A MUM is campaigning to improve the diagnosis and treatment of maternal mental health problems.

Libby Binks, who lives in Norton, had postnatal depression and anxiety after the birth of her daughter Chloe in December 2014.

She said: “I felt more and more useless, inadequate and a burden on my husband, Adam, who seemed to be so much better at parenthood than me.

“At my lowest I felt useless, completely out of control. I wasn’t myself anymore because of the depression, and that was terrifying. I didn’t feel I was in control of my own mind, much less bringing up a child.

“I wanted to disappear. I saw Adam with Chloe and how idyllic their relationship was, and I thought that I was poisoning that. So I thought I would just disappear. I thought that me disappearing would be better for them.

“I think GPs should have to check on every mother’s mental and physical health after six weeks of their child’s life, not just do that with the baby.

“In hindsight, I should have just gone to the doctors and said ‘I’m unwell, help me’. But I didn’t because I was scared that Chloe might get taken away or that I might be put on medication, which I didn’t want. I think those fears put many women off talking about their mental health.

“It took me two-and-a-half years to get help in the form of counselling, through a charity, and hypnotherapy, which I paid for. They helped hugely and I feel really well now, though still have the odd bad day.

Libby is now backing the National Childhood Trust’s (NCT) Hidden Half campaign, which is calling for a 10-minute dedicated appointment for all new mums, with the support from Ryedale MP Kevin Hollinrake.

“My experience of care from the NHS was completely inadequate,” she added. “There are so many mums like me who are hiding their depression and mental ill health, and we are the ones who are being missed by the NHS.”

The National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommends a six-week postnatal check to assess how a woman has experienced her transition to motherhood, which includes checks on her mental health.

Mr Hollinrake said: “We need to use that six-week check and later ones not as a tick-box exercise but as a real opportunity to ensure that the mother’s wellbeing, as well as the child’s, is taken into consideration.”

He added that the Government has invested £356 million in improving perinatal mental health in England over five years.

“We must do more and I support the NCT calls for funding and guidance for doctors so that they are better equipped to discuss emotional health with mothers," added Mr Hollinrake.

The charity is also urging people to show their support by signing up at nct.org.uk/hiddenhalf