‘There is no expiration date on a mother’s need for care’ — Wexford councillor and new mum calls for comprehensive post-natal supports

By Simon Bourke, Wexford People

New mothers are recuperating from the “physical, emotional, and psychological” demands of childbirth with “minimal or no professional or practical support” according to Wexford councillor, and new mother, Aoife Rose O’Brien.

Since giving birth to Paídi last month, the Sinn Féin councillor has been “juggling breastfeeding, school runs, and housework” while continuing her duties as a public representative. This has included campaigning for “comprehensive maternal care” for all women, something which she feels is not currently available.

“Becoming a mother should be a time when women are supported, protected and given the space to recover and adjust to one of the biggest changes in their lives,” said Cllr O’Brien. “Yet for many women in Ireland, the reality of the postpartum period is very different.

“Mothers are expected to cope with the physical recovery from childbirth, the emotional and psychological demands of caring for a newborn, and the immense responsibility of motherhood, often with minimal or no professional or practical support.”

Currently, under the Maternity and Infant Care Scheme, new mothers receive two free postnatal GP visits - which includes examinations of the baby at two weeks, and six weeks, old.

Despite postpartum depression affecting between 10-15pc new mothers in Ireland, Cllr O’Brien says there are “significant gaps” in maternal support services beyond that six-week period.

“Once a woman leaves the hospital and six weeks after giving birth, maternity care tends to end for most women, despite the fact that the weeks and months following birth can be among the most difficult and vulnerable periods of a woman’s life,” she says.

“Hormonal regulation can take over 18 months, mental and emotional adjustment can take over two years and, depending on what kind of birth the mother experienced, her physical state can take years to fully return to her normal state.

“Access to meaningful postnatal mental-health support, lactation support, pelvic-health services, home support and practical guidance can be limited, fragmented or difficult to access. Mothers can find themselves having to seek out and pay privately for services that should be considered an essential part of postnatal care. Worse again, some mothers go without and suffer through extreme mental and physical illness.”

Although many women receive supports from their employer as they prepare to return to the workplace, the same assistance is not readily available for the self-employed. Having spoken to other new mothers, Cllr O’Brien says some feel compelled to return to work much sooner than normal.

“Some mothers have no choice but to return to work mere days or weeks postpartum, one woman disclosed that she had to return to her business just six days after giving birth. Maternity leave should mean an opportunity to recover, bond with a baby and adjust to motherhood, not a period spent worrying about whether a business will survive or whether the household can afford for a mother to stop working.”

Rather than an “individual problem for women to solve alone”, Cllr O’Brien says protecting new mothers is a “societal responsibility” which “deserves greater state support”.

Calling upon Mental Health Minister Mary Butler to prioritise the wellbeing of mothers, the Sinn Féin councillor said “consistent support” was required for those who have given birth.

“Women need to be able to recover without being penalised financially or professionally. And, most importantly, mothers need to be treated as people who also require care, not just as caregivers whose needs become secondary once their baby is born.

“A society that values families must value mothers too. If Ireland genuinely wants to support women, encourage women to remain in the workforce, support families and improve outcomes for children, then postpartum support, maternity protections and childcare cannot be treated as optional extras.

“Women should not have to be extraordinarily resilient simply to survive the first few years of motherhood, they should be supported through it. Mothers deserve comprehensive post-natal support. There is no six-week expiration date on a mother’s need for care.”

Mental Health Minister Mary Butler. © Suzanne Byrne

Responding to Cllr O’Brien’s concerns, Minister of State for Mental Health Mary Butler TD, said the development of Specialist Perinatal Mental Health Services (SPMHS) has been a “priority focus” for her since her appointment.

“Successive annual budget investments have supported the expansion of SPMH services, which are now available across all six (HSE) regions,” she said.

In last year’s Budget €640,000 was allocated to recruit additional consultant psychiatrists in the Rotunda Hospital and the National Maternity Hospital.

“The HSE is currently finalising a Model of Care for SPMHS, which will guide future service development and investment,” continued the minister. “I am also working with the HSE to progress plans for Ireland’s first Perinatal Mother and Baby Unit (PMBU), a specialist inpatient mental health service that would allow women to remain with their babies while receiving treatment.

“The delivery of a dedicated PMBU will ensure that women who require specialist inpatient mental health care during pregnancy or following childbirth can access appropriate support as quickly as possible.

“In addition to a unit at St. Vincent’s University Hospital in Dublin, I am working with the HSE Mid-West to progress a Perinatal Mother and Baby Unit at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Limerick.”