Christian friendship is a lifeline for new mums facing mental health struggles

True friendship, not quick fixes, is what new mums need most. Rachael Newham suggests how we can offer presence, practical help, and the love of Jesus when motherhood feels overwhelming

Last week was Maternal Mental Health Week, a time to focus in on how we can care for the mental health of mums during the periods of pregnancy, postnatal and beyond.

Maternal mental health goes way beyond ‘baby blues’ - suicide remains the leading cause of death for a woman during pregnancy and the first year of motherhood, whilst postnatal depression is estimated to effect between 10-15% of mothers.

New motherhood can be a really tough time and not just physically, but if we’re knee-deep in our own parenting, it’s hard to know how to help those around us.

We aren’t meant to fix people’s mental health problems - and we can’t - but we can demonstrate friendship

But as someone who’s lived with mental illness for the entirety of my motherhood to varying degrees of severity, some things can ……