Sometimes being a mother or being pregnant isn't the way you expect it to be. 

Just looking at this website means you're a step closer to feeling the way you really do want to feel.

Postnatal Depression
 

What you need to know...

If you're not enjoying motherhood as much as you would like, you can enjoy it more.

That might feel impossible to you right now, but many mothers often don't feel the way they expect during motherhood - not because of anything that's wrong with them but because of their circumstances, either right now or earlier in life.

If mothers are given the right support for them during pregnancy and beyond, then they are more likely to enjoy being a mother.

Birth and Beyond was set up by Sarah Wheatley to provide services that help you figure out what is affecting you, reduce your mental or emotional distress, develop your confidence, and bond better with your baby (or babies).

Counselling helps in a variety of ways:

  • You can use it to gain a better understanding of why you feel the way you do, which can help you feel more in control.

  • You can use it to talk about emotions that you feel uncomfortable talking with anyone else about, which can be a relief.

  • You can use it to figure out how you are going to get the right supports for you to enjoy being a mother.

Your relationship with your baby is also a very powerful tool, which is why we offer newborn observations and Video Interaction Guidance (VIG) in order to support mothers to become more confident and less anxious.

As well as working with mothers directly, Sarah has spoken on BBC Radio 4 Woman's Hour about Perinatal Anxiety, worked with the Scottish Government as part of their PlayTalkRead campaign and have spoken on STV Edinburgh about ways in which mothers can enjoy parenthood more.

 

“Sarah was warm, kind and nurturing, and with every session I felt myself mending and more able to heal myself and bond with my son.”

— Hannah, EdINBURGH

 
 

Wherever you are in your parenting journey, from pre-conception until your children leave home, difficult feelings can be present. If you’re experiencing feelings that you don’t want, and you’re not sure how to change that, we can work together to enable you to feel the way you would like.

There are various ways we can do this, through counselling,  through Baby Kind newborn observation sessions, and through Video Interaction Guidance. Counselling can be carried out face-to-face, online or over the ‘phone.