Florence House, Dorset HealthCare’s Perinatal Unit, has recently teamed up with Lush Cosmetics to help provide new mothers with some well deserved pampering during their stay at the unit to help them relax and recuperate.
The Florence House team, which provides mental health support for new mothers, found that often mothers arrived at the unit without items for themselves, prioritising the needs of their baby. In a bid to take pressure off new mums and create time for them to wind down, staff spoke with Lush Cosmetics about providing products for the mothers. Both Florence House and Lush Cosmetics have worked in partnership since, offering new mothers a variety of products to try, from bath bombs to body lotions, during their stay.
Emma Baxter, Perinatal Occupational Therapist at Dorset HealthCare, said: “Taking time to look after yourself can become a low priority when unwell or looking after a new-born. At Florence House we aim to provide as relaxing an environment as possible and we wanted to find a way to offer mums some time to pamper themselves, whether that’s taking a long bath or wearing a face mask. It’s often the little things that help make a difference to a person’s mood and, whilst the products do not form part of treatments, so far the feedback from the mums has been great.
“Lush Cosmetics has been really supportive and we have regular contact with them about which products are enjoyed most by our service users. They have also recently sent us products for our ‘welcome pamper packs’, which have been introduced as part of the admission so that mums have travel sized essential items as soon as they arrive.”
Florence House is made up of a team of psychiatrists, nurses, occupational therapists and nursery nurses who provide dedicated support and treatment in a therapeutic environment for mothers and their babies. As well as treating severe post natal depression, the unit treats mental health problems in late pregnancy and those mums at high risk of psychosis or depression following delivery. Care is delivered in an environment designed specifically for mothers and infants and includes cognitive behaviour therapy, parenting skills training, postnatal exercise groups, play therapy, baby massage, infant development education, mother and baby music groups and a father’s support group.
