We are thrilled to be supporting the Funtastical fundraiser for SickKids Foundation. We hope to see lots of Life With A Baby families at the event. The line-up of entertainment is incredible and there will be lots to do. Plus it's indoors!!! You don't have to worry about the weather. We have special LWAB rates for up to 4 and up to 6 people. https://www.funtastical.ca/ Join us for this amazing family event and make a difference in the lives of sick children.

Up to 4 people use this link! 4 tickets for just $30

https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/funtastical-family-event-in-support-of-sickkids-hospital-tickets-54680740567?discount=lifewithbaby4for30 

Up to 6 people use this link! 6 Tickets for just $40

https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/funtastical-family-event-in-support-of-sickkids-hospital-tickets-54680740567?discount=lifewithbaby6for40 

Life with Baby Exclusive - This full weekend is designed by women, for women to help you unwind, leave stress behind and focus on calm!

Immerse yourself in a cozy & natural cottage setting located only 2 hours from Toronto with roaring indoor and outdoor fires, crisp country air and like-minded women seeking a break from

the chaos. This weekend is all about escaping life's ups and downs and preparing yourself with self-care, self-love and self-awareness.

The weekend includes 2 cozy side by side cottages (shared and select single accommodations available), all healthy meals and snacks, including one chef catered dinner, yoga and meditation,

nature walks, exercise, life coaching workshops, health focused seminars with essential oils (covering mood, sleep, fears, confidence, etc.), DIY's to take home and special swag bags. ~~~

Group: 16 women - 3 single spots available (single bed but room is shared), all others are double or quad occupancy (shared beds so grab a friend and cuddle up!)

Please Etransfer to save your spot:theoilgirls@strattco.com

$275 - Early bird - if booked April or $300 - Regular fee - if booked in May

Get updates through our Facebook event https://www.facebook.com/events/2171576163156771/

Summer Camp promo for Life With A Baby members - $719 + HST

Your Kids Of Canada North Entire Overnight Camp Experience Includes:

* All Meals, Accommodations, Transportation & Baggage, Laundry, Snacks.

* A 3:1 Camper: Staff Ratio which provides each camper with lots of personal attention.

* All staff are Police Screened and are Certified in First-Aid & CPR or NLS Life Guard Certified.

* Interactive Cabin Groups, Camper-Choice Programming, Friendships & Memories and much much more!

* Weekly Themes & Spirit Days in addition to our daily Levels, Focus and Performance Periods. These types of programs provide our campers with the opportunity to choose their desired area of fun, development and improvement throughout their weekly stay at camp. And, let’s not forget all of the traditional cabin group activities that campers will do with their Bunkmates!

* All Overnight Camp Sessions are a 1 Week Stay, 7 days and 7 nights, campers may extend their stay at any time!

* A huge variety of Sports, Recreation, Leisure and Camp programming including Inflatable Water Park, Canoeing, Kayaking, Swimming, Pedal Boats, Stand-Up Paddle Boards, Hiking, Orienteering, Nature Programming,

Campfires, Video & Photography, Fishing, Arts & Crafts, Drama, Dance, Music, Landsports, Soccer, Basketball, Baseball, Beach Volleyball, Culinary Creations, Ball Hockey, And much much more!!!

* SAFETY is #1! Our lifejacket policy requires that all campers & CIT’s wear a life jacket during all water activities.

Contact:

Cory Shiner

Camp Director

Kids Of Canada Summer Camps

Kids Of Canada North Overnight Camp

416-891-4(FUN) 4386

www.kidsofcanada.com

info@kidsofcanada.com

coryshiner@rogers.com

Happy Nannies Canada facilitates the immigration of Filipino nannies into Canada so families can live more enriched lives. Our nannies and elderly caregivers are trusted and trained. Part-time or full-time nanny, live-in nanny or live-out, Happy Nannies Canada will find the perfect fit for your family's needs.

Employing your own nanny is a cost efficient way to ensure your child gets one on one dedicated attention, eats a balance diet, is well cared for and has all their personal needs met in the comfort and safety of your home.

We match families with nannies from the Philippines through Canada's Temporary Foreign Worker Program. Our nannies receive extensive training and are highly qualified.

