As a PREGNANT or POSTPARTUM person, are you feeling depressed and/or anxious? Perinatal Depression and Anxiety can be experienced during pregnancy and or after delivery of baby (for up to one year) and affects 1 in 5 women. There are potential effects to the whole family, as 10% of partners can also experience depression and anxiety. Parental mental health issues can affect child health and development.
Treating anxiety may help to prevent depression. Both are TREATABLE and not your fault!
Signs of anxiety and depression include: Irritability or anger, Excessive worry and guilt, Inability to relax, Hypervigilance, Sleep problems, Sadness, Panic attacks, Repetitive thoughts, Lack of Bonding with your baby, Crying, Fearfulness, Obsessive intrusive thoughts, Indecisiveness, Thoughts of harm to self or others. To learn if you may be experiencing depression and or anxiety, do the following for yourself:
Answer the 10-question Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Screen (EPDS) Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Screen and Care Guide. Share your score and the Care Guide with your healthcare provider to begin the conversation toward healing your and your baby’s mental health and happiness.
Call HealthLine 811 and ask for the Maternal Wellness Program: Call 811, and press the option for Mental Health and Addictions. Explain to the Registered Nurse how you are feeling and how you would like to be screened (for depression and or anxiety) and referred to the “Maternal Wellness Program.”
Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: 9-8-8 (call or text 24/7)
Saskatoon Mobile Crisis: 306-933-6200 (call 24/7)
Hope for Wellness: 855-242-3310 (call 24/7) available to all Indigenous people across Canada.
Saskatoon Mothers Center (Indigenous Lead NPO) – saskatoonmotherscentre@hotmail.com
Saskatchewan Perinatal Health Network The Saskatchewan Perinatal Health Network (formerly the Regina Perinatal Health Network) is committed to providing services for birthing people in our province’s communities who are experiencing or at risk for developing a Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorder (PMAD).
The Wellbeing Course for New and Expecting Parents now available at the Online Therapy Unit led by Dr. Heather Hadjistavropoulos from the University of Regina and is free of charge.
Prairie Heart Counselling provides online and in-person sessions, as well as the I Love You More Centre which was created in memory of Renée Ferguson who died by suicide Oct 1 2023 as a result of ongoing post partum depression/anxiety.
Mother May I a nonprofit organization based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. We are dedicated to raising awareness about perinatal mental health and providing support to those in need within our community. VIRTUAL Peer Support Group on Mondays from 6:30-8:30 PM. For more details or to register, please reach out to Mother May I directly at mothermayiyxe@outlook.com. Additionally, they are offering a subsidized counselling program, making mental health support more accessible.
Jody Coucill, Registered Social Worker specializing in perinatal mood disorders
From Seed to Sprout Perinatal Services supporting families through comprehensive perinatal education, parents will feel prepared and be empowered as they grow their family. Regina, SK
Motherhood YXE is a free drop-in weekly mom group based in Saskatoon, providing a supportive community for mothers since spring 2021. This group has been a lifeline for many, particularly in supporting mental health. Saskatoon Breastfeeding Matters (SBM) is dedicated to becoming a comprehensive provincial resource for Saskatchewan families, and they welcome input and collaboration. You can reach out to SBM via email at saskbreastfeedhmatters@gmail.com.
Climb Counselling & Consulting – Kim Semenuik, Registered Social Worker, MSW, RSW, has extensive experience working with those experiencing anxiety, struggling to manage stress, perinatal mental heath, perinatal loss and/or infertility – https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/therapists/kim-semenuik-regina-sk/834039
Mother’s Empowering Mothers Saskatoon’s Postpartum Support Group
Village Mamas Y2R / Build A Village The mom in your back pocket, the friend that you can rely on to call when you need a hand putting your home back together after a hard week – http://www.villagemamas.ca
SmartMom is a Canadian prenatal education program delivered by text messages, guiding you through each week of pregnancy. The SmartMom Study is led by researchers at UBC and is funded by CIHR. Click the link https://study.smartmomcanada.ca/ to learn more or join the study.
Empty Arms Perinatal Support Services Call: 1-306-260-6806
YANA (you are not alone) Fertility Support – yanasaskatoon@gmail.com
Rapid Access Counselling Call 306-244-0127 – Offers rapid access to mental health services for individuals, couples, children, youth, and families. Various locations for virtual, phone, and in-person appointments.
Veronica Bear: A registered social worker currently working with the perinatal population in Regina, providing counselling. She has worked in the area of PMADs last year and previously worked with young mothers with the SSSC program at Balfour Collegiate, and the majority of her professional experience working with families and children. Veronica can be reached at veronica.bear@saskhealthauthority.ca or veronica.bear@hotmail.com.
PSI International 1.800.944.4PPD | You will receive a return message within hours and receive support, reassurance, and connection with resources where you live. The PSI 800 Helpline number is used quite a bit for Canadian families, and we have Helpline volunteers from Canada. In addition, PSI has support coordinators throughout the provinces (and in other countries) http://www.postpartum.net:
COORDINATORS:
CHERIE BOISON
Saskatoon
Telephone: 306-241-2230
calls and texts welcome
cowens110@shaw.ca
AMY SCHICK
Lloydminster & Surrounding Area
Telephone: 780-872-6094 TEXT OR CALL
afterglowpp@hotmail.com
Breastfeeding resources:
Dr. Jack Newman’s clinic
La Leche League Canada
Breastfeeding Committee of Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan Prevention Institute For more information about available provincial supports. Click HERE for a downloadable info sheet with supports.
Find more help in Saskatchewan.
Continue to:
- Be kind to yourself
- Ask for and accept help with your baby and housework
- Keep active – go for a walk
- Get enough sleep – at least 6 hours in 24 hours
- Eat healthily and eat regularly
- Avoid alcohol, tobacco, and drugs
- Take medications as prescribed
- Try yoga or other activities to help you relax
- Search for a support group or other support in your community
- Talk to a healthcare provider
- Click here to access our Maternal Mental Health Toolkit The MMH Toolkit Booklet.
- Deep Belly Breathing
- Meditation and Mindfulness (search YouTube or Pinterest)
Additional Resources:
The Smiling Mask: Truths about Postpartum Depression and Parenthood
Postpartum Depression – The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada
Postpartum Depression and Anxiety – Child and Family Health – Toronto Public Health
AnxietyBC for New Moms and Moms to Be
skmaternalmentalhealth.ca 