Maternal mental health service Silver Birch 'busier than ever'

Video report by ITV Granada Reports journalist Jennifer Buck.

A service for mothers who are struggling with mental health issues say they are busier than ever after a spike in demand.

Silver Birch Hubs offer help through psychologists, midwives and peer support workers to provide rounded care for trauma - ranging from miscarriage and still birth to difficult births.

Specialists say the demand could be put down to more women speaking out, the aftermath of the pandemic and the availability of the service.

Among mothers receiving help from the service is Zara, whose first baby, Franklin, was born premature and died after complications at five months old.

She admits she never faced the grief or anxiety that followed and it was only a referral to Silver Birch Hubs on her second pregnancy when things became clear.

"I was having all these feelings", she explains. "I couldn't quite understand why I was having all these feelings once talking to members of Silver Birch and they said it's your brain it's how it works.

"I couldn't sleep properly because it was a constant nightmare reoccurring what happened."

Silver Birch runs group sessions with women in similar situations and one-to-one help from a midwife set Zara up for the birth of son Marcus.

Mother-of-two and peer support worker Debbie suffered three miscarriages and says maternal mental health is still "a bit of a taboo".

She said: "With peer support, it is breaking down feeling the shame all your unanswered questions, it is basically sending the message that you are human."

The service was launched in 2021 in parts of merseyside and, within a year, it extended to parts of Cheshire and Sefton due to a rise in demand.

Lead clinical psychologist Vicky Selby said: "We've had around 650 plus referrals since we fully launched last August. Two thirds of those have been accepted.

"This is much higher than what we had initially scoped and planned for and we have adjusted our staffing model and the way we are working."

Visit the Silver Birch website for more information on services.

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