"I couldn’t be more grateful for the opportunity"

I had twins prematurely at 33 weeks. Their arrival was complicated and they needed to stay on a neonatal unit for 3 weeks before we could bring them home. On discharge it was found my babies had problems gaining weight and we needed support from the infant feeding team and a dietician. This start to my babies life had made me very stressed, I was worried hugely that I wasn’t bonding with them as I should and I had tremendous feelings of guilt; guilt that my breastfeeding attempts weren’t enough and guilt that I wasn’t able to meet the emotional needs of my twins as well as my other child who is only a toddler. Due to all of this it was suggested that I might want to see Nicola the mental well-being health visitor at RDaSH.

Nicola came to my home at a time that was fully convenient for me and immediately made me feel relaxed. She created a space where I could talk and be truly honest about the way I was feeling without any fear of being judged. She really listened to me and showed an understanding of my situation that no one else had yet displayed. Because of all of this I heard and took on board information that I’d not heard before, information that made me realise I wasn’t failing, that my babies were okay and that it was alright to accept help and alternatives when it came to feeding if I needed. The appointment wasn’t rushed and there was no box ticking. Instead the appointment ended and I felt someone professional truly cared about how I was doing, and instead of my head being full of worries and negativity I felt I was doing something right and this situation would be okay. In the coming weeks I held onto my conversation with Nicola and it empowered me in so many ways, in particular to truly advocate for my babies, my toddler and for me. I felt less guilty and was freed from many of my worries, meaning I had more headspace to connect with my babies fully.

We’re all doing brilliantly now and I believe Nicola played a huge part in us moving through the difficult patch when we did. Her intervention in the manner in which it was done saved me from a lot of struggles and upset and most importantly changed my outlook before I got too low and needed more clinical mental health support, which would have broken my heart.

I couldn’t be more grateful for the opportunity to work with Nicola and impact she had on my well-being, mental health and outlook. I know she will change so many Mum’s postpartum periods for the better in the future. Thank you!