You are not on your own: New mum talks about how MBU helped her
Having a baby is meant to be a joyous occasion, but what if that doesn't turn out to be the case? Here, first time mum Sophie Davies talks about how the mother and baby unit at Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust helped her back on her feet after the birth of her son.
"All we hear about is that perfect newborn bubble and when it's not like that you feel so guilty. No-one talks about the other side of it."
New mum Sophie Davies is describing how she felt when she realised like a bolt out of the blue that she needed help following the birth of her son.
Sophie, a People Participation Lead for NSFT, was admitted to hospital for a week when her son was three weeks old when post-natal depression magnified her Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD).
Two weeks after her discharge from hospital, she was allocated a bed at the Kingfisher Mother and Baby Unit at NSFT's Hellesdon Hospital through the outreach and perinatal teams, a move she credits with saving her life.
"It felt really scary going onto the ward. The first few days were the hardest but each day gave me more and more hope," said Sophie. "The whole experience gave me so much and I learned so much more about myself through the therapy. It helped me understand why I was feeling the way I did and to make more sense of past events in life."
It also taught her more about the effects of OCD. "I really would like people to know that some of the thoughts OCD can cause can feel really frightening but that it's ok for people to open up about them and they aren't alone," said Sophie.
She had nothing but praise for the team on the MBU. Every single person was amazing. "I have never been somewhere where everyone was so lovely."
The environment meant Sophie was able to talk about her feelings without being afraid and realise she was not the only new mum who felt like that. "Everyone listened and I was included in all the discussions about my care. It helped me see that my voice was important."
She was also able to build new friendships. "It was great to be able to talk to the other mums on the unit and feel like you are not on your own," she said. Sophie is now keen to get involved in peer support within the MBU.
She also joined yoga classes which have started recently at the unit. "That was the moment I felt the first bit of hope, in the garden in the sun doing yoga. It was the first time I laughed," said Sophie.
After four months on the MBU, Sophie felt she was ready to return home, with support over the next three months from the outreach team. "We are doing well now. There are still some highs and lows but all I know that's all part of the process."
She is planning a skydive this year to raise money for the unit. "It won't be until at least April when I go back to work full time but I really want to give something back to the MBU after my amazing experience there," she said.