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Maternity and Postnatal Support

Pregnancy, birth and the weeks after a baby arrives can involve major physical, emotional and practical changes.

Support may come from NHS maternity services, midwives, health visitors, GPs, infant-feeding teams, mental-health services, local family centres, charities, employers, partners and wider family.

This UK guide explains where support may be available and when to ask for help. It does not replace personalised advice from a healthcare professional.

How to Use This Guide

This page signposts official and specialist UK support. It does not diagnose a physical or mental health condition, recommend treatment or replace your midwife, maternity unit, health visitor, GP, pharmacist, emergency services or specialist team.

Contact a healthcare professional whenever recovery, bleeding, pain, a wound, feeding, mood or the baby’s health concerns you. Call 999 for an immediate or life-threatening emergency.

Trusted UK Maternity and Postnatal Links

Support During Pregnancy

NHS maternity care may include:

Antenatal appointments
Screening and scans
Blood-pressure and urine checks
Discussion of birth choices
Support with medicines and health conditions
Mental-health support
Feeding preparation

Contact local maternity services as soon as possible after finding out you are pregnant.

Your Midwife

A midwife may support you during pregnancy, labour, birth and the early postnatal period.

You can ask about:

Pregnancy symptoms
Test results
Birth preferences
Feeding
Physical recovery
Mental wellbeing
Baby care
Local services

Keep your maternity contact numbers easily accessible.

Maternity Triage

Maternity triage is often the first point of contact for urgent pregnancy concerns.

Contact the number given by your maternity unit if you are worried about:

Bleeding
Severe pain
Reduced or changed baby movements
Possible waters breaking
Signs of labour
Severe headache or visual changes
Feeling seriously unwell

Do not wait for the next routine appointment when something feels wrong.

Support During Labour and Birth

Support during labour may come from:

Midwives
Obstetricians
Anaesthetists
Birth partners
Doulas where privately arranged
Neonatal teams where needed

Ask questions when you do not understand what is happening or why a procedure is being recommended.

Birth Preferences

A birth preferences document can help communicate:

Preferred birth setting
Pain-relief choices
Who you want present
Feeding intentions
Communication needs
Religious or cultural preferences
Previous trauma or anxiety

Preferences may need to change if circumstances change, but they can still guide discussions.

Postnatal Midwife Care

After birth, midwives may check:

Bleeding
Blood pressure
Wound healing
Pain
Feeding
Baby weight
Jaundice
Umbilical cord
Parental emotional wellbeing

Postnatal arrangements vary by area and by individual need.

Health Visitor Support

Health visitors support families with babies and young children.

They may help with:

Feeding
Growth
Sleep
Development
Immunisations
Parental mental health
Safe home environments
Local groups and services

Local health-visiting arrangements differ across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

GP Support After Birth

A GP can help with:

Physical recovery
Infection
Postnatal bleeding concerns
Contraception
Mental health
Long-term conditions
Medication
Baby health concerns

Do not wait for a routine postnatal check if you are unwell.

The Postnatal Check

The NHS says the parent should be offered a postnatal check around six to eight weeks after birth. A parent can also request an appointment, especially when there are concerns.

The discussion may cover physical recovery, bleeding or discharge, stitches or a caesarean wound, bladder or bowel symptoms, mental wellbeing, contraception, painful sex, blood pressure and other individual needs.

Make a written list of questions and do not wait for the routine check if something concerns you earlier.

Read the current NHS postnatal-check guidance.

Physical Recovery After Vaginal Birth

Recovery may involve:

Bleeding
Perineal soreness
Stitches
Pelvic-floor weakness
Constipation
Back or pelvic pain
Fatigue

Seek advice if pain is severe, worsening or accompanied by fever, offensive discharge or heavy bleeding.

Recovery After Caesarean Birth

Recovery varies. Follow the discharge instructions and advice from the maternity team about wound care, pain relief, movement, lifting, driving and returning to activities.

The NHS advises contacting a midwife or GP promptly for symptoms such as severe pain, heavy bleeding, a wound becoming more red, painful or swollen, discharge from the wound, shortness of breath, or pain or swelling in a lower leg.

This guide does not determine whether a symptom is an infection, blood clot or another condition. Use the current NHS caesarean recovery guidance and seek clinical advice.

Postnatal Bleeding

Bleeding after birth is expected, but the amount and pattern should be monitored.

Seek urgent advice for:

Very heavy bleeding
Large clots
Dizziness or fainting
Rapidly worsening bleeding
Feeling seriously unwell

Pelvic-Floor Support

Pregnancy and birth can affect the pelvic floor.

