This Maternal Mental Health Week, our Trust is highlighting the expansion of our service that supports women and birthing people who have been affected by fear, loss or trauma as a result of their maternity experience.
The AFLoaT (Addressing Fear, Loss and Trauma) service provides mental health support to women and birthing people across Surrey It is made up of three pathways: Birth Trauma, Tokophobia (fear of childbirth) and Loss.
All three pathways launched in North West Surrey and Guildford and Waverley in December 2022, with the Tokophobia pathway extended to Surrey Downs in March 2023. All three pathways have now been extended to East Surrey, and the Birth Trauma and Loss pathways has been extended to Surrey Downs.
The service offers online assessments, specialist advice and signposting, support from specialist clinicians, support to plan and prepare for future pregnancies and individual or group therapy. The service can also provide information and resources to family members and partners.
People can be referred to AFLoaT by health and social care professionals including GPs, obstetricians, midwives and health visitors.