The "most wonderful time of the year" often comes with the most wonderful foods to eat. One of my favourite foods to eat during the holidays is my mother's pepperpot. It's a traditional beef stew cooked with spices like cinnamon, thyme and hot pepper. My grandmother taught my mother how to make this dish. This… Continue reading Healthy holiday tips: It’s more than the foods we eat
Category: Emotional Health
Postpartum Depression – it’s not your fault!
Most of us think that having a baby will be the happiest time in our lives; however not everyone feels joy or that "love at first sight" feeling. Feelings of guilt, sadness, stress, or anxiety can affect the early weeks and months of parenthood which can make it hard to enjoy a new baby. I've… Continue reading Postpartum Depression – it’s not your fault!
Surviving the first year: Self-care tips for new parents
Most of us are quite busy in our day to day lives - we have our routines, our interests, and our responsibilities. While parenting is an exciting, challenging and rewarding adventure, it can be easy for new parents' own needs to take a backseat as life with a little one begins. With the popularity of… Continue reading Surviving the first year: Self-care tips for new parents
Tips to help beat the Autumn blues
Are you already missing the warm sunlight of summer? Have you felt stressed with trying to juggle with back to school routine with older children? Is it difficult to go out in the darker evenings? Autumn can bring a feeling of change, or a feeling of the need to prepare for our long winters. We… Continue reading Tips to help beat the Autumn blues
Postpartum Depression in Fathers and Partners
It's common for new fathers to experience joy, excitement, stress and fear while adjusting to parenthood. Did you know that 10% of new fathers suffer from Postpartum Depression (PPD) and 50% when mom is depressed too? Most people are not aware, including the fathers experiencing it. To make change happen, we would like to bring… Continue reading Postpartum Depression in Fathers and Partners
Postpartum psychosis – A treatable illness
As a Public Health Nurse supporting new parents after the birth of their baby, I'm worried when I hear phrases like "I think someone is trying to take my baby; I just can't settle down; I haven't slept in 48 hours; my mother shakes my baby when she's holding her; I'm a bad mother and… Continue reading Postpartum psychosis – A treatable illness
Are you ready to start exercising after having your baby?
Do you think of exercise and immediately picture a fitness centre with complicated machines and impossibly hard, high tempo exercise classes? This can be scary for anyone, let alone a new parent who is isn’t sleeping well and adjusting to life with a new baby. Exercise doesn't have to be difficult, it can be built… Continue reading Are you ready to start exercising after having your baby?
How to manage stress in pregnancy
Pregnancy is a time of change and feeling stressed is very common. Sometimes when stress builds over a long period of time and you start to feel like you have little control over these feelings, you may be experiencing chronic stress. Learning how to deal with everyday stressors can help. Chronic stress may cause immediate… Continue reading How to manage stress in pregnancy
Express yourself: Better communication after baby
After a baby, everything seems to be different; from sleeping patterns, to eating habits, and especially how communication happens. As a nurse who works with parents adjusting to life after baby, I've seen countless times how things can keep changing- the good and the not so good. Understanding yourself and getting the support that you… Continue reading Express yourself: Better communication after baby
Can fathers get depressed after their new baby arrives?
Becoming a parent can be an exciting time, but it can also be a time which brings stress, anxiety, lack of sleep and more. Many people may have heard about 'Maternal Mental Health', but did you know dads can get depression and anxiety as well after a new baby arrives? Paternal Depression and Anxiety (postpartum… Continue reading Can fathers get depressed after their new baby arrives?