York Region programs offer support for families experiencing perinatal mood disorders Life with a new baby is not always easy and the adjustment to parenthood can also be challenging for many new families. This can lead to anxiety, depression and perinatal mood disorders for some women.
Perinatal mood disorders occur either during pregnancy or right after child birth and make a new mother feel overwhelmed and alone. Perinatal mood disorders, such as postpartum depression and postpartum anxiety disorder, should not be ignored. Perinatal mood disorders affect one in five mothers and can have serious consequences if left unnoticed and untreated.
Seeking help and talking to someone can help a new mother cope during this challenging time. York Region offers support for families who are, or think they may be, experiencing a perinatal mood disorder through the Healthy Babies Healthy Children and Transition to Parenting programs.
The Healthy Babies Healthy Children program is a free, confidential and voluntary home visiting program for women and their families in the prenatal period (before and during pregnancy) until their child’s transition to school.
The Transition to Parenting program is an education and support group, facilitated by public health nurses, for pregnant and postpartum women who may be experiencing difficulty coping with the transition to parenthood or may have a perinatal mood disorder.
Signs and symptoms of perinatal mood disorder include insomnia, changes in appetite, feeling overwhelmed, irritability, inability to concentrate and loss of interest in regular activities. If these symptoms are present every day for two weeks and affect daily activities, you should talk to your health care provider. Perinatal mood disorder is a medical condition and should be treated by a professional.
If you or someone you know is living with a perinatal mood disorder, you can speak to a public health nurse by contacting York Region Health Connection at 1-800-361-5653, TTY 1-866-252-9933 or visit
www.york.ca/childandfamilyhealth