pregnancy

THERAPY

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Browse these articles as a starting point to learn more about mental health and wellness during this stage of life.

the blog

MENTAL HEALTH

Recent posts

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relationships

Why Intimacy And Sex Suffer Postpartum: A Post For Moms 

Addressing sex postpartum beyond the six-week clearance.

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relationships

What To Do When Sex Becomes A Source of Stress After Having Kids

Navigating the challenges of postpartum sex can be overwhelming, but many others feel this way too

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dads + partners

10 Reasons Why Dads Seek Therapy

Navigating the stark contrast between the idealized vision of fatherhood and the complex, messy reality can be disheartening.

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relationships

9 Reasons Why Parents Go to Couples Counselling After Having A Baby

One of the frustrating realities of becoming parents is that all of a sudden your relationship faces pressures that you haven’t had to deal with in the past.

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therapy

How Therapy Helps Your Relationship (Even If Your Partner Doesn’t Come)

Identify harmful patterns in all your close relationships… including your partnership.

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relationships

How to damage control your relationship before you have kids

Call it creating a more solid foundation… or call it damage control.

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dads + partners

Self-Care Is Just As Important For Dads 

A strong family foundation begins with the wellness of its individual members.

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mental health

Parental Mental Health: Why Non-Birthing Parents Are Also At Risk

Are fathers, adoptive parents, and non-birthing partners being left out of the parental mental health discussion?

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early postpartum

Recognizing the Signs of Postpartum Depression: 11 Warning Signs To Watch For

In becoming aware of the signs and symptoms of postpartum depression, you’ll become better able to improve your mental health.

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mental health

What Does Postpartum Anxiety Feel Like? When Does It Start?! 10 Signs To Watch For

Yes, postpartum anxiety is real… and even quite common. Here’s what to look out for.

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mental health

Mom-Rage: Why Am I So Angry All The Time?

If you feel intense anger, you’re not a bad mom or a mean person, but you likely need some more support.

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mental health

Scary Thoughts In Motherhood: “I Can’t Stop Imagining The Worst Case Scenario!”

Scary thoughts, irrational fears, worried “what if,” thinking, or imagining disturbing scenarios that play out in your mind are one of the lesser talked about downsides of motherhood.

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mental health

Why Is Anxiety So Much Worse At Night?

Nighttime anxiety is basically the evening version of the “Sunday Scaries.” Even though you logically know that what awaits (in this case, the night hours) doesn’t bring any major threat, you just can’t shake that feeling of dread.

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mental health

Mom Anxiety: Why Am I Suffering From Anxiety In Motherhood?

Maternal anxiety is a troublesome experience for many mothers and unfortunately it’s also a common one. You may have heard of “postpartum anxiety,” and while it’s understandable for women to feel extra uneasy in those earliest weeks and months, anxiety doesn’t end there.

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mental health

How Do I Know If I Have Postpartum Depression? Signs, Symptoms, and Risk Factors

Many people either don’t know that they’re dealing with postpartum depression—or they only realize it after the fact. Here, get a full understanding of postpartum depression, its warning signs, symptoms, and risk factors.

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mental health

How to Deal with Negative Postpartum Body Image

Were you surprised by your postpartum body? Are you still surprised at how your body is looking and feeling after giving birth? We don’t often see what a mother’s postpartum body actually looks like so that surprise is only natural.

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pregnancy

Scary Thoughts in Pregnancy and Postpartum

During pregnancy and new motherhood, intrusive thoughts can take a lot of forms. Most frequently, they center around the idea of harm coming to your baby or kids.

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mental health

How to Make Self-Care Easy for Moms

For moms struggling to find their groove in early motherhood, taking care of yourself feels like another thing you have to do. When you neglect it, it feels like another thing you’re NOT doing—and that can bring you down.

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mental health

How to Deal with Parental Burnout

Burnout is that feeling of complete emotional and physical exhaustion. It’s that sense that you’re running on empty and have nothing left in the tank.

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pregnancy

So You’re Not That Excited About Being Pregnant?

So you’re pregnant but you’re not exactly over-the-moon happy. You’re especially not as excited as you thought you would be. And to make matters worse, there’s a lot of self-judgement and questioning that comes with that.

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mental health

What Moms Need To Know About Intrusive Thoughts

Women are often reluctant to seek help for this because they worry that others won’t understand, they’ll be judged as dangerous or “crazy”, and they’re scared that their child will be taken away.

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mental health

Baby Blues or Postpartum Depression?

Most people would be surprised to learn that more t1 in 5 moms and 1 in 10 dads experience postpartum depression.

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mental health

A Therapist’s Guide to Self-Care for Busy Moms

Self-care is not extravagant. It’s not frilly or luxurious. It’s not even expensive. Well, it doesn’t have to be at least. And even though it’s often thought of as an “extra” or “if I have time I’ll get to it”, self-care is actually the most important thing you can do as a mom to keep balance

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mental health

Identity Loss In Motherhood: Why You Might Be Feeling Estranged From Your Old Self

When a baby’s needs become the top priority, it can feel like there’s no space left for your own. This is what we mean when we talk about identity loss in motherhood.

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therapy

7 Reasons Why New Motherhood Is The Perfect Time For Counselling

Becoming a parent is one of the biggest adjustments and transitions you could go through, which is why new motherhood is the perfect time to start counselling.

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dads + partners

Dads Get Postpartum Depression Too. Here Are 6 Signs To Look For

Dads can get postpartum depression too but that’s something that’s so often left out of the conversation about parental mental health.

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therapy

Are My Problems Big Enough To Need Therapy?

Three signs your problems are worth asking a perinatal mental health therapist about.

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About The perinatal collective

Welcome! So glad you're here. 

We're a team of mental health therapists across Canada with advanced education and experience in perinatal mental health, meaning you don't have to cross your fingers and hope that we understand how hard this stage can be.

We understand the nuances of the early stages of parenthood: how typical counselling strategies may not be relevant to parents with young kids, and how mental health challenges look different during this time.  

From deciding to have children, to navigating your journey through fertility, pregnancy, birth, postpartum, relationship changes, parenting, career demands and beyond, parenthood can be full with challenges.

Our goal is to help you manage the peaks and valleys of the entire journey, while staying connected to yourself, and feeling whole, along the way.

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You're not going to want to miss this weekly email! We'll pop in with therapist-approved tips and strategies that improve mental wellness in the perinatal period and further into parenthood. Add your info to receive realistic, and most importantly, helpful tools each week.

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