Huron County, ON – Twenty to twenty five per cent of mothers will experience postpartum depression in their lifetime.
The Huron County Health Unit is expanding their support to mothers who are experiencing symptoms of postpartum depression, anxiety adjustment issues by starting a Postpartum Depression support group. The group will be led by a public health nurse and mental health specialist, and will meet for six weeks. The first session is April 18th in Clinton at 1 p.m. The program is free and child minding will be provided.
Public Health Nurse Nancy Moore says symptoms of postpartum depression can present as anxiety, being unable to enjoy things, inability to sleep or concentrate, and prevailing sadness. Moore goes on to say, “Some symptoms may start during the pregnancy, some may come on totally unexpected. This is not just hormonal, but due to a multitude of reasons, from past experiences, genetics, lack of support, etc. The common thread is a feeling of hopelessness.” Ten per cent of fathers may also experience this.
Moore emphasizes that people experiencing this need to know there is hope. “Society expects moms and dads to be happy and just can’t understand when they aren’t. This isolation can lead to more feelings of loneliness. We encourage anyone experiencing this to join us. We want to help mothers realize their strengths and give them strategies to bring back their joy.”
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