Edwin van Teijlingen,

www.nepjol.info/index.php/NJE Mental health of pregnant women and new mothers is a growing area of concern in both low- and high-income countries. Maternity services in the UK, for example, have focused more attention on maternal mental health. We recognise that pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period is a time of major psychological and social change for women[1]. Mental health evidence has shown that a significant number of women in the UK suffer mental health problems such as anxiety and depression during pregnancy, with the majority of women who go on to suffer postnatal depression having suffered mental health issues during or even before their pregnancy[2]. More recently, evidence has shown that stress and anxiety in pregnancy can have harmful effects on the developing baby which can continue throughout their life[3-4]