‘They saved my life’: The Greenwich charity providing a solution to the maternal health crisis

While battling through the ‘baby blues’ after giving birth to her son, Karina Shenaz found a light of solidarity in a Greenwich voluntary group.

Eight years ago, Ms Shenaz found herself grappling with life as a new, single mum.

Living in Blackheath on benefits and struggling for the basic essentials, the young mother felt her world spiralling out of control.

Speaking to the South London Press, the 33-year-old said: “I was exhausted.

“When you first have your baby you have such a close attachment, you want to be there all the time and you have no chance to focus on yourself.

“It was my first time and there were things I just didn’t know how to do.”

Ms Shenaz said she came across MumsAid counselling by chance. The Greenwich based charity provides therapy services for new and expectant mothers in the area.

She said: “I went to my first session and felt a huge sense of relief. 

“It was the first time I had space from my baby, for an hour to talk about myself without feeling any guilt.”

In 2022, research from health insurer, Bupa UK, found that seven in 10 mums felt guilty about taking time out for themselves.

Ms Shenaz said: “They told me that you can feel really low after having a baby because all of the hormones that make you feel good during pregnancy suddenly change.

“If you don’t get support early, that can turn into depression.”

Up to one in five new and expectant mothers in the UK experience depression, according to MumsAid, with around 10,000 not able to receive adequate support due to gaps in healthcare recognition, long waiting times for therapy, and systemic limitations. 

Ms Shenaz said: “Having someone believe in me pushed me to believe in myself. 

“I had tried other services but I fell through the gaps, it was easy to feel forgotten.

“At MumsAid they went above and beyond. Getting that validation was pivotal for me. It changed and saved my life.”

During her therapy sessions, Ms Shenaz decided she would finish the final year if her computer science degree at university.

She said: “I was moving from Greenwich to my university in Yorkshire which meant I was moving out of the services scope.

“But my councillor carried on supporting me. She would call and email me and even email my university to make sure they were aware of my situation.”

Ms Shenaz completed her university degree which led to her taking on her current role at finance firm, JP Morgan.

Now with an eight-year-old son, Ms Shenaz said she wants to share her story to help other young mothers know that there is help out there.

MumsAid has supported more than 5,000 women since it opened in 2012.

Last week, a new report by Pro Bono Economics found that MumsAid “significantly enhances mothers’ mental health”, resulting in an economic benefit of at least £10,000 per mother.

Dr Miriam Donaghy, founder and chief executive officer of MumsAid, said: “This report confirms the life-changing impact of our work. Mothers in need can’t wait. Supporting them through specialist counselling benefits not just families but society as a whole.”

The report, Pregnant then blue? The value of MumsAid, focused on 290 mothers who have received counselling from the council funded service.

It found that MumsAid actively reaches underserved groups, including young mothers and minority communities, to ensure fair access to mental health support.

By focusing on the unique challenges faced by mothers in the area, including poverty, homelessness and cultural barriers to accessing support, MumsAid has created a model of care that is deeply rooted in the community, the report said.

Rachel Gomez, Senior Economist at Pro Bono Economics, said: “By helping mothers who might otherwise not receive the assistance they need, MumsAid’s plays a critical role in supporting mothers and children, with benefits which are likely to spread wider and endure far longer than is shown in this report. 

“At a time when depression and other mental health issues are a too-common challenge for mothers in the UK, policymakers should look to successful programmes like this to help shape future plans for support.”

MumsAid offers free therapeutic services to any new mum living in Greenwich as well private counselling to mums from across the UK www.mums-aid.org  07758763908 / 0333 0900753

Pictured top: Karina Shenaz said MumsAid “changed and saved” her life (Picture: Karina Shenaz)