BLACK Maternal Mental Health Week (23 to 29 September) focussed on the mental wellbeing of Black mothers and their children and addresses the disparities in care they face.
Research shows Black women in the UK are four times more likely to die during pregnancy and childbirth compared to white women.
They are also more likely to experience perinatal mental health issues but less likely to receive support.
Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (EPUT) is working to make sure everyone receives the care they need, and that we listen to our patients to understand their unique experiences so we can personalise treatment and support to meet their needs.
Our perinatal mental health services have links with several organisations across Essex who support mothers and their families of Black, African and Caribbean heritage.
One of those is B3 – Bumps, Birth and Belonging Community Interest Company, based in Thurrock, which was set up by midwife and mum-of-four Nicole Lawal in response to the physical and mental health inequalities faced by Black women and their babies.
Nicole said: “B3 is tackling the stigma surrounding mental health in the Black community by offering free, accessible counselling services.
“We ensure that mothers feel a part of the community they live in without feeling judged or ostracised.
“We offer vital support to mothers dealing with postpartum depression, anxiety, and other mental health challenges.”
Nicole said there is a lot of fear about perinatal mental health services because women are concerned about what will happen to them and how they will be judged as a mum.
“There are definitely visions of people in strait jackets or solitary confinement, that is the vision that mums have, but I tell them it’s really not like that,” she said.
Nicole said many of the women she helps identify with the findings of a 2010 study in which researchers said African-American women feel obligated to present an image of being strong and prioritising looking after their families and community over looking after themselves.
Taking on a ‘superwoman role’ contributes to stress and health issues, including untreated depression, according to the study, Superwoman Schema: African American women’s Views on Stress, Strength and Health, led by Professor Cheryl Woods-Giscombé.
Racial discrimination and historical racism contribute to why the women who took part in the study took on the superwoman role.
Nicole said it took a while before anyone took up the offer of counselling from B3 because there was a stigma around asking for help.
However mums have since said counselling, as well as speaking with other mums in the group, has helped them realise they are not alone.
B3 also supports mums with situations such as financial hardship, domestic violence and visa issues, which also have a deep impact but they find difficult talking about.
Nicole said: “By making mental health care readily available and destigmatising it within the community, we are helping mothers prioritise their well-being.
“For many mothers, particularly new ones, motherhood can bring about anxiety and feelings of isolation.
“We help alleviate this by providing consistent, accessible support both in person and online, and organising group walks and lunches to encourage mothers to get out of the house and engage with others in a relaxed, judgment-free environment.”
The riots and disorder in the UK during the summer highlighted the racism that non-white communities face and Nicole said it heightened the anxiety that mums at B3 felt.
“We were just too scared to take our babies out. As Black mothers, we didn’t want to be a target,” she said.
“That fear still and always will exist as the people who took part in the disorder or have racist views are walking past us every day or rubbing shoulders with us at work or on the train. We cannot identify them, so we are always in a state of fight, flight or freeze.”
While those violent events have passed, the mothers continue to feel the impact and ongoing support is just as important now as it was then.
Nicole said: “Having a support system has allowed mothers to step out of their comfort zones and build the confidence they need to navigate both motherhood and life’s challenges.”
In feedback given to B3, one mum said: “It’s not just about being a mum and being from our community, but actually, there’s support in many different ways – whether it’s encouragement or whatever that may be.”
Another said: “The fragility of mental health during motherhood is something only other mothers can truly understand. Sharing has provided comfort.”
Caroline Bogle, Associate Director for Community Perinatal Mental Health Services at EPUT, said: “Our colleagues in Perinatal Mental Health Services really believe in the help we offer and many have their own lived experience of struggling as a new parent.
“Providing compassionate and individualised care and support for new and expectant mums is at the heart of the our services and it’s so important that new mums from Black, African and Caribbean heritage who are struggling feel comfortable to reach out for help so that they and their families can benefit from getting the right support in the same way as people who don’t face the same fears and barriers to care.”
Black Maternal Mental Health Week is organised by The Motherhood Group and this year’s campaign theme is Transforming and Advancing Change and highlights five key areas:
· Understanding disparities
· Breaking stigma
· Addressing birth trauma
· Nurturing child mental health, and
· Building support networks
For more information, visit https://themotherhoodgroup.org/bmmhw24/
