Marking Maternal Mental Health Week with our Paths service

Across Wakefield, Kirklees, Bradford, Calderdale, and Leeds, Paths specialist midwives will be spending Maternal Mental Health Week doing what matters most – listening, connecting, and reminding women and families that they are not alone.

Maternal Mental Health Week, which runs from 4 – 10 May, is about raising awareness, breaking stigma, and advocating for compassionate, trauma informed support. Pregnancy, birth and becoming a parent can bring joy, but they can also involve experiences such as birth trauma, baby loss, fear of childbirth, hospital stays, and significant emotional distress. These experiences deserve understanding and care.

Throughout the week, our midwives will be out in children’s centres, clinics, and community spaces – sharing information, creating safe spaces for conversations, and amplifying women’s voices. We’ll also be working alongside partner services to promote emotional wellbeing, recognise the importance of staff support, and improve access to help for families and under represented groups.

Every conversation, story shared, and moment of connection reinforces why maternal mental health matters. Listening with kindness, being present, and walking alongside women and families can make a powerful difference.

During the week we’ll be sharing blogs from our Paths team members – stay tuned to read their stories.