The theme of this year’s mental health awareness week is Movement: moving more for your mental health.
It seems timely that mental health awareness week falls in the same week that The Birth Trauma Inquiry will be presented to government ministers. According to reports, it’s estimated that 30,000 women a year in the UK have suffered negative experiences during the delivery of their babies. And around 3-6 % of all women giving birth develop postpartum Post traumatic stress disorder (Bmj, 2022)
One of the key recommendations from the report was that women should have:
‘Universal access to specialist maternal mental health services’
During our Pregnancy and Postnatal appointments we are very mindful of women’s experiences, fears and trauma. We use appropriate language and create a safe space for women to talk and be heard.
We are also in a position to signpost to mental health support including:
Perinatal mental health team
GP
Local support groups such as LATNEM
We are encouraging of the use of exercise as a means to support mental wellbeing. Whether that be goi ng for a walk every day, working on simple exercises at home or attending an exercise class.
We currently provide Pregnancy and Postnatal Pilates Reformer Pilates classes, which provide a welcoming space for mum (and baby) to start the journey back to exercise. Being based by the Deeside line, many of our mums follow class with a coffee and a walk, creating a social network. Getting out of the house, moving and meeting people can be really helpful on a more challenging day.
Aberdeen is also fortunate to have some great postnatal specific exercise classes in the area such as:
Prams in the park,
Bumps, Bairns and Buggies
Claire Flett Buggy fit (westhill)
Perimenopause
We also find many of our patients find their mental health impacted by our transition into the perimenopause, with low mood, mood swings, anxiety and low self esteem being common symptoms. Exercise can be one method of trying to mitigate these symptoms.
Exercise releases endorphins which can make us feel better, lower stress and improve our sleep (as well as having benefits on our bones and muscles). Exercising can also help to improve out self esteem.
How much exercise?
Current government guidance on exercise is for 150 mins of moderate intensity exercise per week (even during pregnancy unless you have been advised not to by a medical professional), ideally including two strength training sessions per week.
What type of exercise is the best?
The type of exercise will vary greatly person to person. The best type of exercise is generally one that you enjoy, that way you are more likely to stick at it for the long term.
Finally, while exercise can be a useful management tool for our mental health it is only one treatment tool in the box. Please seek out professional help from a GP or other healthcare provider if you are concerned about your mental health and wellbeing.