What Makes Us Different?

We truly believe that happy nannies equal happy families.

Service and support continues even after your nanny arrives at your door, to ensure as smooth a transition as possible for your family. Our goal is for families to establish likeability and trust early in the relationship.

Happy Nannies Canada supports both families and nannies. Our heart-centred approach helps our Filipino nannies smoothly integrate into Canadian culture. We provide our nannies with ongoing support and opportunities to socialize outside of work. This helps them feel a sense of belonging and satisfaction in their new lives away from home.

As expert immigration consultants, we navigate government programs and process applications on your behalf, making the process of hiring nannies from the Philippines simple for you.

 

Exclusive for Life with a Baby members only. You get a $500 discount when you get a Happy Nanny from Happy Nannies Canada. 

For a limited time only. 

Valid until July 31, 2019

Call/email us now to avail of this discount.

Email: ask@happynanniescanada.ca

Website: www.happynanniescanada.ca

Phone: 647-874-8586

We are very excited about our Moms night out Pre-Mother's Day Comedy Show & Dinner.  Dress up in whatever makes you feel fabulous and join us for an evening of fun and laughter. 

Join us for a memorable night out with dinner and a show with comedian, Kate Davis at the Thornhill Golf & Country Club.

Limited spots are available! Grab your girlfriends and get a table for a special rate.

Do you have a small business? Have something that would be a good fit to share with moms? Register for the Business Mama rate which includes a table and dinner. 

REGISTER AT A Night Out : Pre-Mother's Day Comedy Show & Dinner

About Kate Davis

A speaker, writer, comedian, actress and mother of three, Kate Davis has the unique ability to find humour in any situation.

Theatrically trained in England, Kate returned to Canada to a successful run on Canadian stage and through the many stages of motherhood found a passion in comedy.

A five-time nominee at the Canadian Comedy Awards and star of her own hour-long comedy special on CTV and the Comedy Network, Kate has appeared on Breakfast Television, Star TV, Toronto 1, Prime, WTN, TVO, CBC Radio One “The Debaters” and The Mom Show.

Through a reinventive outlook, Kate created successful parenting with humour workshops. These have transformed to the full range of presentations, exploring the positive effects humour on life. From the corporate world to the bedtime story, Kate’s insight and vision reveals the healing thread of humour.   https://katedavis.ca/keynote-speaker-katedavis/bio/

Pricing
$65/person or $500/table of 10
Business Mamas:
$100 includes display table (bring your own)
$150 includes display table (we provide)

REGISTER AT A Night Out : Pre-Mother's Day Comedy Show & Dinner

We've been getting requests for more weekend events and we are happy to have some upcoming events on the weekends that the whole family can enjoy!  There are events across various areas. We hope you can join the event in your area. 

On Saturday, March 30th, we'll be celebrating 11 years of Life With A Baby Programming. We have two featured events at just $10/per person for the whole family to enjoy.  

First, at 11am, we have a family dance party with Monkey Rock Music! Kids under 1 are free.

 This event is perfect for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers.  Get your dancing shoes on and join us for the ultimate family dance party with Monkey Rock Music.

Register & Learn more at https://www.lifewithababy.com/event-3318810

Then, at 1:30pm we have a family magic & Illusion show with Magic Dan. We are very very excited to be bring Magic Dan out for a special LWAB event.  This March it's 11 years of LWAB programming and we'd love to celebrate with you! 

You'll see a child LEVITATES in mid-air!!! (will it be yours?)

Dan will magically make a table fly around the room and much more!!!

Just $10/Per ticket.  This event is appropriate for children 3 and up (Kids under 2 are free)
Register & learn more at https://www.lifewithababy.com/event-3306412

Join us in Toronto on Sunday March 31st for a Toddler Time at SkyZone 

Toddler Time is a great shared experience for child and parent. A time for your little ones to discover the joy of being active, bouncing under the supervision of their parents, and without interference from the big kids.

9-10 am Jumping

10-11am Snacks are provided,(juice, cookies, fruit platter, yogurt) but you are welcome to bring your own. 

