Catherine Mockler, blogpost

Pregnancy can be a vulnerable time for women.

In the pro-life movement we know this only too well. 2020 saw the highest number of abortions for women in England and Wales since 1967.And we also know that abortion is a significant trigger for mental health problems in women.

The pandemic has taken its toll on the mental health of many sections of society. For example, recent reports show that a third of UK school pupils need mental health support. And now a new study carried out by the Maternal Mental Health Alliance shows, women during and after pregnancy endured a higher level of poor mental health during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Is the mental health of mothers being taken seriously? Apparently no. But it’s not surprising that the mental health of new mothers is neglected, when the mental health of women seeking an abortion is almost totally ignored.

The real mental health scandal for pregnant women

Shocking figures recently revealed that 16,000 pregnant women and new mothers missed out on vital mental health support in the UK during the pandemic, according to the Royal College of Psychiatrists’ Mental Health Watch.

While these numbers are unacceptable, an even more unacceptable number is the 205,930 abortions which were performed on women in England and Wales during 2020 under ground C of the 1967 Abortion Act Ground C states that a woman can be certified for an abortion if the risk to her mental health would be greater if she continued her pregnancy than if she had an abortion. It is the scandalous exploitation of Ground C that has led to abortion on demand. The abortion industry couldn’t care less about the mental health of vulnerable women. And in our abortion culture, it’s no wonder that the mental health of mothers who give birth to their babies has been so woefully sidelined.

New mothers treated badly

The new report from the Maternal Mental Health Alliance highlights real-life cases. For example, in Northern Ireland, a young woman who developed mental health issues after birth was admitted to a psychiatric ward, which she shared with elderly dementia patients.

Is this a suitable place for a young mother?

Mental health protections for women are currently a postcode lottery – a shocking state of affairs, especially for those women who do not live in the correct postcode.

Of course we in the pro-life movement are concerned about the treatment of new mothers. However, we know that care for new mothers and babies will not be a priority as long as the abortion industry continues to denigrate the status of motherhood and the humanity of unborn children.

Creating a culture of life

As a society, we should not neglect the mental needs of mothers.

It’s no wonder, that women are driven to feel they are incapable of having or looking after a child. This increases the likelihood of abortion.

Women who may wish to proceed with pregnancy, but then find it difficult to gain access to help for mental health problems, are more at risk of choosing abortion.

Studies show that social support is of vital importance in the context of unexpected pregnancy, or when a pregnant woman is unsure if she can cope.

In these circumstances, women  need to be nurtured and given social network support. Pregnant women also need emotional support,  a difficult, sometimes frightening, situation.

We need compassion and understanding

As the Government holds loosely to its promises to fund these extra support services for new mothers struggling with mental health problems the oppressive reality for such women continues.

A critical step to help improve the mental health of women is to end the dangerous DIY abortion policy.

Being receptive and attentive to the mental health of mothers may, I think, affect lasting change within our society, for the better. Perhaps in our own homes, parishes and workplaces we can individually reach out and lend support to mothers.

It can be as simple as a chat.

Ridding the world of abortion is the single most significant change needed to create a compassionate and understanding society that allows mothers to embrace fully their role. This will bring about a culture of life in which every pregnancy can have a happy ending. Then we will have happy mothers and thriving children.