Infant minds matter
In the Infant Mental Health Team, we understand that meeting your baby can be very exciting, but for some parents and carers, this can also be a really difficult time.
What is infant mental health?
Having positive mental health means that your baby can begin to recognise their feelings and make them known. They can then get what they need from you so that they can manage these feelings, feel safe and learn new skills. This helps them to progress securely into childhood, through the teenage years and into adulthood.
Your baby’s relationship with you is the most important thing in this process. Reassurance and understanding is needed for emotional wellbeing just the same as feeding and hygiene are vital for good physical health.
This involves you both developing a strong attachment together.
We know from a lot of research that your baby is born ready to form a close bond with you and that this can begin in the womb. We also know that there are many things that can get in the way of the love and nurturing that babies need.
How we can help
We can see your baby with you up to their 3rd birthday and can also become involved before they are born, to focus on your relationship and to think with you about the emotional needs of your baby.
We are made up of Specialist Health Visitors and Child Psychotherapists and we can meet with you and the team around you to learn more about the support you and your baby could find helpful. We also think it is important to include partners and others involved in your baby's care.
Following referral, we might invite you to one of our clinics at Sea View, Whyteman’s Brae, Kirkcaldy or Playfield House, Cupar and we can visit you at home.
We also run an 8 week Solihull postnatal plus parenting group for babies under the age of 6 months where we think about:
Understanding your baby
Baby’s brain development and communication
Crying
Routine and sleep
Feeding
Play and development
Being separate from your baby
How to access us
If you think that you and your baby might benefit from our Solihull Postnatal Parenting Plus group or from our input, please don’t hesitate to ask your Community Midwife, Health Visitor or Family Nurse who can refer you to the Infant Mental Health Team.
Contact us
Infant Mental Health Team, Sea View, Whyteman’s Brae Hospital, Kirkcaldy KY1 2ND