Register & Learn more at https://www.lifewithababy.com/event-3306492

On Saturday, April 6th, we have our annual mom to mom sale & Fun Day. This is a free event. Register and learn more here https://www.lifewithababy.com/event-3213926

On Sunday, April 21st in Vaughan, we are hosting the Spring Fling & Easter Brunch. Limited spots. Register and learn more at  https://www.lifewithababy.com/event-3260558

Also, on Sunday, April 21st in Newmarket we are hosting an Easter Brunch. Register and learn more about the Newmarket event at  https://www.lifewithababy.com/event-3167715

Join us in Aurora on Saturday, April 27th for a Music & Movement Class (Fee for kids only, adults are free). Register & Learn more at  https://www.lifewithababy.com/event-3303404

We hope to see you sat our weekend events.

LWAB Team

I am a stay at home mom and have been for a little more than 6 years now. Love my kids (boys aged 6, 4 and 2), really do, but I have to admit that I have been feeling the pull to get away for some quiet time for a while now. I follow a few spa resorts on Facebook because a girl can dream right? And then the best thing happened – Grail Springs Wellness Retreat popped up in my newsfeed with a “Bring A Friend For FREE” special. As luck would have it I convinced my mother that we needed a mother-daughter weekend away so she booked herself a room for 2 nights and I got to tag along completely FREE to renew my sense of sanity away from the little people.

I even booked a few spa treatments for the Saturday of our stay and told the hubby that was my “Christmas present” so he was off the hook. I’ll admit I was a little anxious about leaving my boys, having never been away for more than a night, but I also knew that my husband was more than capable of holding down the fort so I could take off. We left on Friday morning for the 3 hour drive to Bancroft in hopes of arriving in time for lunch and, although it was super snowy, the drive was beautiful!

When we walked into Grail Springs it was like walking into a little castle and I was struck by how quiet and serene it was. Although our room wasn’t ready yet, because we arrived before check in, the staff were so friendly and allowed us to keep our things behind the front desk until things were ready. After our tour we settled into the Great Room to relax until lunch was ready and it was so beautiful, so peaceful and comfy, that I fell asleep almost instantly snuggled up on the huge couch with a cozy blanket wrapped around me. We then had lunch in the intimate dining room – this is not a huge resort, I think I counted just 24 seats in the room. I’ll preface with this; I am not a healthy eater. I am a vegetarian and have been for many years now but I’ll admit I’m more of a “junk food vegetarian” than one that eats a lot of veggies and good stuff. I wasn’t sure how I would like the vegan meals – which are not selected by you, each meal is planned in advance and everyone gets the same thing (minus adjustments for allergies of course). I cannot even adequately describe how good that first lunch was. It was served with an herbal tea (again, not usually a fan) that was refreshing and delicious and I cleaned my plate of my salad and falafel wrap.

After lunch we had a “bonding ceremony for two” that, truthfully, was strange and awkward but oddly enough left me emotional and thanking my mom for the role that she plays in my kid’s lives and my own. Having not had at all a great relationship growing up, this was kinda huge for me and felt like a good “opening” for the weekend. Then we had free time to check out the hot tub which overlooks the lake and I had no idea how gorgeous Bancroft is in winter. Fluffy snow sitting on all the trees, the view was spectacular and again just peacefully quiet while soaking away our troubles in the tub!

The days at Grail Springs are somewhat scheduled but it’s up to the individual what you’d like to participate in and what’s not for you. In the evenings there was motivational speaking and meditation, the mornings had snowshoe hikes through the incredible acreage that’s all part of Grail Springs followed by yoga. And then throughout the day (depending on what you’ve booked) your spa treatments are scheduled in too. I decided to try something different for my treatments so I booked a Colour Therapy Bath with Reiki, a CranioSacral Therapy and also an RMT massage. There were honestly so many choices for different spa treatments that I wanted to choose one of everything just to experience them all BUT the time (and obviously budget) didn't allow for that!

So clearly this was an incredibly relaxing weekend away and I highly HIGHLY recommend putting this one on your bucket list. From the moment we arrived until we sadly had to leave everything was taken care of. My body felt completely re-energized after a weekend of truly taking care of it with exercise, pampering and amazing food. My favourite part of the weekend was the food – I can’t say enough good things about each and every meal. I can still taste those incredible flavours and, although I generally crave nothing but sweets, I seriously CRAVE those healthy vegan meals still, several months later!

