The MBU
Being mentally unwell at any time is scary, we know that, but when you are pregnant or have recently had a baby it can feel even more so.
In Scotland there are 12 MBU beds where someone who is experiencing severe mental illness (in the later stages of pregnancy or if their baby is under 12 months old) can be cared for with access to high quality support from a multidisciplinary team of professionals. The MBUs enable mothers to be supported in caring for their baby whilst having care and treatment for a range of mental illnesses including:
• postnatal depression
• postpartum psychosis
• severe anxiety disorders
• eating disorders.
This page has been designed to give you some information about Scotland’s MBU’s, if the information you are looking for is not included please get in touch via email to hello@latnem.org. Some of our team have lived experience of admission and would be happy to talk to you.
St John’s Hospital in Livingston
Mummy and me packs
“Sometimes Mummy has to stay in a mental health unit without me.”
“Mummy and Me” packs include a child-friendly book about Mum’s mental health and matching teddies for Mum and each child.
The matching teddies are something friendly and familiar that the child can see with Mummy when on a video call, and they can swap their teddies when they visit so that they can smell and hug something that has been with Mummy when they are missing her.
You can choose from book titles Why Are You So Scared?: A Child’s Book about Parents with PTSD or My Happy Sad Mummy.
My Happy Sad Mummy
“Sometimes Mummy has happy days, where she talks and laughs all day long. Sometimes Mummy is sad. She cries all day and stays in bed. Sometimes she’s so sad she has to go to hospital.” The symptoms of a mental illness can be challenging enough for adults to understand and live with. For a child whose parent lives with bipolar disorder, witnessing and experiencing the highs and lows that this particular mental illness brings with it can be very difficult for a child to process. ‘My Happy Sad Mummy’ provides both a starting point; for the necessary dialogue that will lead the child to a clearer awareness and understanding of their parent’s illness, as well as comfort; to know that their experience is a shared one.
Why Are You So Scared?: A Child’s Book about Parents with PTSD
Kids that have a parent with PTSD can often feel confused, scared, or helpless. This explains PTSD and its symptoms in non-threatening, kid-friendly language, and is full of questions and exercises that kids and parents can work through together. The workbook-style layout encourages kids to express their thoughts and emotions about PTSD through writing, drawing, and designing. This book can serve as a practical tool for kids to cope with and eventually understand their parent’s PTSD.
LATNEM Peer Support 