M.L. postpartum group focuses on support, advocacy
If Lyndsey Butler-Rutz could share a message about postpartum depression and anxiety to others, it would be: it’s not your fault and you’re not alone. It’s the message she’s spreading with the non-profit support group called A Room of Our Own, based in Meadow Lake.
She herself went through the illnesses immediately following the birth of her baby girl nearly two years ago. She was able to heal she said, but not until she felt the support of another person who went through it. She then turned that feeling into a network of advocacy and education. She started the group in November 2016, and it has only grown since.
“It’s such a guilty, shameful, dark place to be, trying to explain something you feel no one else knows,” Butler-Rutz said. “I randomly met a lady who said ‘I get it’ and in 15 minutes, my life changed from just hearing that I wasn’t alone. That’s what I’m trying to provide people. As part of my healing process I said ‘This word needs to get out.’”
Butler-Rutz said family, friends and medical professionals gave her support, but was scared to share too much about what she was feeling for fear of judgment and stigma. She added while there are a number of resources out there, some long term goals of the group include creating resources to share with SaskHealth, and to expand the support network across the province.