New mothers recovering from addiction urge rollout of lifeline support
New mothers, whom we supported to recover from drug addiction, will call for a lifeline support service to be rolled out across Scotland at Holyrood tonight.
The women will explain to MSPs and guests how the intensive perinatal support service in Falkirk has helped save and transform their lives, held their families together, kept their children out of care and why it should be available in every postcode.
One new mother, once addicted to heroin, said a traumatic pregnancy was overshadowed by the fear that she might not be allowed to care for her baby son.
She said: “I was on the methadone project, just starting my recovery, when my partner at the time died through drugs.
“That was the night I found out I was pregnant.
“Being referred to Aberlour was a turning point. They became my voice and went above and beyond. They weren’t just ticking boxes, it was personal.
“If my baby wasn’t here with me, then I probably wouldn’t be here. I’d have relapsed.
“My life is normal now. It’s looking good.”
The intensive perinatal service in Falkirk, funded by The Corra Foundation, Falkirk Alcohol and Drugs Partnership and Falkirk Council, has offered practical and emotional support for more than 30 women since launching three years ago.
Independent research suggests every pound spent on the service will save £14 by helping children stay with their mothers and out of care.
Supporters suggest similar support services helping families across Scotland would save millions more on health care linked to addiction and related costs in the criminal justice system.
Another woman supported by Aberlour, who will also describe her journey to recovery to MSPs tonight, said the Falkirk service does not just save money but transforms the lives of new mothers and their children.
She said: “I was a chronic drug user, a heroin addict, a crack addict. Totally and utterly hopeless, broken.
“I didn’t know if I was going to be able to take my baby home but I was referred to Aberlour and it felt like someone had got my back at last.
“Every woman in every area should have someone like that in their corner. Every area needs a perinatal support service like this. It is a massive support. I was no longer on my own.
“There is so much stigma around addiction and mental health but there is a trust there and it took just one person to see a wee bit of hope and things are totally different.
“I’m proud of the mum I am now. My wee girl has changed my life and I am entirely there for her.”
Aberlour, Scotland’s biggest children’s charity, said the perinatal support service is needed more than ever as Scotland’s drugs crisis is underpinned by the impact of child poverty and mental health issues affecting one in five new and expectant mothers.
The charity delivers tailored support to each family whether helping at home; offering lifts to appointments, an encouraging word, or some practical advice; or even, on occasion, becoming birth partners.
It believes the specialist support in the community and two Mother and Child Recovery Houses in Falkirk and Dundee offers a template for similar life-changing services across Scotland.
Lynne O’Brien, Aberlour chief officer, said: “It is powerful and encouraging to hear directly from the women supported by our intensive perinatal services about how they are helping transform lives.
“We are taking small steps in Scotland’s long road to recovery but these are steps in the right direction and we should take more and more quickly.
“We are hoping MSPs will consider ensuring similar services are available to women in every postcode. Every mother in recovery should have the support they need, when they need it.”