Update: Our community told us we need to make some changes. In response, we are improving the way mental health services work with you. We want to assure you we will talk with all service users and their whaanau about how changes might affect their care. If you have any questions please talk to your mental health clinician.

Maternal Mental Health is a team of experienced health professionals skilled in helping mothers with mental health conditions related to having a baby.

We work alongside other mental health services, including Taunaki & Te Puawaitanga (Child and Adolescent Mental Health) and Adult Mental Health.

Who Are We?

Our specialised team offers assessment, treatment and advice for women who have developed mental illness during the perinatal period (during pregnancy or up to one year after the baby is born).

Our team consists of mental health nurses, social workers, psychiatrist, clinical psychologists and occupational therapists with specialist knowledge and experience in this field.

Who Do We See?

We provide support to women over the age of 18 years who develop moderate to severe mental health conditions at the time of having a baby.  We work together with the woman's midwife, GP and other agencies that may be supporting her health journey.

How Do We Help?

Mothers and babies exist as a unit – one cannot be considered without the other. We work with women, their partners and family/whaanau, as well as the services involved in their care. Our goal is to support mothers to recover from mental illness with an understanding of the unique challenges that they face; supporting a healthy relationship between mother and baby.

Treatment options are tailored to meet individual/family needs and include:

• Education about mental health symptoms
• Psychological therapy
• Medication
• Discussion of risks/benefits during perinatal period
• Support during adjustment to motherhood / bonding with child
• Referral and liaison to other services as required.