Men Get Postpartum Depression, So Why Aren’t Dads Screened?

Mark Williams is shocked Canada doesn’t provide screening for perinatal mental illness for women or men. The dad of one, who lives in Wales, had his first panic attack during the birth of his son, Ethan. His wife, Michelle, had been in labour for 22 hours before being told she needed an emergency C-section. “No one told […]

Study On Postpartum Depression And ADHD Stresses Need For Maternal Health Support

Melissa Doody believes postpartum depression had such a negative impact on her parenting abilities that it’s the reason her seven-year-old daughter has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) today. “Her needs would frustrate or anger me, almost like they were an inconvenience to me,” the Edmonton mom of two told HuffPost Canada. “How could I love and care for someone […]

4 Science-Backed Alternative Therapies For Postpartum Depression

Two days following the birth of her baby, Maria Lopez began experiencing anxiety attacks. Though she was immediately prescribed medication to treat her postpartum anxiety, Lopez said she didn’t want to take it because she didn’t want “chemicals” in her body. “I wanted to try natural things,” Lopez, who lives in Toronto, told HuffPost Canada. “At […]

Mom And Baby Units For Postpartum Depression Exist, But Not In Canada

Dina Rae Reiber of Luseland, Sask. suffered from severe postpartum depression following the birth of her third child. “I was spiralling out of control,” Rae Reiber told HuffPost Canada. “I would cry uncontrollably, have panic attacks and dark thoughts daily.” When those dark thoughts worsened to include thoughts of self-harm, Rae Reiber’s psychiatrist recommended hospitalization. But […]

Please Don’t Take Gwyneth Paltrow’s Advice On Postpartum Depression

HuffPost Canada By: Patricia Tomasi 09/28/2018 In a recent People magazine article, Gwyneth Paltrow is quoted as saying that following her diagnosis of postpartum depression, she chose alternative therapies instead of medication and it worked. While I applaud Paltrow’s ability to overcome postpartum depression, I think her holier than thou implication that downward dogs over drugs […]

Indigenous Moms Are More Likely To Have Postpartum Depression: Canadian Study

HuffPost Canada By: Patricia Tomasi 09/26/2018 Maya Houle believes intergenerational trauma is the reason she’s currently suffering from postpartum depression. “My mother is a ’60s Scoop survivor,” the Edmonton mother of two told HuffPost Canada. Her youngest child is just seven weeks old. Houle also suffered from postpartum depression (PPD) following the birth of her first child, […]

Canadian Moms Need A Political Champion To Fight For Their Mental Health

HuffPost Canada By: Patricia Tomasi 2018-09-19 Kismet. In the end, that’s what advocates say was the key to getting a political champion and national strategy for maternal mental health in the United States. “It was like Drake’s song, ‘God’s Plan‘,” said Jamie Zahlaway Belsito, former advocacy chair of the U.S. National Coalition for Maternal Mental […]

Canada Funds Postpartum Depression Screening Abroad, But Lags At Home

Huffington Post By: Patricia Tomasi 06/15/2018 Maternal mental health advocate Claire Kerr-Zlobin was surprised to learn Canada is funding postpartum depression screening projects abroad while, at the same time, not recommending the practice here at home. “I’ve been trying for years to get traction on universal perinatal depression screening for mothers in Canada,” Kerr-Zlobin, founder of Life […]

Mental Illness After Miscarriage Is Common, But Women Aren’t Getting Support

Huffington Post By: Patricia Tomasi 06/08/2018 Janice Lamont* was recently diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder(PTSD) following two miscarriages in the past year. “It was two pregnancies,” said Lamont, who lives in London, Ont. and asked for her real name not to be used. “The first was twins. I saw their heartbeats at the six-week ultrasound. Then […]