One day I plan on dragging my husband along for a weekend away because although yoga and meditation is not his thing – massages and out of this world food is definitely something he would enjoy too! Maybe I can convince him that this would be a great anniversary trip…

-Cassandra

Chapter 1 - Why and How To Road Trip

Travel is an important aspect of my life. In my single years I kept a change jar on the ready for whatever crazy plans my friends and I would make. Whether an all-inclusive we couldn’t afford or a jump in the car and return Sunday sun kissed and weary road trip. In our dating years I think my husband used travel to woo me and I used it to show how adventurous I could be. From ski weekends to camping, wine tours or Mexican getaways, the excitement of packing up and trying new things was thrilling. We learned more about each other in those miles travelled then any expensive dinner at a restaurant whose name we would never remember. As life changed (insert 3 kids, a dog, a mortgage and more responsibilities then passport stamps) we adapted our travel dreams to match reality. How do we keep the wanderlust alive when our budget is meager?  How do we explore without plane tickets? We load into our minivan and hit the road. Sometimes the destination is more theme park hotel versus remote rugged landscape but we see value in adventures with our kids and the memories we create instead of checking off bucket list items.

7 years of road trips with1, then 2 and now 3 children means we have compiled a ton of information that make our trips faster to prepare for, more affordable and further distance. We have made mistakes (do not park next to a cow field to nurse your baby!) but our kids are more resilient and we have all learned to adapt and be flexible.

 Roadtrip 2017 Florida

Here are our tips to prepare for your family road trip.

#1 Manage Your Expectations

Each trip you take, every mile you drive will not be the same. You might experience the Mecca of road trips, the one that all tripping families long for.  The elusive road trip where children are happy, quiet and occupy their time with books and magazines, coloring and car games. Full of perfect family selfies and every member will smile with joy at each new experience you tirelessly planned.  You will return rested and euphoric that you plan your next trip just weeks later, but this time further away, why not? Then you have the most common of road trips. Tantrum filled, garbage everywhere, “I’m bored” sung at the top of lungs, fast food and video game fuelled miles of family fun. This trip while not as restful or perfect will still amount to great family adventure its just wrapped up and packaged with crazy enroute. Both trips bring about closeness and new experiences but your expectation level will determine what you take away from the trip. You have to be ok with rain, forgotten items, getting lost and sick kids the same way you are ok with sunsets, picnics and late check outs. A roll with the punches type attitude at all times.

#2 Pack For Anything

The beauty of travelling in your car, van, truck or RV is not having luggage limits and weight restrictions. You can bring whatever your little ones require for their sanity and yours without having to make sacrifices. Personally I love to pack with a level of organization and thoughtfulness that borders on obsessive. “Everything has a home and everything in its home” is my motto. I prep our trips with lists and an idea of what each person will require for any of the activities planned and their regular daily living needs all according to the weather conditions that might apply. Categories like; hygiene, medicinal/first Aid, sleeping, bathing/swimming, clothing, outerwear, eating in/out, toileting, car activities and hotel/rental/outdoor activities. Of course this is all dependent on your destination. Packing for camping, for example, requires cooking materials, tents etc. With three kids there have been many trips where baby seats, playpens, jumparoos and nursing pillows were part of the list. There are no limits. My packing materials are a variety of vessels purchased or recycled over the years. I love Thirty31 Gifts - Utility totes in large and medium for loose items like beach supplies, oversized outerwear, food and even baby gear. They have a line of pouches that I use for packing snacks, storing all of our medicinal/First Aid needs and for smaller trips I have packed all our hygiene supplies in one. Costco has a great line of foldable crates that stack nicely and hold a ton. Reusable shopping bags are great for kids to carry their car activities or the variety of electronics and cords that come on most road trips.  We mostly pack our clothing in canvas duffel bags that are flexible and easy to over stuff and stack on top of one another in the van. I am not a fan of backpacks for the kids. They never seem to carry them and they are a pain to carry in bundles as an adult. The items never go back in the same way, the zipper is annoying to open and close and they get muddy/wet/food stained etc. I always pack a separate adult bag for the car. It contains our maps and travel book (we geek out and track mileage, timing and spending to see how we compare to previous trips, I know, I know insert face palm here) phone chargers, books, headphones for podcasts, first aid kit, pens, an envelope with some emergency money, camera, paper towel, Lysol wipes, empty shopping bags for garbage, gravol and gum. 

