Having a baby is supposed to be a wonderful time. Bringing your brand new beautiful baby home in your arms is something that every parent dreams of. Blissful moments snuggled up together and enjoying this new journey together as a family.
Except sometimes things may not look or feel like we thought they should. Those feelings of uncertainty, anxiety, unwell, the butterflies in your stomach or fogginess of your brain can start to have you questioning, “Is this normal?”, “Am I normal?” Or maybe your partner mentions that maybe something is a little different hesitantly.
Often we don’t talk about the dark side of postpartum. It’s the awkward conversation that people tend to skip over or we think that “that won’t affect me.”
Postpartum depression and anxiety can be varying in degrees for everybody and the signs and symptoms may not always be textbook. If something it’s feeling right, if you or your partner are feeling like you would like some more support, or if you are noticing that you are feeling “the baby blues” please reach out to your healthcare provider.
We have provided below for you some resources that are available at this time that you may wish to explore. We also highly recommend having this resources on hand during pregnancy and postpartum.
Mother Matters – Mother Matters is an 8 week online support group run by the Mental Health Program at Women’s College Hospital. This program will allow mothers the opportunity to share their thoughts, feelings and experiences in a confidential online format. There will also be a new topic each week that will be explored. You can register online for this program.
Postpartum Support International– Is an online resources that provides information, articles and online support groups for women and their families.
Mothercraft Ottawa– Mothercraft offers postpartum support drop ins on Tuesdays and Wednesday mornings 10-12p.m. Meetings are normally in person but during Covid-19 these meetings will take place via zoom. The Tuesday meeting will be focused on Covid-19 and maternal mental health specifically. You can register online here to access the zoom link- https://www.facebook.com/MothercraftOttawa/photos/a.390474279249/10158347022044250/?type=3&theater
Family Services Ottawa, Beyond The Baby Blues– Currently this program is being offered by video conference. Please contact wsmith@familyservicesottawa.org 613-725-3601 ext. 108 to learn how they can best support you. They offer an 8 week program for mothers who are experiencing postpartum depression and /or anxiety.
Crisis & Distress Centre – Crisis Line The Crisis Line is available free of charge 24/7 and is available for anybody to call. They are able to provide emotional support and encouragement, crisis management and intervention, risk assessment and prevention, as well as community resources. Call 613 238 3311
The MotHERS Program– this program is for Canadian women who are thinking of becoming pregnant, are pregnant or have recently had a baby. This is a great resources to stay up to date on the latest medical information.
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