Debate contribution: Mother-and-baby Unit

Debate contribution by Ms Cheryl Brownlee on 7 October 2025.

MLA

Ms Cheryl Brownlee

Party at the time

Democratic Unionist Party

Date

7 October 2025

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Private Members' Business

Heading

Mother-and-baby Unit

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 5164685

Read the official Assembly record

Text

Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I commend every Member who has spoken in the debate. It is a such a serious and emotional topic for us all, and I feel that there is real, genuine compassion. Speaking freely today about perinatal mental health is critical. For all mothers, the birth of their baby is meant to be the best day of their life, but, sadly, the reality and the statistics show that one in five women will have mental health problems during pregnancy and, for five out of 100, that will be very serious. It is important to say that birth is not easy. For many of us, it does not really work out the way that we have dreamed about or how we have seen it in the movies or on social media. When that happens, the right support needs to be there for women and their babies at the most vulnerable time of their life. Today, one thing that has hit me the most is the horrific thought that any mother would be separated from their baby and not know when they would be reunited. I cannot imagine anything worse. In this day and age, as my colleague said, our mothers, babies, fathers and families deserve so much more than that. The fact that Northern Ireland is the only region in the UK without a unit is simply unacceptable. Many very good points were made in the debate, and I will touch on a few of them. Órlaithí detailed the experience of mothers being removed from their baby and having to choose between stopping breastfeeding or pumping, even being placed beside a smoking area and not being able to wash or get a bath. The inability to have those simple things is just horrific, and no mother should ever have to go through that at their most vulnerable time. My colleague Alan Robinson raised the lifelong trauma and guilt of being separated from your baby. Research has shown that mothers and babies who are kept together through those times have a much better recovery rate. We all agree that that needs to happen. It is not an "if", a "maybe" or a "but": it needs to happen now. He also noted the very tragic death of Orlaith Quinn, who sadly took her life while experiencing postpartum psychosis. The coroner is calling for the mother-and-baby unit urgently. Alan also talked about the success of the regional perinatal mental health service, the amazing work that has happened and how we need to get it right and ensure that it is safe. Robbie touched on the amazing work of campaigners. When I was pregnant during COVID, the 'Have you seen that girl?' movement was something that I constantly looked at on social media. It helped me during that time to understand that what I felt was common, other parents were going through it, and there was support there. Women who have come out and given their lived experience is critical for all of us in moving forward and making sure that we do the right things. Sian said that motherhood is a fantastic time and a joyous time, but we also have to make sure there are kinder and safer facilities. It is those small practical things that we can do, without massive costs, to make the experience a lot better for parents. Cara drew attention to the need for clear records and data, which is needed not just in the Department of Health but throughout the government of Northern Ireland. We need clear data and records moving forward. I welcome the Minister's raw honesty. He came to the Chamber today having experienced that in his life, and he will obviously understand the genuine need and the passion of us all. We understand the budgetary concerns, but, in some cases, it is a matter of life and death to ensure that parents and their babies have the right facilities in Northern Ireland. There was a discussion about clinical advice, and I am not on the Committee, but it would be good to touch base to ensure that that information is provided to it. The interim unit in south Wales was discussed. It is not ideal, but it is safe and provides the high level of 24/7 care that is needed. One of the things about postpartum psychosis is that parents do not sleep, and they need constant medical supervision to keep themselves and their baby safe. I thank everyone who has spoken today. The lived experience of mothers from across Northern Ireland shows that they need the support of a dedicated mother-and-baby unit. We should not be discussing the issue in 2025. I fully support the motion.

786 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

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Assessed 21 October 2026 at 13:21 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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