Help us build support networks for mothers and their families in order to lessen the isolation and distress that many families experience during the perinatal period.
Welcome to our Village
The adjustment to motherhood can be very challenging. Approximately 1 in 6 women experiences significant postpartum depression or anxiety.
For 42 years Pacific Post Partum Support Society has provided early recognition and cost-effective convenient programs to reduce the severity and duration of symptoms of postpartum depression and anxiety. We believe women can overcome isolation and engineer their own recoveries by building support networks and learning self-care and coping techniques which encourage healthy life choices. The society sustains mothers of all social, economic, and cultural backgrounds.
Mothers who call or email us receive confidential, non-judgmental support and understanding from our peer-support counsellors. All counsellors have resolved their own difficult postpartum adjustments and trained extensively as telephone-support counsellors and facilitators. They regularly consult with other professionals in the field to keep pace with current therapeutic strategies.
As more than one issue contributes to a difficult adjustment, more than one element is needed to improve. We know that it takes a village to raise a child — and several different kinds of support to help families overcome this difficult and challenging time.
The villagers at Pacific Post Partum Support Society contribute in many ways: some are paid staff, some volunteer on our Board of Directors, committees, or in other capacities, and others help financially. We need all of our villagers to continue to assist mothers and their families during their personal journeys through postpartum depression and anxiety.
Your Contribution to the Village
By making a contribution you become a member of the village, and you help make a change for the better in the outcomes for these vulnerable families.
In the past two years, demand for our programs has grown dramatically. Our current challenge is to cover the cost of increased hours of telephone and email support. Your contribution will support free postpartum telephone support counselling six days a week for hundreds of women each year (in English, Punjabi, Farsi, Mandarin, Cantonese, Spanish, and Hebrew) and help us support thousands more through our community education sessions, workshops, and online resources at www.postpartum.org.
Your individual donation will ensure that we can respond quickly and fully to mothers who request information, resources, and assistance. We suggest a donation in the name of a mother you love and respect, as we all recognize the valuable roles mothers have in our lives.
Our Results
“There was a time when I thought I would never feel better. Now I feel even better than I did before I had my daughter. The Pacific Post Partum Support Society was a big part of my recovery – thank you!”
“Still have work to do but feel 90% better, and most of that is due to Pacific Postpartum.”
-previous support group members
Without treatment, postpartum depression or anxiety can have dire consequences, including child abuse or neglect, substance abuse, marital breakdown, or chronic depression and anxiety. Conversely, a healthy mother-child bond can improve outcomes for mother and child for the rest of their lives.
We measure improvement with pre- and post-testing using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. Last year over 80% of women who entered our group programs scored a “high possibility” or “probability of significant depression.” Upon departure, 77% of outgoing clients scored “depression unlikely.”
Vancouver Coastal Health Authority recognizes us as the lead agency to provide perinatal support and training for community agencies. We are grateful for financial support for specific projects and geographic locations through contracts with Vancouver Coastal and Fraser Health Authorities and grants from The Province of British Columbia, Vancouver Foundation, Canada Post Foundation for Mental Health and others, but your donation will support basic operating costs and give more women improved access to our telephone and email support program.
Other Ways You Can Help
Sharing our website www.postpartum.org and this campaign with people you know who have similar interests.
