Flora’s Walk
Wednesday May 3 is the 2nd annual Flora’s Walk Fundraiser in Barrie. Flora’s Walk is a fundraiser for Perinatal Mental Health led by the Canadian Perinatal Mental Health Collaborative, which is a non profit organization working to improve perinatal mental health care in Canada.
Funds raised for Flora's Walk will go towards advocating for perinatal mental health services across Canada, providing specialized training for healthcare professionals, and supporting community based initiatives. Click here if you are interested in participating or donating!
For more information on perinatal mental health please see below:
What is Perinatal Mental Health?
There are a variety of perinatal losses that a family can experience including but not limited to, inability to conceive/infertility, embryo loss, chemical pregnancy, miscarriage, and stillbirth. Families who experience this type of loss may experience a range of symptoms of grief, such as shock, anger, and depression.
How Does it Impact Individuals?
Individuals and families can also experience a wide range of physical symptoms (i.e., sleeping issues, appetite loss, stomach problems, fatigue, feeling weak or run down, etc.) as well as psychological symptoms (overwhelm, shock, numbness, isolation, anger, guilt and shame, depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, suicidal thoughts, complicated grief, etc).
Perinatal mental health and/or loss affects the entire family, however, the way it impacts each member may be different. Grieving a perinatal and infertility loss can permanently change you, impacting you long term on holidays, anniversaries, etc. While you will never get over the loss, there are ways to cope and find peace.
Supports
There is no time limit on how long it will take to recover, nor is there a specific grief timeline. However, receiving support from a trusted professional may be beneficial if you are struggling with perinatal mental health or loss. For additional support kindly check out some resources below: