Future directions
Motherkind podcast
It was a pleasure to chat with Zoe Blaskey about intrusive, unwanted harm thoughts about the baby. I talk to Zoe about why women are scared to talk about these kinds of thoughts, as well as tips to manage them. Head over to Zoe’s podcast, Ep 90, to have a listen:
More podcasts
As well as chatting with Zoe on the Motherkind podcast, I’ve also spoken with Dr Sophie Brock (The Good Enough Mother), Nikki McCahon (Dear Mama podcast) and Amy Polly (MamaKind Club) - have a listen here:
Institute of Health Visiting
I’m working closely with the Institute of Health Visiting with the aim of enhancing understanding among health visitors about unwanted, infant-related harm thoughts. Discussions are around potential training and teaching to support health visitors to open up safe spaces, in which they can be alert and open to discussing these kinds of thoughts with mums.
I wrote this blog for iHV website:
5th Annual Birth Trauma Conference 2020
I was delighted to present my findings at the 5th Annual Birth Trauma Conference on January 22 at Conway Hall, London.
Organised by perinatal psychiatrist Dr Rebecca Moore, this event included wonderful speakers on topics such as recovery with trauma-informed care, research on reducing traumatic birth experiences as well as parenting and sex after trauma.
Perinatal Proud conference, December 2019
It was an honour to speak at this conference for health professionals, including health visitors and midwives, about intrusive thoughts and thoughts of suicide and self-harm.
Organised by midwife Charlotte Brittin, the conference featured speakers including Dr Sarah Cohen on postpartum psychosis, Mark Williams on supporting Dads perinatally, Dr Helena Belgrave on psychotherapy for perinatal mental health difficulties, and the Infant Feeding Alliance.
Study recommendations
Unwanted baby-related harm thoughts are grounded in culturally shared, idealised constructions of the ‘good’ mother. It is recommended that health professionals explore expectations among women and their partners and how these sit with their lived reality (which includes experiences of harm thoughts).
Feeling isolated can intensify harm thoughts, so sharing experiences in support groups can help to normalise and validate such thoughts.
It is also recommended that clinicians receive training to help them distinguish between a mother expressing thoughts that may indicate potential harm and these kind of harm thoughts, which are not associated with risk. Increasing awareness of harm thoughts, not currently asked about routinely in perinatal assessment (NICE, 2017), will help clinicians to facilitate open, sensitive discussions with mothers. Health professionals can encourage women to talk about them, acknowledging that they are normal.