Reaching out for support

Feeling stressed as a mum doesn’t mean you aren’t good enough, it means you haven’t got enough support.

May 4th 2021

It used to be ordinary that a whole village would raise a child. The demands of being a mother have not lessened but the support available has. It’s ordinary and okay to need help.

It can be hard to ask for help. People only know we need help if we tell them. We can be so used to putting on a brave face that sometimes we can forget that’s the  only face other people see.  Let down the mask – its OK to not be OK.

Need support now?

If you ever feel you are not able to keep yourself or your family safe, please seek urgent help – 24 hours a day you can contact NHS direct on 111 who will help you find a safe way forward.

Or you can contact the local 24 hour NHS Mental health helplines

  • Pennine Care for Tameside, Glossop, Stockport, Bury, Rochdale Heywood, Middleton and Oldham: 0800 014 9995
  • GMMH for Manchester, Salford, Trafford, Bolton : 0800 953 0285 ​
  • GMMH for Wigan: 0800 051 3253

If you are at immediate risk call 999 or go directly to your nearest A and E department where mental health specialists will be able to offer you an urgent review.

For 24 hour support

  • Text support text BABYBUDDY to 85285. This will connect you with a trained volunteer who can support you to a place of calm through text messaging
  • Call the Samaritans on 116 123

You can download our leaflet for more information on where to get support

Reaching Out for Support pdf

You can also visit our page for parents and carers with information on services available and how to get support