BLACK BRITISH mothers are scared to seek help for postnatal depression because they fear their babies will be taken away, our investigation has revealed.

Postnatal depression impacts 1 in every 10 women who give birth in the UK, and can also affect fathers. 

According to research, black mothers are 13% more likely to face postnatal depression or anxiety than white mothers. 

Experts believe the increased risk is due to other societal inequalities black women face like deprivation, social isolation, exposure to trauma, lower income, food insecurity, housing and immigration problems.

Despite black mothers being more vulnerable, they are the least likely to ask for help. 

There is an additional factor, distrust of the medical system which is acting as a barrier preventing many from seeking the help they need. 

Sandra Igwe, is the founder and CEO of the Motherhood Group, a leading support group for black mothers in the UK. 

She told The Voice: “A lot of black mothers don’t see mental health services as they see it as part of a wider system, the healthcare system as a whole. 

“They are hearing about all of these horrible disparities that affect us more, such as we are more likely to have neonatal deaths, stillborn babies, complications, die during pregnancy, all of these horrifying statistics, so we don’t trust the system as a whole.” 

These concerning statistics are stopping black women from going to healthcare professionals. 

She said there is also a fear among black women, that if you are suffering from postnatal depression “our babies will be taken away.” 

In 2016, the business woman fell pregnant with her first child. 

She recalls being “harmed by the system” during her pregnancy and says she experienced discriminatory treatment from a midwife because of the colour of her skin. 

She added: “When I went on to have symptoms of depression, I did not want to go back to the system that I thought all worked cohesively together to not have my best interests at heart.” 

According to the NHS, some of the most common symptoms of postnatal depression include a persistent feeling of low mood or sadness, lack of energy, feeling tired all the time, isolating yourself from family and friends and lack of enjoyment or interest in things. 

TRANSPARENCY

Ms Igwe said: “I didn’t know I had depression because I was still cleaning, cooking and was very efficient, but as black women when we display signs of depression it’s not necessarily the standard Eurocentric way of looking at depression. 

“Sometimes it’s feeling like you’re not good enough, feeling like you are not doing enough, sometimes it’s taking on too much and feeling quite burnt out.

“It shows itself in back aches, avoiding people and isolating yourself further.” 

Ms Igwe founded The Motherhood Group out of frustration that there were not enough support services out there that specifically catered to black women and that were “culturally competent or culturally sensitive”.

She never sought professional help, but says attending church regularly and setting up her organisation as a safe space for black mothers has been therapy to help her through depression. 

“I did everything but go back to the system with my first daughter because of that fear of racism, further trauma, and babies being taken away, using what you said against you,” she added. 

Ms Igwe also cites a “lack of transparency” within the health system as a reason many black women are now turning to their aunties, family, friends and faith institutions for support.

“We already have many labels being black, being a woman, you don’t want to have another label attached to you relating to mental ill health.”

Leeanne Adu, 38, is from Lewisham, south east London, and found out she was expecting her first child in April 2017. 

At first, she was convinced she would have an easy pregnancy because she was exercising regularly and training for a marathon at the time.

But things took a turn for the worst. In Spring 2017, Ms Adu began to feel very unwell. 

She said: “I got every single symptom straight away, I couldn’t eat anything but potatoes for three months or ice lollies.

“I couldn’t walk to the end of the road without throwing up.”

Ms Adu was constantly exhausted and said she felt pressured to disclose her pregnancy to her former employers very early on. 

Her condition got worse and she was forced to take time off work and this began to impact her mental wellbeing. 

Ms Adu disclosed she has previously had depressive episodes through-out her life and informed health professionals at the beginning of her pregnancy, who allocated her a mental health midwife.

She thought ‘I’m not going to need that again, I’m going to be fine’ but said as she got further along in her pregnancy the problems continued. 

The mother-of-one was diagnosed with Pelvic Girdle Pain, which meant she could no longer walk or jog and this “sent her to rock bottom” and admits she “didn’t enjoy” her pregnancy. 

“My mental health just dropped and I felt incredibly anxious,” she explained. 

Ms Adu, remembers experiencing frightening periods when she started imagining the worst would happen.

This was debilitating and forced her to stay indoors because she feared she would be involved in an accident. 

At six months pregnant, she was signed off work with high blood pressure and was having panic attacks. 

Ms Adu said having the same mental health midwife for the entirety of her pregnancy helped her.

Ms Adu had a strong support system but still struggled because she simply didn’t want to “burden” her husband with how she was feeling. 

COMPLICATIONS

Her baby was due in December 2017, but a month before her due date Ms Adu was rushed to hospital because “her feet were swollen and had doubled in size”’ and she could no longer wear her wedding ring. 