#3 Make A Plan

Trust me! I know it doesn’t sound like the spontaneous adventure you saw on those adorable car commercials. But you will thank me later.  Planning ahead doesn’t just mean booking an AirBnB or hotel at your destination. It means plan for the drive by looking into the rest areas, tourism, restaurant and gas options and a printed map with directions along the way. Look at your total travel time to the destination and then calculate the stops you will require and add that to your total travel time. For example for our drive to Lake Placid the driving time was estimated at 5hrs 46mins. With a departure time of 7am, a meal/gas stop and a planned 2hr tourism stop plus the border crossing it translated into an 8.5hr day.  Knowing the estimated travel time, where and what we want to do on the way makes it more enjoyable and less frantic.

If you only remember one thing make it this; Trying to find a hotel that will take more then 4 people with a reasonable nightly rate is difficult if you don’t do it in advance. Hotels charge premium rates for larger families and most often never have a sale or deal when you arrive. There are often limited rooms to handle more then 4 people as well. Trust me! 2 hours of night driving with three crying kids around North Carolina just to find a room for the night taught us a serious lesson.

 Splurge lunch enroute

#3 Set a Budget

Road Trips can be as cost saving or luxury as you make them. You can choose between gorgeous hotels, resorts, AirBnB’s, fancy places to eat or fast food chains, snacks you pack or snacks you buy on the road. Decide at the planning stage what you want to spend and make it happen. Take into account currency exchange, travel insurance, oil changes, tolls, gas, fluids, food, car activities, long distance and data usage, lodging, activities, impromptu purchases if you forgot, lost or had an emergency and of course souvenirs!

#4 Plan Car Entertainment For Kids

You might think an ipad and some movies will do it. For short distances (under 4 hrs) it might. But kids get bored, motion sick, anxious or just annoying (are we there yet?) because they’re as excited as you are, if not more. We have tried a variety of things depending on the ages and stages of our kids.

Babies – puppets, blocks, flashlights, music, rattles, car/stroller toys, snacks, pacifiers, cause and effect toys, tissue paper for crinkling, bubble wrap for squeezing, rain sticks and time out bottles.

Toddler/Preschool – any of the items in the baby sections plus touch and feel/pop up/busy books, glow sticks, stickers and paper, crayons and paper, bubbles (not as messy as you think), Melissa & Doug paint papers, aqua doodle, magnet boards, puppet making, post it notes, play doh, felt boards and pieces

Kindergarten –this stage was about showing them how much time remained. I picked up toys or trinkets from the dollar store or the loot bag section of Mastermind toys based on my kids interests and had them individually wrapped. They got one every few hours. Or make a linking chain for each hour of the drive and every hour you take one of the links off. Kids love when they fall asleep and wake up to remove 3 chains. Also Ipads, books, books on tape, movies, glow sticks, coloring, with special markers, card games, car games like I spy/car bingo/I’m going camping etc.

 

Stay tuned for  tips, guides and information specific to family friendly road trip destinations.

Cheers,

Julie

Yesterday was Bell Let’s Talk Day in Canada and I was really surprised by the number of comments I saw saying that we need to stop talking about mental health. It occurred to me that most people do not understand what stigma is.

I’m going to give a breakdown of why we need to talk more about Maternal Mental Health.

1. Not talking about it perpetuates the stigma about mental health and that it's a fluff illness.

2. Because of stigma parents do not reach out for help.

3. Without help and treatment, people suffer in silence which leads to making the situation worse.

4. Maternal suicide is a leading cause of death in postpartum women. 

So tell me again why we need to stop talking about this!

