parenting. Our Beyond Blue service offers trauma-informed support beyond the perinatal period. We offer support throughout the early years because every caregiver deserves the best possible start to their parenting journey, and every child deserves the best start in life.

If you need to speak to someone outside of the healthcare services about how you are feeling, please contact us. We can signpost or refer you to the suitable help and support that you need.

Bright Beginnings - Beyond Blue

Beyond Blue

Bright Beginnings - Childcare

Support groups

Our Beyond Blue sessions are a safe space where you can meet other parents and receive non-judgemental support.

1:1 Work

Our staff provide support, coaching, advice and signposting on a range of concerns. A private meeting room is available.

Bright Beginnings - Parental Mental Health

Counselling

All aspects of support from Teresa Bott, who holds a diploma from the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy.

Get in touch

Children’s Centre

01481 244919
info@brightbeginnings.gg

Open 51 weeks of the year, excluding bank holidays.

Monday to Friday 9am – 4pm
(unless by appointment)

Nursery & Preschool

01481 245335
office@brightbeginnings.gg
Enquiries via Famly app

Open 51 weeks of the year, excluding bank holidays.
Monday to Friday 7:30am – 5pm

Bright Beginnings, Rue des Monts, St Sampson, Guernsey, GY2 4HS
Registered Guernsey Charity Number: CH412
Registered Company Number: 54950

© Bright Beginnings

Website designed by Rock & Small and built & hosted by Enrapture