Has anyone else raised awareness of PP at a MSLC Meeting? Advice needed please!

I have become a parent rep at my local MSLC and thanks to the recent NSPCC 'All Babies Count: Spotlight on Perinatal Mental Health' (see link:nspcc.org.uk/Inform/resourc... and one of the Royal College of General practitioners (RCGP) clinical priorities for 2014-17 being confirmed as Perinatal Mental Health, I've managed to get an agenda item to raise awareness of perinatal mental health, particularly PP at the next meeting on 19th July.

Has anyone got any advice on the approach I should take/experience of handling this in such a forum they'd like to pass on?

I was thinking of mentioning perinatal mental health affects more women than breast cancer and PP is as common as Downs to attract their attention at the start of my slot.

Any advice/thoughts appreciated

Many thanks

[maryraff]

Hi sorry what is Mslc

[Hidden in reply to maryraff]

Maternity Services Liaison Committee

[EmmiLou Volunteer]

Hi Talk2LMH

Thank you for your post. The forum you are attending sounds great for raising awareness about PP.

I have not been to a forum myself but I think it would be a good idea to include some information about PP and what it is - just to provide some background details about the illness, as there are many people out there who have limited information about the illness. The APP website contains information about PP - app-network.org.

Please let us know how you get on at the MSLC.

Emma.

x

[Hidden in reply to EmmiLou]

Thanks Emma. I will include info about PP and update how I get on

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Hi Emma

The meeting was held on Friday and I think I got on OK thanks. Probably easiest to describe using the analagy of felling a tree. I walked in thinking it would take one cut at the base of the trunk and it would be job done. In reality I lopped a branch... but if you keep lopping you'll still fell the tree! They have agreed to look at raising awareness by putting up posters in Childrens Centres in the area which is a start

[hackneygirl]

Good on you for doing this. It is because of actions like yours that change will happen!

I think it is a great idea to start with those stats - but I would include where you got them from (according to....) as this would give them more impact and mean they take them seriously. BTW - where did you get them from?

The other stat I heard was that the leading cause of death in Australia for women with children aged between 6 weeks and 12 months is suicide. Let me know if you want to use this and I'll try and get a source for you. I think I read it in a newspaper article.

I don't know what the stats are for the UK.

PND and PPP are killers just like heart disease and cancer.

Thanks Jen

[Hidden in reply to hackneygirl]

Thanks Jen, I will include ref for stats to give them credibility. See darksideofthefullmoon.com/D... 13.04 mins in for breast cancer comparison. The Downs comparison was in the book 'Understanding Postpartum Psychosis' by Teresa Twomey.