She had developed Pre-eclampsia – a condition that causes high blood pressure during pregnancy and after labour – which if left untreated can be serious. 

She said: “I was in hospital for a week where they tried to induce me. 

“When my daughter was engaged to come out, she went right back up.” 

Ms Adu had to have a caesarean, but she wanted to wait until the baby was ready, which left her devastated.

She said: “I had my caesarean, it didn’t go well, I was awake for it, it took quite a long time and the anaesthetic wore off.”

Ms Adu suffered other complications during the procedure and said she wanted her husband present when she had surgery, but he was told to leave the room. 

Again, she said this made her feel even more anxious and scared. 

She added: “I didn’t feel very looked after in the hospital I was in”

After having her healthy baby girl, Ms Adu continued to experience what she calls a lack of care from medical staff. 

She added: “I was always told I was doing something wrong.” 

Despite all the challenges she faced, Ms Adu said: “I bonded with her completely, the source of the postnatal depression was probably the trauma.

“When I thought of postnatal depression I thought it would be like I didn’t love my baby, I didn’t want to be around her, and it was the total opposite, I clung on to her with every fibre of my being. 

“She was the only thing that got me through each day.” 

The turning point for the new mother came after seeing her health visitor and mental health professionals.  

UNDERSTOOD

She said: “Seeing my health visitor was really useful, I think a lot of people are scared of health visitors, but I had a great one who sign posted me to some great local services like my local children’s centre – who had courses like Mindful Mums – which was part of their local Mind branch.”

Ms Adu credits the group of mums – who she is still in touch with today – for helping her get her life back. 

She said: “I sat in that group and every week I cried and cried, but eventually I became a volunteer because it helped so much. That group changed my life!” 

She also attended another group about understanding how the brain changes during motherhood. 

She says both groups encouraged her to go back on medication when her daughter was four months old and says it has “made a huge difference.” 

Ms Adu quit her stressful job and said that has helped because she “couldn’t go back into an environment that was so unsupportive throughout my pregnancy.”

She now runs her own business, a successful remote PA support agency and volunteers helping other new mums who are struggling. 

The entrepreneur is urging others to shake off the ‘strong black woman’ label and take the brave step and tell someone how they feel. 

She said: “Something may not be normal to you, but it is very common. 

“Lean on the people that you love and that love you, talk to them, don’t be afraid to tell someone how you are feeling.”

Ms Adu was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer in 2020 and underwent treatment and now has no evidence of disease. 

After overcoming so much, she is enjoying every moment raising her daughter and helping other mums. 

When asked about her daughter, Tiana, who is now five years old, Ms Adu beamed and described her as “amazing, loving, clever, cheeky, witty and such a joy to be around.” 

Joanne Hipplewith, a Psychotherapist and spokesperson for the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP), said there will always be social, historical and environmental factors that contribute to the mental wellbeing of black women and the black community which need to be understood. 

She said: “Depression does lead to a lot of negative thoughts that you can have about yourself and your abilities.” 

She urged any woman who feels they need help to come forward and not be ashamed as having a baby comes with a lot of “pressure.” 

Ms Hipplewith has over 20 years’ experience working with mental health and says there are different types of help available including talking therapies like Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). 

“It’s really important for black communities to know that there are black organisations they can make contact with to help with mental health. 

“There is help and support, there is no fear, there is no shame in approaching mental health services.

“We all have mental health, so it’s not just other communities, there is help available and there are low-cost options available.

“Therapy is tough and it is not just a listening thing, think about what is going to be right for you, contact different therapists and get recommendations and give it a go, because there is no harm in asking for help.” 

She said under the Mental Health Act, black people are subject to a formal detention at a disproportionate rate, in comparison to their white counterparts – who might go through more informal processes first. 

She said this disparity needs to be addressed and is directly linked to the political and social discourse that “black is dangerous.” 

Ms Hipplewith says the stigma associated with mental health issues will continue to act as a barrier to those seeking help, unless more awareness campaigns are targeted at Britain’s black community. 

As part of The Black, African and Asian Therapy Network (BAATN), she said more members of the black community are seeking black therapists but has noticed a pattern in the ages of those coming forward with the younger generation “more open” to seek help.

She added: “I think there is still a gap with the 30 plus generation and I don’t think it is very common within our community to seek therapy.” 

What is postnatal depression?

Having a baby is a life-changing experience and most women can feel tearful and anxious during the first week after giving birth. 

This is known as the “baby blues” and is considered normal and quite common. 

However, if your symptoms last longer or start later, it could be a sign that you could have postnatal depression. 

The NHS emphasises that your mental health is as important as your physical health and if you are worried about yourself or someone else but it’s not an emergency contact your GP or call 111.