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Perinatal mental health and parenthood journeys have been explored in a unique way in a photography exhibition with a difference.

A number of service users of our community Perinatal Mental health Service will have their work displayed as part of a public exhibition at Queen Mary’s Hospital, Sidcup in March.

Room to Grow will display images and written reflections of a place that had special meaning to each participant as part of their parenthood journey. 

It was the idea of Ellie Hopkins, who has lived experience of perinatal mental health and now works with our perinatal mental health team as a peer engagement facilitator.

Ellie said:

“When visiting a mum under the care of the team alongside a nursery nurse, we got talking about how much time parents of newborns spend not just inside their homes, but usually in one particular space or room.

For new parents with perinatal mental health challenges, there may be more intense feelings and emotions connected with this space and we wanted to explore how this may impact on how people feel and how emotions may influence feelings towards this space, or base, where they spend the most time with baby.”

Exhibitors were asked to take a picture of the space in which they spent most of the day, a place where they’ve felt supported, their car, a coffee shop, or even a room in someone else’s home that brought them comforting feelings and had meaning for them.

Ellie added:

“Our hope is that Room to Grow will bring connection, solidarity and reassurance to those who may be on their own mental health, perinatal mental health or parenthood journey.”

View the public exhibition on the ground floor of the main entrance to Queen Mary’s Hospital, Sidcup, Kent DA14 6LT, from Wednesday 6 March to Tuesday 19 March between 7am and 9pm daily.