Local parents urge mum and dads to #takeamoment

New parents from across Northern Ireland, including two local mothers, have joined forces to launch a mental health campaign aimed at breaking down barriers of guilt, shame, loneliness, embarrassment, fear, confusion and other stigmas associated with perinatal depression and anxieties.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

The campaign #TakeAMoment will encourage new parents, and indeed everyone, to prioritise their mental health.

The parents backing the campaign feature in a no holds barred short film which can be viewed at www.momenthealth.io where they share their own varied experiences of parenthood in an open, honest, often emotional, frank and very personal way.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Creative entrepreneur Aly Harte (37) from Boardmills is mum to three boys and knows all about the highs and lows and the joy and pain of motherhood. “I found the Moment Health app and online community to be the bridge from loneliness to community which is a great resource for connecting with mums at a similar stage in life,” said Aly. “The mood tracker is invaluable for knowing when to just #TakeAMoment for yourself. I encourage women who attend my art workshops to love themselves from their brains to their bones and I think we’re all guilty of comparing ourselves to others, when we all really need to take a moment and link with others in similar situations to give each other support.”

Jean Barrett Quinn (34) has a one year old son and lives in Hillsborough. Jean is an image consultant and Humanist wedding celebrant. “It’s really important that more is done about maternal mental health,” she said. “It’s easier with peer support as I have five friends who all had babies around the same time and we support each other and can share our ups and downs. I can totally understand though how, without support, you could easily fall into a dark place and that’s why it’s so important to #TakeAMoment for yourself. By downloading the Moment Health app you can track your mood and keep an eye on yourself every day so you can seek help if you need support.”

The Moment Health app can be downloaded for free on iOS and Android.