Delsie Martin, who has a six-month-old son and a two-year-old daughter, said she had persistent thoughts of death when she asked her husband to take her to the Neepawa Health Center on a Sunday afternoon in August. But she says a doctor at the south-west city hospital sent her away without any treatment or referrals to other services. “She gestured to my husband and said, ‘Look at this wonderful man sitting here and your two children at home. You have no reason to be depressed,” Martin said. The 34-year-old says she told the doctor she was taking medication for postpartum depression, which she also suffered from after her first child. A health care team in her community of Interlake, Manitoba treated her, but she says she hit a breaking point when she was visiting family in Neepawa. “That day my thoughts became so overwhelming and ran so fast… [that] sudden thoughts of death from which I was reasonably able to escape [before] they were getting a lot more reasonable,” Martin said. Martin was already being treated for postpartum depression, which she had also experienced with her first child. (Submitted by Delsie Martin) The first thing the doctor asked her about was what kind of birth control she was using, she said. “He said I shouldn’t have any more children.” Martin also told him about other sources of stress in her life – childcare, school and finances. “He said, ‘You think you know what financial stress is?’ I have financial stress,” Martin said. “He then referred us to some kind of financial planner who is outside the United States and said if I do financial planning [and] if I don’t make babies, I’ll be fine,” Martin said. After a 20-minute visit, the doctor told her there was nothing he could do for her, she said. “[He said], “No one can help you, you can only help yourself,” and he’s right. But the postpartum depression brain only heard “no one can help you.” He left the hospital feeling ashamed and was judged, he said, without referrals to other services. Martin with her children. She says she spoke with someone from patient relations with Prairie Mountain Health Authority and is satisfied there will be a conversation with the doctor she saw. (Submitted by Delsie Martin) Martin, who has worked as a social worker and mental health support worker for the past decade, says there is a stigma around mental health, especially postpartum depression. But even in the crisis she knew what happened to her wasn’t right, and she became more upset about the interaction in the days that followed. “Someone is going to attempt suicide, possibly die by suicide if they treat them like this.” Martin arrived at the hospital a few days later to find out the name of the doctor who saw her, but he did not receive a call. She sent a letter detailing her encounter and concerns to the patient relations department at Prairie Mountain Health, the regional health authority covering Neepawa. A spokesman said the health authority “strictly maintains confidentiality” and could not talk about details relating to a specific case, but said it had been in contact with its patient relations department. Any follow-up “will be done directly with the patient,” the spokesman said. Martin says she spoke with someone from patient relations and felt heard, and she’s glad there will be a conversation with the doctor about how the experience affected her.
Gaps in the system
Jaime Charlebois, who works for a group that supports mental health care before, during and after pregnancy, says experiences like Martin’s happen all too often. “We hear from people across Canada about how when they do seek help, how difficult it is,” said Charlebois, the co-executive director of the Canadian Perinatal Mental Health Collaborative. “There’s a fear that if we talk about our mental health, there’s a fear of conceiving your baby and things like that.” The organization is calling for a national perinatal mental health strategy, which Charlebois says will help health professionals know when and how to screen postpartum patients and what treatment options are available. “There are so many loopholes in our system that put the onus on these individuals … to seek help when they are struggling so seriously,” he said. “This is just unethical. In other places around the world they have screening programs, they have specialist perinatal mental health teams, they have mother-baby psychiatric units in case a woman needs to stay in hospital.” Martin says she believes the doctor she saw thought she did the right thing. “I don’t think he knew how much it hurt me,” she says. “But that’s what’s scary.” (Submitted by Delsie Martin) Martin emphasized that she doesn’t want her experience to discourage others from seeking help — something Charlebois echoes. “Please reach out for help,” said Charlebois. “Don’t let a bad situation keep you from seeking the help you need. Get a second opinion.” Martin says she now receives excellent care in her community, but wants to raise awareness of the importance of mental health education for health professionals. “I have no anger, no malice towards this doctor, because I honestly believe he believed he was doing the right thing. “I don’t think he knew how much it hurt me. But that’s what’s scary.” If you or someone you know is struggling, here’s where you can get help:
