Click, heal, bond: The digital NHS tool that helped a mum connect with her baby

A mum-of-two credits NHS Wales’ online mental health service with helping her rediscover the joy of motherhood after months of anxiety.

30-year-old Bethany Paines-Chumbley turned to SilverCloud® Wales for support following the birth of her second child.

The free, online service offers a range of guided self-help courses for managing a variety of mental health issues.

Bethany said she felt an improvement within weeks of starting her programme and would recommend the platform to other new and expectant parents.

“Before, I didn’t feel like I was enjoying motherhood, but now I feel like I can savour every single moment,” she said.

“It’s made it so much easier to talk about how I’m feeling – and once you open up, it becomes less overwhelming.”

Bethany, a programme manager working for Public Health Wales, began experiencing abdominal pains due to undiagnosed gallstones following her son Idris’ birth in November 2023.

The physical pain soon spiralled into emotional distress, with anxiety making it increasingly difficult to care for Idris, now 18 months old.

Said Bethany: “I felt like I was struggling to bond with my baby because I was always in pain, which in turn left me feeling anxious all the time.

“It got to the point where I couldn’t go out on my own with him, and I’d avoid putting him to bed at night – my husband had to do it.

“I was left feeling that I couldn’t look after our baby properly, and that I wasn’t a good enough mum.”

Bethany saw a mental health nurse at her local GP surgery who referred her for virtual counselling sessions with the support service, Canopi, and signposted her to SilverCloud®.

“She was wonderful,” Bethany recalls. “She really listened and understood me. She showed me there and then what programmes were available. There was one specific to perinatal mental health, so I opted for that.

“It meant that, even though I had a referral for another intervention, I could do something in the meantime to help myself, rather than waiting and potentially getting worse.”

SilverCloud’s programmes are accessible 24/7 and be completed on a phone, laptop or tablet with an internet connection.

Bethany says the flexibility of an online platform fitted in easily with the demands of parenting.

Said Bethany: “I’d try to log on every day and do a small amount. Even if my son was napping, I could sit there and hold him while I worked through a bit of SilverCloud on my phone.

“One tool that stuck with me was the ‘worry tree’, which helped me understand where my anxiety was stemming from, and then rationalise it.

“I liked the fact that there were stories from other people who’d gone through similar experiences – it really helped me feel as though I was not alone in my struggles.

“In time, I learned to understand how my mind was working. I could recognise when those anxious thoughts were starting to creep in, and I learned not to feed into them.”

Eventually, with the combined support of SilverCloud® and follow-up virtual counselling therapy, Bethany regained her confidence and was able to enjoy parenting again.

“It’s had a really positive impact,” Bethany says.

“I was worrying all the time that I didn’t have that bond with my baby, but when I look back I realise the bond was there all along – I was just anxious and unwell.

“Now I can enjoy all those little moments that make being a mum such a joy.”

Jennavieve West, an online supporter with NHS Wales Online CBT Service, added: “It’s heartening to hear that SilverCloud worked so well for Bethany. We wish her and her family all the best for the future.

“It can be totally normal to feel stressed, anxious or low in the perinatal period, but getting the wellbeing support you need doesn’t have to mean keeping to appointments or attending clinics.

“Help is there when and where you need it – and that might well be that spare 10 minutes you can grab between feeds, and in the comfort of your own home.”

SilverCloud® Wales is available to anyone aged 16 and over living in Wales, without GP referral. To sign up, visit nhswales.silvercloudhealth.com/signup

Published: 06/05/2025