What we need to do is do is talk more - not just on Bell Lets Talk Day. We need to talk about mental health honestly not just a text or social media posts. We need to speak openly with the people in our families. We need to talk to our friends and co-workers. We need to talk often and openly and more than one day of the year because we need to break down stigma.

Did you know that none of the major mental health organizations have maternal mental health as a part of their mandate? We need these organization to come together and work with our provinces to create a national strategy for maternal mental health. We need to take the onus off of new mothers for reaching out for help when they may not even know they are ill. 

We need a strategy that includes screening, referral pathways and treatment options for Canadian mothers and not just the lucky ones who have won the postal code lottery.

All of this is why on Bell Lets Talk Day we talked. We talked a lot with the #BellLetsTalkMaternalMentalHealth hashtag. We reached over 5 million impressions with over 1000 people participating.

But we did more than talk. We held in person events where parents were able to get together and talk about self-care and mental wellness. Over 150 mothers and their babies came out to Indigo stores across the country.

 

I share my story a lot. I talked about maternal mental health a lot. I believe the storytelling saves lives and parents need to know that they’re not alone. But that’s not all I do - I run the Life With A Baby which chapters across the country where we focussed heavily on preventing perinatal mood and anxiety disorders through peer support.

I advocate for mothers. Last year working with the Perinatal Mental Health Coalition Canada we submitted a letter to get Maternal Mental Health on the agenda for the National Health Ministers' meeting. I also submitted a brief for the Great Canadian Healthcare Debate to get more people aware of Perinatal Mood & Anxiety Disorders and push for screening. 

To all the people who are saying we should talk less, I hope that you are doing something.

I hope you are advocating for mental health.

I hope you’re creating safe places.

I hope you are sharing resources.

I hope you are breaking down barriers.

Because if all you are doing is calling out people who are trying to make a difference - we need less of that.

I'm grateful to Bell for starting the Lets Talk campaign now it's up to each of us to push for me and create lasting change in our local communities and across Canada.

After my own experience with Postpartum Anxiety and Depression after the birth of my daughter, I became an advocate for Maternal Mental Health. In my journey, my main goal has been to help in pushing the need for a national strategy for mothers which includes screening, referral pathways and treatment options. 

To this end, I participated in the 2018 Great Canadian Health Care Debate through the College of Health Leaders and the National Health Leaders Conference. My brief for Maternal Mental Health was in the top 8 and can be found here 

It was at the National Health Leaders conference that I met with a few coaches and strategists who pointed me in the direction of the National Health Minister's Meeting which is when all the health ministers from the Provinces and Territories get together each year. Because Maternal Mental Health falls under the Provincial umbrella, our best chance of getting a national strategy for maternal mental health is getting it in front of all the health ministers at the same time.

With a strategy in hand, I connected with some other advocates in Saskatchewan and asked to go together to meet with one of the health ministers in the province because the work Saskatchewan is doing for mothers is incredible and can be used as a model across the country. 

It was in August of 2018 that we met with the Honourable Greg Ottenbreit Minister of Rural and Remote Health and asked him to become a champion for change.  We met on behalf of the Perinatal Mental Health Coalition Canada which is a grassroots group made up of over 150 advocates across Canada. 

A letter was drafted and sent for a request for Maternal Mental Health to be added to the National Health Ministers' Meeting for 2019.  We are grateful for the opportunity to have submitted a letter on behalf of Canadian mothers. 

This Bell Lets Talk, I wanted to bring awareness to both the work that is happening in Saskatchewan and also to someone who is championing this important cause in his province.  We submitted some questions for an interview with Minister Ottenbreit and his responses are below.  Every champion for Maternal Mental Health Matters. I hope we'll be able to have one in every province.

In conversation with the Honourable Greg Ottenbreit Minister of Rural and Remote Health

Maternal Mental Health isn’t part of the mandate of any major Canadian mental health institution - what compelled you to become a champion for change?

Mental health, including maternal mental health, is an important issue to the residents of Saskatchewan, to our government, and to me personally. We know that 1 in 5 women in Saskatchewan experience either depression and/or anxiety during their pregnancy, or for up to one year after. We also know that there is always more work to do to help improve mental health supports for Saskatchewan residents. As part of our 10-Year Mental Health and Addictions Action Plan highlights, maternal mental health was identified as an important determinant of future child and family mental and physical health and well-being. That is why our government continues to support ongoing efforts in this area.

