‘I felt there was no way out’ - charity founder hopes to support new mums at mother and baby unit
Charity founder Naomi Farrow is taking on a role at NSFT's mother and baby mental health unit. Picture: MARK BULLIMORE
A Norfolk charity founder who suffered post-natal depression is looking forward to 'giving hope' to other parents in her role at the region's new mother and baby mental health unit.
Naomi Farrow, with twin daughters Erin and Tess, when they were just a year old. Photo: Archant - Credit: Archant
Naomi Farrow, 34, founded the charity Get Me Out The Four Walls in 2016, after the birth of her twin daughters, Erin and Tess, now four, left her feeling isolated.
But the Cawston mum-of-three, who also has daughter Fern, now aged seven, fought back: founding the charity, and campaigning for better maternity mental health services in East Anglia.
And now she has begun a new chapter, taking on a role as a peer support worker at the Norfolk and Suffolk Foundation Trust's (NSFT) new mother and baby unit at Hellesdon Hospital, in Norwich.
Mrs Farrow said: 'It's about supporting people and saying 'you will come out the other side'.'
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'I felt before there was no way out, which is how you feel when you're in it. In that moment, it feels like the world's going to end.
'Once you come out the other side you realise there is hope.
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'You've got to believe you can.'
She added: 'I'll be supporting the mums that come into the unit, and giving them hope things will get better.
'I'm really looking forward to it as I was involved from the start, and campaigned with Norman Lamb.'
Mrs Farrow, who has previously shared her experiences of post-natal depression, said: 'I think hormonally there's a lot going on and it's that adjustment from single life, or having one child, to having two or even three.
'Your sleep is near on nothing, and we know that lack of sleep can lead to illnesses like psychosis and depression.'
Mrs Farrow started her role at the unit, where she is currently training, ahead of the open day on Tuesday, January 22.
She said: 'They've invited me along to open it because of the work that I've done, which is really nice.'
And she plans to combine her job as peer support worker with her role as founder at the charity.
'We're looking to work with the unit,' she said.
'We already work with the perinatal community mental health team and can refer people to them.
'We'd like to be able to offer someone going in [to the unit] each week and just let them know that we exist and what we do.'
For more information about the charity, visit Get Me Out The Four Walls.
