My first #MatExp guest!

Huge thanks to busy mum (and so much more!) my friend Leanne Howlett for sharing her experience of perinatal mental health and how she is using it to help others.

We are hoping this episode will be influential in raising awareness and spreading some of the, often very simple, ideas that we discuss. Please give us some feedback. We are really hoping to build the conversation.

Lots of lemon lightbulbs! 🍋💡🍋See 'chapter headings' for more detail and to pick out your favourite bits, including:

· The importance of walking in the shoes of parents and finding out what actually matters to them

· Small, often very informal, things matter

· Don’t guess what people want, listen to them.

· Use genuine coproduction; be brave

· Share examples – e.g. a simple video to help people know what to expect

· Don’t overthink; just be human and the rest will fall into place

· Build trust through relationships rather than tick boxes

· The community are there to support you – use imaginative approaches

**Supporting resources

Leanne and clinical psychologist Kirstie read and talk about the wonderful paired ‘I’m fine’ poems they wrote as part of the Whose Shoes #MindNBody resources:**

https://twitter.com/howlett_leanne/status/1070068078678024193?s=21https://twitter.com/howlett_leanne/status/1070322658259156992?s=21Leanne speaks at our #VirtualWhoseShoes postnatal event in Southampton:
Leanne Howlett - Whose Shoes postnatal workshop, Southampton - June 2021 - YouTube

Leanne‘s blog: https://leannejhowlett.medium.com/why-becoming-a-mum-is-the-hardest-thing-ive-ever-done-233293734cc3

Leanne‘s campaign asking the government to invest in life-saving health visitors: https://twitter.com/nspcc_press/status/1443597957861941248?s=21

Sign Leanne’s open letter and show your support: https://twitter.com/nspcc_press/status/1443597957861941248?s=21