It is estimated that more than 1 in 10 women suffer from a mental health illness during the perinatal period (during pregnancy and one year after birth).
AFF has received several enquiries from women suffering from perinatal mental health issues who do not feel they are receiving the required support from the chain of command or from NHS services.
Sound familiar? Contact our Health & Additional Needs team at healthsupport@aff.org.uk so that we can investigate this further.
Pregnancy and childbirth are life changing events for both parents. During the first week after childbirth, many women can experience a low mood and feel mildly depressed at a time when they expect they should feel happy after having a baby, this can be referred to as the “Baby blues”. These feeling are probably due to the sudden hormonal and chemical changes that take place in your body after childbirth.
During this time, it is common for many women to feel tearful, irritable, find it difficult to sleep and have a lack of appetite. However, these symptoms should improve after a few days; if they do not you may be developing postnatal depression (PND).
If you think that you, or someone you know, may have PND, the following organisations can offer treatment and support.
MMHA’s campaign, Everyone’s Business, is asking that women in the UK who are experiencing perinatal mental health illness receive the care they and their families need.
The Defence Breastfeeding Network is an online peer support network supporting members of the Armed Forces and their families on their infant feeding journey. The network can be found on Facebook, Defence Connect and Instagram and can even offer training to gain a Level 2 breastfeeding peer supporter qualification. The network can help with breastfeeding queries, general parenting support and 1:1 lactation support. Civilians are welcome to join if their partner is serving.
NHS England has written a specific commissioning policy for Armed Forces families, living in England, outlining the pathway and criteria for you to access assisted reproduction methods such as IVF and Intra-Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI).
This commissioning policy helps to prevent some of the issues that couples face due to mobility and accessing treatment.
Want to know more? Contact our Health & Additional Needs team at healthsupport@aff.org.uk
It is MOD policy that, where possible, assistance should be given to enable Service personnel and their spouses, civil partners or partners to have access to assisted conception services provided by the NHS in the UK.
JSP 661, Chapter 2, Section 4 – Assisted Conception Services gives policy guidance to those seeking geographical stability when undergoing assisted conception treatment, guidance on assisted conception overseas and for those requiring fertility preservation.
If you are experiencing any problems with accessing fertility treatment or if you would like to give feedback regarding the treatment you have received, contact our Health & Additional Needs team at healthsupport@aff.org.uk
The Defence Fertility Network exists to provide individuals, couples and their civilian partners across Defence (Royal Navy, Army, Royal Air Force and Civil Servants) who are considering, are on or have been on a fertility journey a welcoming, rankless and confidential support group. It functions primarily as a private Facebook group where members can provide and receive peer support, signposting to relevant resources and the benefit of collective experience when navigating National Health Service and Ministry of Defence policies. For those who want more information (and access to support resources without having to join) they can be found on Defence Connect. The Network’s Service Leads can be emailed at armypers-df-network@mod.gov.uk
Visit fertilitynetworkuk.org/access-support/nhs-funding/northern-ireland
Visit fertilitynetworkuk.org/access-support/nhs-funding/scotland
Visit fertilitynetworkuk.org/access-support/nhs-funding/wales
Service couples living in Germany and the Netherlands and Belgium (EJSU) will not receive funding for assisted conception treatment; however there is support for fertility investigations to entitled couples.
Funding is available for surgery in Germany and EJSU to correct any anatomical abnormality that is causing the infertility. For more information on assisted conception treatment speak to your doctor.
BFC does not fund assisted conception treatment but will fund fertility investigations up to the point of diagnosis. If you require assisted conception treatment, they will advise you to return to the UK. For more information, speak to your doctor.
You are not advised to have IVF or other infertility treatment in any other overseas bases because treatment cannot be quality assured or regulated in line with national UK guidelines.
If you are considering having treatment overseas, visit the Human Fertilisation Embryology Authority (HFEA) website for more information and guidance.