This week (4 – 10 May) is Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week – a week-long campaign dedicated to talking about mental health problems before, during and after pregnancy.
Today, The Good Mental Health Project has launched a Perinatal Mental Health Campaign shaped around the Five Ways to Wellbeing. Posting throughout the week and beyond, the campaign will explore how the Five Ways to Wellbeing can support mental health and wellbeing during pregnancy and early parenthood.
Each theme will be shared through a range of supportive content, including a short blog, myths vs reality posts, “did you know?” facts, to share key information, gentle daily wellbeing reminders, and simple calls to action that invite wellbeing reflection.
We will also be sharing links to trusted support and helpful resources, alongside additional reflections and prompts as the week unfolds.
Everything is designed to be relatable, compassionate, and accessible; supporting parents to pause, reflect, and engage with wellbeing in ways that feel realistic and supportive.
Why focus on Perinatal Mental Health?
We focus on perinatal mental health because it recognises that mental health during pregnancy and the first year after birth affects everyone involved; mothers, fathers, partners, babies, and wider family networks. While Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week rightly highlights the experiences of mothers, the perinatal period is a shared transition, and emotional wellbeing within this time is relational and interconnected.
By marking perinatal mental health alongside the national awareness week, we aim to widen the conversation, acknowledge all caregivers, and highlight that supporting the mental health of one person supports the wellbeing of the whole family, including the baby.
We know that around one in five women experience mental health difficulties during pregnancy or postnatally. Research also suggests that 5–10% of fathers experience perinatal depression and up to 15% experience anxiety, yet paternal mental health is often overlooked and under supported. In reality, many more parents are not reflected in these statistics due to stigma, barriers to access, or not feeling able to seek help.
Perinatal Mental Health matters because:
- Early experiences shape long‑term wellbeing
- Mental health impacts bonding, confidence, and relationships
- Early support can prevent crisis
- Parents deserve care and understanding, not judgement
We do this work because preventative support saves lives. It reduces distress, reduces crisis, and helps parents stay well during one of the most significant transitions in life.
Perinatal mental health is still surrounded by silence and stigma, meaning many parents struggle alone until difficulties feel overwhelming and even still many fear that reaching out for help means they are ‘not a good parent’ or ‘failing.’ Too often, support is only accessed once someone has reached crisis point, rather than earlier, when gentle intervention can make a meaningful difference.
This campaign reflects The Good Mental Health Project’s wider commitment to prevention and building wellbeing aware communities, where mental health is understood, talked about, and supported across all stages of life.
By starting early, we help parents feel seen, supported, and better equipped; strengthening wellbeing not just for individuals, but for families and communities.
What is ‘The Good Mental Health Project’?
The Good Mental Health Project actively promotes positive mental health and supports suicide prevention and early intervention across York.
Our team works closely with targeted community groups, businesses, workplaces and education settings across York to raise awareness, reduce stigma, and help people feel more confident in looking after their own mental health and supporting others.
Through collaboration, education and by providing practical tools, we aim to build stronger networks, encourage open conversations and give individuals the tools to take simple steps towards better mental wellbeing.
Exploring the Five Ways to Wellbeing
Rather than presenting these as extra tasks to add to already full lives, we explore how each one can be approached gently and realistically during pregnancy and early parenthood.
Connect
We explore connection not just with others, but also with yourself during a time when identity can feel blurred or lost. This includes peer connection, talking openly, asking for support, and reducing isolation in ways that feel safe and manageable.
Be Active
We approach activity gently, recognising physical recovery, fatigue, and changing bodies. The focus is on movement that supports mental wellbeing; such as stretching, walking, or simply changing position, rather than fitness goals or ‘getting back into shape’.
Take Notice
Parents are supported to slow things down and notice emotions, body signals, moments of calm, and early signs of overwhelm. This helps build self‑awareness, emotional literacy, and understanding of what feels supportive in the moment.
Keep Learning
Learning is explored through understanding mental health, the transition into parenthood, and developing coping strategies. We emphasise curiosity over getting things “right,” and learning from professionals, peers, and lived experience.
Give
Giving is reframed to include kindness; to others and to yourself. We explore boundaries, emotional labour, peer support, and why giving back to yourself is essential for wellbeing, not selfish.
Get involved…
Find more resources by using the following hashtags:
#MaternalMHmatters
#DecadeOfVoices
#MaternalMentalHealthAwarenessWeek