Perinatal Mental Health Resources

Nova Scotia Health Perinatal Mental Health Resources

IWK Reproductive Mental Health Service

Connecting Threads Quilt

Other helpful resources:

Online Resources

Canadian Mental Health Association – online site providing support and resources to improve mothers’ Mental Health.

Mental health before, during and after pregnancy | Tommy's (tommys.org)

Anxiety BC – online resource providing self-help information and resources for adults, parents and caregivers.https://www.anxietybc.com/

Here to Help BC - https://www.heretohelp.bc.ca Mental health and substance abuse information

Postpartum Support International – dedicated to helping families suffering from postpartum depression, anxiety and distress.
http://www.postpartum.net/

Pacific Post Partum Support Society – developed as a grass roots initiative, the Pacific Post Partum Support Society has been supporting mothers and their families experiencing postpartum distress, depression and anxiety since 1971.
http://postpartum.org/

Postpartum Dads – a website intended to help dads and families of mothers who have postpartum depression.http://www.postpartumdads.org/

Canadian Mental Health Association: Postpartum Depression – a great resource for those seeking to learn more about postpartum depression and provides some resources http://www.cmha.ca/mental_health/postpartum-depression/#.WHCc89lrLcs

PANDA: Perinatal Anxiety & Depression Australia – a website with great resources for information regarding perinatal mental health
http://www.panda.org.au/

Downloadable Apps

Mindshift – an app designed to help individuals cope with anxiety. This app includes strategies to deal with everyday anxiety.
https://www.anxietybc.com/resources/mindshift-app

Moodpanda –Mood Panda is a supportive mood tracking application and has tools to create graphs of your mood over the day, month, year, etc.  http://www.moodpanda.com/

Suggested Readings

General Postpartum Mood Disorders -

This Isn’t What I Expected: Overcoming Postpartum Depression by Karen Kleiman and Valerie Raskin

A Deeper Shade of Blue by Ruta Nonacs

Beyond the Blues by Pec Indman and Shoshanna Bennett

What Am I Thinking?: Having A Baby After Postpartum Depression by Karen Kleiman

Life Will Never Be The Same: The Real Mom’s Postpartum Survival Guide by Ann Dunnewold & Diane Sanford

The Mother-to-Mother Postpartum Depression Support Book by Sandra Poulin
Understanding Your Moods When You’re Expecting: Emotions, Mental Health & Happiness Before, During &

After Pregnancy by Lucy Puryear

Postpartum Anxiety & OCD –

The Pregnancy & Postpartum Anxiety Wookbook by Pamela Weigartz

Dropping the Baby & Other Scary Thoughts by Karen Kleiman

Postpartum Psychosis –

Understanding Postpartum Psychosis: A Temporary Madness by Teresa Twomey

Depression During Pregnancy (Antenatal or Antepartum Depression) –

Pregnancy Blues: What Every Woman Needs to Know About Depression During Pregnancy by Shaila Misri

Pregnant On Prozac: The Essential Guide to Making the Best Decision for You & Your Baby by Shoshanna Bennett

For Dads –

The Postpartum Husband: Practical Solutions for Living with Postpartum Depression by Karen Kleiman Memoirs 

Down Came the Rain by Brooke Sheilds

Why I Jumped by Tina Zahn

Behind the Smile: My Journey Out of Postpartum Depression by Marie Osmond

A Daughter’s Touch by Sylvia Lasalandra Inconsolable by Marrit Ingman

For Professionals -

Therapy & The Postpartum Woman by Karen Kleiman

Perinatal & Postpartum Mood Disorders: Perspectives & Treatment Guide for the Healthcare Practitioner

edited by Susan Dowd Stone

Motherhood & Mental Health by Ian Brockington

Traumatic Childbirth by Cheryl Tatano Beck, Jeanne Watson Driscoll and Sue Watson

Coping Techniques for PPD
This article has been extracted from the Canadian Women’s Health Network website.

1. If you think something is wrong, seek professional support. Do not blame yourself. It is not your fault! At least one in ten women experience Postpartum Depression and many have no history of mental illness of any kind.

2. Try to rest when your baby sleeps, if your mind is racing tell your doctor.

3. Try to eat well. If you have no appetite, tell your doctor or midwife. Avoid caffeine and alcohol.

4. Remember that good mothers make mistakes. Having PPD has nothing to do with your abilities as a mother. It is an illness that is treatable and you should be commended for seeking help. Try not to compare yourself to other mothers. Avoid people who make you feel bad.

5. Talk to someone you trust about your feelings. Confide in your partner and/or family. Let others know what they can do to help. Let someone help out with the baby or other children.

6. It's okay to have negative feelings. Remember what it feels like to start a new job. It often takes any person 6 months to get used to a new role. Bonding can take time, and most mothers report a feeling of protectiveness but not love in the first 6 weeks. It will develop, bonding does not happen overnight.

7. It's normal to start out with all bad days or with only a few good days. Soon the good days will outweigh the bad days. Allow yourself time to cry.

8. Stay on all medications you have been instructed to take. Studies show that most people will stop their meds within the first two weeks. Stick with it! It can take 4-6 weeks for antidepressants to take effect, talk to your doctor or pharmacist about this. There are medications that are considered relatively safe to take while breastfeeding. If you are concerned about breastfeeding while on medication, contact MotherRisk at Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto. Click Here:

9. Force yourself to walk every day for at least 30 minutes, studies show that exercise can be very effective on depression. Get some fresh air. Take a deep breath.

10. Join a parenting and/or play group. Find a support group or a counsellor that you feel comfortable with. If any of these groups don't feel good, leave them. Trust your instincts. Tell your doctor how you feel.