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Feeding your baby: Some things I wish I’d known before having our first baby - a mini blog.

Feeding your baby : Some things I wish I’d known before having our first baby - a mini blog post. These thoughts are based on my own personal experiences. Other mums will probably be able to add plenty more things to this post, dependant on feeding choices and experiences. But here are my thoughts... There will be people around you with all kinds of different opinions about your feeding choices, and none of them matter. What matters is how YOU feel, and what you and your family feel will be best for you and your family. Nobody prepared me for the staff on the post natal ward nagging me to hand express my tits to try get that precious liquid out for my baby. Nobody prepared me for the staff members regularly dangling tiny syringes in front of my face and urging me to get on with it. Nobody prepared me for the staff member asking if she could show me how to do it either. The possibility of saying no to that never crossed my mind, due to fear and exhaustion, but looking bac
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Childhood Sexual Abuse and Becoming a Mum for the First Time: My Personal Experience.

For Maternal Mental Health Awareness week (#MaternalMHMatters) I’ve decided to write a post about my experiences of being a childhood sexual abuse survivor and becoming a mum for the first time. It is my hope that it will raise awareness of some of the difficulties that can arise during pregnancy and beyond, and also show others with similar experiences that they are not alone. My partner and I have always wanted children, and this pregnancy was planned. It took me a long time though to decide that I was “ready” to try for a baby. For a long time, I felt as though I wouldn’t be able to care for my baby in the way he or she would deserve. I felt as though I would be a bad mum and that my baby would not be safe with me. I felt as though I would destroy this innocent child’s future, based solely on the fact that my own childhood was destroyed - because I blamed myself for the sexual abuse I endured. It felt very logical for me to connect the two things - it was my fault I was abused,
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Confidentiality in the NHS: Exactly how many Mental Health Professionals have had access to my medical records?

Following on from the several threads I have made on Twitter regarding confidentiality in NHS Mental Health services, I have decided to write a blog post highlighting exactly how far my personal information, including childhood sexual abuse disclosures, have travelled across several services within the NHS, and also outside of the NHS. These numbers include all Mental Health professionals/other professionals who have had access to my medical records since I was first referred to the Community Mental Health Team towards the end of 2011 up until the present day. Professionals from within the Community Mental Health Team: 5 Care Coordinators 1 Support Worker 1 Occupational Therapist  1 Psychologist  6 Psychiatrists An unknown number of extra professionals as a result of MDT’s/team meetings/team formulations Professionals from within the Crisis Team Services: At least 15+ different crisis team workers  5 Crisis Team Psychiatrists 1 Psycholog
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Perinatal Mental Health Services versus Community Mental Health Services: A reflection on my experiences.

I have seen several tweets and blogs recently from people who have experienced poor (and in many cases - abusive) care from community mental health services, both from outpatient services and inpatient services. This has made me reflect on my own experiences, and to realise just how different my experiences of mental health care have been, when comparing the different services I have been under the care of. When I compare my treatment from community mental health services with that of perinatal mental health services, I have come to realise that the care I received from perinatal services has been of such a high standard, that it puts my local CMHT (Community Mental Health Team) to shame, despite both services coming from the same Mental Health Trust. Why is that? I was under the care of the CMHT for several years prior to my pregnancy and during that time, I received poor care from the very people who were supposed to help and support me. I can recall several experiences of d
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