Speak to a midwife, GP or pelvic-health physiotherapist about:

Urine leakage
Bowel leakage
Pelvic heaviness
Pain
Prolapse symptoms
Difficulty returning to activity

These symptoms are common but should not simply be ignored.

Feeding Support

Feeding support may be available through:

Midwives
Health visitors
NHS infant-feeding teams
Breastfeeding support groups
GPs
Paediatric or neonatal teams

Ask for help with pain, poor attachment, low milk transfer, formula preparation, expressing, bottle feeding or concerns about the baby’s intake.

Ask Someone to Observe a Full Feed

A full feeding assessment can be more useful than general advice.

It may help identify:

Positioning issues
Attachment problems
Flow difficulties
Baby tiredness
Pain
Equipment problems

Postnatal Mental Health

Emotional changes after birth can range from short-lived tearfulness to depression, anxiety, trauma symptoms or more serious illness.

Speak to a midwife, health visitor or GP if you experience:

Persistent low mood
Severe anxiety
Panic
Intrusive thoughts
Feeling disconnected from the baby
Difficulty sleeping even when the baby sleeps
Feeling unable to cope

The Baby Blues

Many parents feel tearful, overwhelmed or emotionally unsettled during the first days after birth.

If symptoms are severe, persist beyond the early period or are getting worse, speak to a healthcare professional.

Postnatal Depression

Postnatal depression is a health condition that can affect mothers, fathers and partners. Only an appropriate healthcare professional can assess and diagnose it.

Speak to a GP, midwife or health visitor if low mood, anxiety, hopelessness, loss of interest, difficulty coping, difficulty bonding or another change concerns you.

Thoughts of suicide, self-harm or harming the baby need urgent help. Use the NHS postnatal depression guidance and the NHS urgent mental health page.

Postnatal Anxiety

Anxiety may involve:

Constant fear that something is wrong
Repeated checking
Panic attacks
Physical symptoms of anxiety
Avoiding leaving home
Difficulty resting

Ask for help when anxiety is affecting daily life.

Birth Trauma

A difficult or frightening birth can affect emotional wellbeing.

Support may include:

Talking to the maternity team
A birth-reflection or debrief service
GP support
Perinatal mental-health services
Trauma-focused therapy

Postpartum Psychosis

The NHS describes postpartum psychosis as a serious mental health illness and a medical emergency.

Possible changes can include severe confusion, unusual beliefs, hallucinations, extreme agitation, rapidly changing mood or behaviour that is very unlike the person. This page cannot diagnose the condition.

Seek urgent same-day medical help immediately. Call 999 if there is immediate danger or a person cannot be kept safe.

Read the current NHS postpartum psychosis guidance.

Partners Can Also Struggle

Partners may experience:

Depression
Anxiety
Birth trauma
Sleep deprivation
Pressure about work and money
Difficulty adjusting to parenthood

Partners can contact their GP and local support services too.

Practical Support at Home

Useful support may include:

Preparing meals
Shopping
Laundry
Cleaning
Looking after older children
Pet care
Transport to appointments
Holding the baby while a parent rests

Practical help is often more valuable than advice.

Set Boundaries with Visitors

Parents can decide:

When visits begin
How long visits last
Who may hold the baby
Whether photographs can be shared
What hygiene rules apply

It is reasonable to postpone visits when rest or recovery is needed.

Local Family and Children’s Services

Depending on location, support may be available through:

Family hubs
Children’s centres
Parent-and-baby groups
Infant-feeding groups
Baby massage sessions
Community mental-health services
Voluntary organisations

Ask a health visitor, midwife, GP surgery or local council what operates in your area.

NHS Talking Therapies

In England, eligible adults can use NHS Talking Therapies services for anxiety and depression, including during pregnancy and after birth. Referral arrangements and services differ across Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Use the relevant national NHS service or ask a GP, midwife or health visitor for the correct local route. Talking therapies are not an emergency service.

Find NHS Talking Therapies in England.

Perinatal Mental-Health Services

Specialist perinatal mental-health teams may support people with:

Severe depression
Bipolar disorder
Psychosis
Severe anxiety
Complex trauma
High-risk mental-health histories

Referral may come through a midwife, GP or mental-health professional.

Domestic Abuse Support

Domestic abuse can be physical, emotional, sexual, economic or technology-facilitated. Tell a midwife, health visitor, GP or another trusted professional privately if you do not feel safe.

The official GOV.UK domestic abuse page lists support for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Call 999 when there is immediate danger. Avoid storing a visible safety plan or browsing history where this could increase risk.

