Perinatal Community Mental Health Service
The Perinatal Community Mental Health Team provides assessment, treatment and support for mothers and their families during pregnancy and/or up to one year postnatal. This is for mothers who have a current moderate to severe mental illness.
Our service is also for mothers who are currently well in their mental health but have a diagnosis such as Bipolar Affective Disorder or Schizophrenia or have experienced a previous postpartum psychosis or severe perinatal depression, as well as those who are planning a pregnancy to discuss medication options.
The team includes a psychiatrist, psychologist, midwife, health visitor, community psychiatric nurse and a social worker. We also work closely with maternity services, health visitors, GPs, social services, community mental health teams and acute mental health services.
How to access our service
Referrals into the team can be made through your GP, midwife, health visitor or mental health services.
We offer appointments in your home, our team base in Ballymena, Community Mental Health Team bases across the Trust and maternity clinics.
Additional resources
Medication information in pregnancy
- bumps – best use of medicine in pregnancy (medicinesinpregnancy.org)
- The Breastfeeding Network | Independent Breastfeeding Support
Royal College of Psychiatrists: Patient information leaflets
Perinatal resources
- Mental health before, during and after pregnancy | (tommys.org)
- Mind: Perinatal and Mental Health Resources
- Maternal Mental Health Alliance
- Netmums: The UK’s Most Inclusive Parenting Community – Netmums
- Welcome to Maternal OCD
- Action on Postpartum Psychosis – National charity supporting women and families
- The Parent Rooms – Creating a Circle of Support For Parents
- Aware NI – Mood Matters Parent and Baby (aware-ni.org)
- Public Health Agency: Guide to looking after you and your baby
- Best Beginnings
- Make Birth Better
- Beyond Baby Blues (buzzsprout.com)
Other mental health resources
- Bipolar UK National Charity
- Bipolar UK’s Mood Tracker App
- Northern Region Recovery College – NHSCT (hscni.net)