 

As a husband, father, and recent grandfather, I also personally know the importance of having supports in place for parents, especially mothers, during and after their pregnancy. For these reasons, that is why I am proud of our governments efforts in this area, which includes such initiatives as the Maternal Wellness Program as part of our HealthLine 811 service or Universal screening of pregnant and postpartum women using the Edinburg Postnatal Depression Scale, in helping improve overall maternal mental health and wellbeing.

 

Advocates stress the importance of having political allies to champion maternal mental health. What advice can you share for those wanting to raise awareness and engage elected officials in their local jurisdiction or province?

It is important to remain positive, committed, and passionate about the issue of maternal mental health. Sometimes, issues such as maternal mental health may not be on the radar of elected officials, and groups that help advocate for improved maternal mental health services can help improve awareness.

 

 Prescreening for PMAD via the eHealth platform is groundbreaking as the first of its kind in Canada. Tell us more about how it came about and expected outcomes.

We will soon have two ways we screen expectant and new mothers who are at risk of developing a perinatal mood or anxiety disorder to ensure they get the support they need and referrals to services if appropriate.

 

HealthLine 811 launched the Maternal Wellness Program in 2013. This program provides easier access to help for women who struggle with postpartum depression and anxiety, or feelings of loss following a miscarriage, stillbirth or death of a newborn.

In addition, we are in the process of updating the Saskatchewan Prenatal Record Form, which is used by medical practitioners to monitor a woman’s pregnancy, ensuring best care practices in diagnostic tests, monitoring and assessment.  The form accompanies a woman to her labour and delivery.  It also links the prenatal information to intrapartum and postpartum care for health care providers.

The new form will prompt medical practitioners to complete the “Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale” (EPDS) twice over the course of the pregnancy.  As well, the accompanying Care Guide to the EPDS assists health practitioners in supporting pregnant women through appropriate referrals and interventions. Integrating the EPDS & Care Guide into the prenatal care process will ensure pregnant women in Saskatchewan are screened for depression and anxiety with appropriate referrals as required.

 

You’ve met with a number of advocates for maternal mental health. Is there a particular account of lived experience that resonated with you?

It’s tough to single out just one. The experiences that have been shared with me are all unique and different, but each of them speak to the need to continuing to work and improve maternal mental health services and supports.

 

What do you envision as the future of maternal mental health in Saskatchewan and in Canada?

As more jurisdictions and governments become increasingly aware of the need to improve mental health services, including our own, I believe you’ll see improvements in the care received from healthcare providers, but also in the level of supports provided. Services such as our Maternal Wellness Program are important tools to help those who may be suffering, especially in rural and remote areas, but increasing awareness will also help reduce the stigma, and hopefully lead to improvements in overall care.

 

What are some ways you practice self-care and foster mental wellness in your own life?

Trying to strike a healthy balance is difficult, but it is something I try to do. Self-care including regular exercise, a somewhat balanced diet, and taking care of your own mental wellness are important for everyone to practice, especially for someone involved in a stressful occupation, like being a politician! My strong Christian faith acts as a foundation for me to helping achieve these goals. Healthy, positive relationships, whether through faith, family, or friends, also help me in maintaining positive self-care and mental wellness. These pillars have helped me personally get through many difficult times in my life, whether those are the loss of our son to cancer, or my own cancer journey. My wife and I also founded, Brayden Ottenbreit Close Cuts for Cancer, which we founded shortly after our son was diagnosed in 1998. We continue with that work as well today, having raised over $800,000 for various local cancer initiatives.

For me, it’s also important to have hobbies and interests that I’m passionate about. As one might expect, I am a political junkie, but I’m also a licensed pilot, and as my Twitter profile states, am a certified gear-head regardless if it rolls, floats, or flies! I find that having hobbies and interests are important in striking a healthy balance, and help me in practicing positive self-care and mental wellness.

Thank you Minister Ottenbreit for your willingness to be a champion for mothers. 

Claire