"I'll see if we've got time to see you this YEAR"

These are the words that have been ringing in my head all afternoon.

Hi I'm Rhiannon. I'm a mum. I've been poorly with postnatal depression. I'm better now thank goodness. I've been trying to help other parents ever since. Since September 2012, my little team of mums have given their time voluntarily to help other parents who are struggling with the crippling symptoms of pre and postnatal illness.

So when I speak to a local Health Visitor in order to meet with her team to be able to deliver the good news that we can help their heavy workload, we can provide support to poorly parents .... you can probably understand why the phrase "I'll see if we've got time to see you this YEAR" has got under my skin. 30 minutes was all I asked for. 30 minutes to tell them we exist, we are here, we have helped nearly 70 mums in 2 years and the final sell "Please will you let poorly parents know about us".

It's not much to ask is it?

Oh wait it seems it is. I had a similar response from the local GP surgery yesterday. "We are booked up for the next few months". "We'll get back to you"..... Hmmm why don't I believe them?

What about the Children's Centre.... surely they will be keen as mustard to be able to tell parents that a peer support service exists in their town. It's a place they can go every week and feel some relief from knowing they're not freaks of nature and that being poorly with OCD or anxiety or horrible intrusive thoughts or insomnia does not make them a bad parent. In fact they are in good company because as many as 1 in 5 new mums will feel this way. No still waiting......

I remember very clearly feeling so desperately lonely. I was a mum of twins in a new village struggling with PND. I went to the doctor - they gave me pills and no support. I went to the Health Visitor, they came to see me once. No further support. I would have given anything to be able to speak to another mum and just say how it was. I would have given anything for that other mum to say "yeah me too"!!! I see such relief on the faces of our mums when you listen, understand and support them and what's more understand them.

There are days I feel so close to giving up doing this. There are days when I want to stop phoning and emailing people who aren't interested. People in powerful positions who could just say "yes" "give us some leafets" "we'll let people know about you". But today is not that day.

Poynton PANDAS
Peer Support Drop-in Group
Mondays (term-time) 10.45-12.15
St George's Church, Poynton

www.facebook.com/PoyntonPANDAS