BBCA mother who suffered from a rare mental illness and thought she was dead and “in limbo” says there are not enough beds for people in the same situation.
Kayleigh Avery, from Sunderland, lost her ability to move, speak and function due to puerperal psychosis just days after her daughter Daisy was born.
She said she was “lucky” to get a job on the only maternal and baby unit (MBU) in the North East and Cumbria.
The Department of Health said it was committed to “fixing broken systems” to ensure mental health was given the same “attention and focus” as physical health. The NHS has announced it is investing £1.5 million to expand maternal and perinatal mental health services.
According to the NHS, puerperal psychosis is a rare but serious mental illness that can affect any mother who has given birth to a newborn.
Symptoms may include hallucinations, delusions, manic and depressive mood, loss of inhibitions, restlessness, out-of-character behavior and confusion.
“It was scary,” said Avery, who lives in Thorney Close.
She remembers feeling anxious and paranoid that medical personnel were taking her baby away, before hallucinating and “hearing things that weren’t there.”
Five days after Daisy was born, she said her symptoms worsened.
“The family said there was something wrong here, that this wasn’t just baby blues, there was something a little more to it.”
googleAvery said she lost touch with reality and thought she was dead. She didn’t have anything to do with her family, thinking they were all actors.
She was separated and admitted to the MBU at Beadnell Ward, St George’s Park, Morpeth, Northumberland. The ward has six beds.
Dr Mennatullah Dakroley is a specialist doctor at Cumbria, Northumberland and Tyne and Wear NHS Trust, and runs the unit.
She said MBU was essential because postnatal psychosis “has a huge impact on a mother’s ability” to care for herself and her child.
She said this can lead to an inability to “distinguish between real-world thoughts and imagination” and, in some cases, to self-harm.
She said MBU allows mothers to be with their babies and form a bond, but that bond can be lost if they don’t receive treatment together.
But there was only one such facility in the Northeast, and Avery was sent to a facility about 150 miles (241 km) away in Derby, the only facility with beds at the time.
“I was lucky,” she said. “If I didn’t have that bed, [in Morpeth]could be sent anywhere in the country. ”
She then underwent six weeks of treatment, including shock therapy.
Four years later, Mrs. Avery was separated again, this time eight months after the birth of their second child, Jasmine. It took her about six weeks to recover again.
Her husband, David Avery, said getting to the facility in Morpeth, about 45km from Wearside, was difficult and had to rely on public transport or a friend’s lift.
handoutHe added that his mother, who is from London, was also being treated there due to a lack of beds in the south.
“That’s what I need [MBU] Local for all women,” he said.
“We were there every day. Kaylee always had someone come to see her. If it had been more rural, I might not have been able to go there.”
Mrs. Avery agreed: “We need more funding for MBU and one for every area.”
handoutNational charity Postnatal Psychosis Action (APP) is campaigning for more MBUs to open across the country, particularly in the North East of England and Scotland.
The charity says more than 1,400 people in the UK experience the condition each year.
National training co-ordinator Sally Wilson said a lack of such units meant “people could be admitted to general psychiatric wards, which is not the right place for them after giving birth.”
Responding to concerns about a lack of support for women suffering from postnatal psychosis, the Ministry of Health said: “People with mental health problems are not receiving the support and care they deserve.”
“We will fix broken systems to ensure mental health receives the same attention and focus as physical health.”
“It is unacceptable that so many women are denied the maternity care they deserve,” she said, adding, “We are determined to ensure that all women and their babies have access to safe, individualized and compassionate care.” ” he added.
In a statement, the NHS North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board said: “We are investing an additional £1.5m to expand maternal and perinatal mental health services.”
The statement added that it is looking at “ways to improve mental health support” and will review how these services are delivered in the coming months.
If you are affected by any of the issues in this story, you can find advice and support here. Via BBC Action Line.