Money and Benefits Support

Families may need help with:

Maternity pay
Paternity pay
Shared Parental Leave
Child Benefit
Universal Credit
Healthy Start
Sure Start Maternity Grant
Local welfare support

Eligibility and payment amounts can change, so use current GOV.UK and relevant devolved government guidance.

Workplace Support

Support may include:

Maternity leave
Paternity leave
Shared Parental Leave
Keeping-in-touch days
Flexible working requests
Breastfeeding or expressing arrangements
Health and safety adjustments

Keep copies of important communication with your employer.

Support for Single Parents

Single parents may benefit from:

Family hubs
Local parent groups
Benefits advice
Childcare support
Practical help from trusted friends or relatives
Specialist charities

Ask local services directly about practical support rather than assuming it is unavailable.

Support for Parents of Premature or Unwell Babies

Families may receive support from:

Neonatal teams
Paediatricians
Specialist nurses
Health visitors
Infant-feeding teams
Neonatal charities

Ask for written discharge information and clear contact details before leaving hospital.

Support After Baby Loss

Specialist support may be available after miscarriage, stillbirth, neonatal death or termination for medical reasons through maternity bereavement teams, GPs, counselling services and charities.

Sands supports families affected by pregnancy loss and the death of a baby. Follow the maternity or bereavement team’s medical guidance for physical recovery and urgent symptoms.

There is no single timetable for grief, and seeking support does not mean a person is grieving incorrectly.

When to Seek Urgent Help for the Parent

Contact a midwife, maternity triage service, GP or NHS 111 promptly for worrying physical or mental health symptoms after birth.

Examples include heavy bleeding, chest pain, breathing difficulty, severe headache or visual changes, fever or feeling seriously unwell, severe abdominal pain, a red swollen painful leg, worsening wound symptoms, or thoughts of self-harm or harming the baby.

This list is not diagnostic or exhaustive. Call 999 for an immediate or life-threatening emergency or where a person cannot be kept safe.

When to Seek Urgent Help for the Baby

Contact NHS 111, a GP, midwife, health visitor or the baby’s clinical team urgently whenever the baby appears unwell or you are concerned.

Call 999 if the baby stops breathing, will not wake, is struggling to breathe, has a seizure, suddenly becomes blue, grey or very pale, or is limp or unresponsive.

Do not use this page to diagnose feeding, temperature, hydration or another health problem.

Use the current NHS urgent baby guidance.

Write Down Important Numbers

Keep accessible:

Maternity triage
Postnatal ward
Community midwife
Health visitor
GP surgery
NHS 111
Emergency services
Local feeding support

Do Not Wait Until Crisis Point

Ask for support early when:

Pain is not improving
Feeding is difficult
Sleep deprivation feels unsafe
Anxiety is increasing
There is not enough practical help
Money worries are becoming unmanageable

Preparing Practical Support with Kidora

Kidora is a UK-only marketplace where parents can buy and sell new and suitable preloved baby and children’s items.

Families may find baby clothes, books, pushchairs, nursery furniture and other practical essentials. Buying suitable items new or preloved can help families plan within their budget during maternity leave and the postnatal period.

Sellers pay no selling fees and keep 100% of the item sale price. Suitable products that are no longer needed can be listed at £0 as FREE instead of being thrown away, helping another family. FREE listings are collection-only and do not include a Buyer Protection fee.

Kidora is not a maternity, medical, mental health, safeguarding or emergency service and does not certify product safety. Check recalls, instructions, condition, completeness and suitability before use.

A Maternity and Postnatal Support Checklist

Keep maternity contact details accessible
Ask questions during appointments
Arrange practical help before birth
Seek feeding support early
Monitor physical recovery
Talk openly about mental health
Attend postnatal and health visitor reviews
Check benefits and workplace rights
Set boundaries with visitors
Know when to seek urgent help

Frequently Asked Questions

Who supports parents after birth in the UK?

Support may come from postnatal midwives, health visitors, GPs, infant-feeding teams, maternity services and local family services.

When should I ask for feeding support?

Ask as soon as feeding is painful, the baby is struggling to feed, nappies are fewer than expected or you are worried about intake or weight.

How do I get help for postnatal depression or anxiety?

Contact a midwife, health visitor or GP. NHS perinatal mental-health or talking-therapy services may also be available.

Can partners receive postnatal mental-health support?

Yes. Partners can contact their GP and local mental-health or family support services.

What should I do if I feel unable to cope?

Tell a healthcare professional as soon as possible. Seek urgent or emergency help if there is a risk of harm to you or the baby.