Maternal Mental Health - All Posts

Recent 2026 research reports that 93% of women experienced a meaningful change in their identity after becoming a mother, while 59% said they felt like a completely different person. (Forbes) Have you ever heard of the word ‘matrescence’? Neither had I. It is from Latin and describes the physiological and identity transition into motherhood. In 2026 searches for this word increased by 5000% following a major awareness campaign by Peanut and Tommee Tippee (Forbes).

Research suggests that between 70-100% of new mothers experience unwanted intrusive thoughts about their baby being harmed at some point during the postpartum period. Do you know what that screams to me? That we're not alone, I'm not alone and you, the reader, aren't alone either. I cannot stress this enough, you're a good mother, you're doing a great job, and you love your baby and your baby loves you.

First off we need to understand why we should sterilise a dummy? What we are trying to protect against is the transmission of bacteria and viruses to our baby. Viruses can remain infectious on hard non- porous surfaces for hours to several days depending on the specific virus and surface material. Hard surfaces like plastic, glass and worktop surfaces retain moisture much longer than paper towels. The typical time a virus can remain infectious on hard surfaces is three days.

Honest review of Mam,Dr Brown’s, Philips Avent, Tommee Tippee anti-colic bottles. Did they actually reduce my baby’s colic and discomfort? Real Mum Experience by Rachel.

Yep, I’m going there, putting an end to formula snobbery! When my two year old was born I did some research in to formula. My wife had always given our eldest son Aptamil, this retails at between £12 and £14 in the UK (depending on where you buy it. If you’ve ever looked at the ingredients on formula there aren’t a lot of differences and that’s because there aren’t allowed to be.

The Value of Sharing Pregnancy Experiences are one of the key objectives of the Mam Mental Health Pregnancy Support Group Pregnancy brings physical changes and emotional shifts that can feel isolating. When expectant mothers connect, they exchange valuable knowledge about symptoms, prenatal care, and emotional wellbeing. This peer support helps reduce anxiety and builds confidence.

‘I can’t, I don’t know her, I don’t know what she wants, I’ll drop her, she doesn’t like me, I’m dirty, she’ll get poorly from me’, the rapid cycling thoughts shot through my head and I froze. My bundle had arrived, but the joy hadn’t.

I gave birth, via planned c-section, on the 8th January 2026 to our beautiful daughter, Blake Louise. A moment I’d longed for in the middle of dark nights, a dream I’d manifested into reality many times and there she was 7lbs 3oz of utter perfection. After two previous miscarriages I didn’t think Blake would ever be real, ever be in my arms, yet there she was and I should’ve been grateful. Right?

From Prozac at 18 to therapy years later-my honest experience with mental-health medication, side effects, and why therapy finally changed everything.

I always wonder how many psychiatrists have lived experience. It takes a long time to train as a psychiatrist, and it’s tough going, which doesn’t leave much time for lived experience in my opinion. And these are the doctors dishing out the medication