Nurse hopes to offer more postpartum support in Sudbury

Caroline miller suffered with postpartum anxiety and depression three years ago

Caroline Miller suffered postpartum anxiety and depression three years ago.

Miller said she noticed signs and symptoms with her first child, but didn’t seek help until her second child was seven months old.

“She [her doctor] started me on medication and referred me to the perinatal program," she said. "When I got a call from them they were like, well I’m sorry to tell you but our waitlist is six months long and we only take people up to the time that their baby is a year old."

Miller decided to pay out of pocket for therapy and that’s when everything changed. She received neuro-linguistic programming and decided to become certified in the therapy for herself.

She said working at the hospital during the pandemic was the catalyst that pushed her to get qualified to help others.

“I love just watching these people grow and flourish and I wish I had that when I was going through it,” said Miller.

In a statement to CTV News, HSN spokesperson Krista Lennox-Fryd said referrals to the hospital's perinatal mental health program have increased by 29 per cent in the last year.

"While our programs make every effort to see people as soon as possible, because of a high volume of referrals, patients may be placed on a waitlist for services," the statement said.

"The waitlist for the Perinatal Mental Health Program is currently at two months. If mothers are in need of support sooner, they can follow up with their primary healthcare provider or with other community support programs.”

Unni Kleppe, who was able to get help from the program, said it has helped her tremendously.

“I do have to say that I was very proactive in getting the help," Kleppe said.

"If I didn’t hear back from them, I called. When I was first denied, I talked to my doctor right away and she helped. I truly believe we need more focus on mental health care -- like prenatal care -- during pregnancy care and post-natal care because it's hard to navigate."

Being a registered nurse, Miller said sometimes health benefits won’t cover the services she offers, but she's hoping to implement a sliding fee scale so she can help as many people as possible.