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Let's Talk About Postpartum Depression, Says 'Workin' Moms' Star Catherine Reitman

"There's an identity crisis that happens when you give birth."
Caitlin Cronenberg

It's a day where we raise funds to support mental health initiatives — which, given that one in five Canadians will be affected by mental illness this year, is crucial — but also a day where we talk openly and frankly about a topic that often makes people uncomfortable.

And one aspect of mental health we should definitely be talking more about is postpartum depression, "Workin' Moms" creator and executive producer Catherine Reitman recently told HuffPost Canada in a video interview.

Watch Reitman's full interview in the video below:

"There's an identity crisis that happens when you give birth. I don't care how confident, how secure you are, how much help you have, how many kids you have," Reitman said.

"For me, it was major."

In Canada, about one in 10 new mothers experience clinically significant postpartum depression, according to the Canadian Psychological Association. A recent British study found that as many as one in four mothers have mental health issues before they even give birth.

And between 20 per cent and 40 per cent of women with a prior history of depression will experience a relapse in the postpartum period, according to the recently updated Family-Centred Maternity and Newborn Care: National Guidelines from the government of Canada.

Reitman, who has two young children, was "riddled with postpartum depression," she previously told HuffPost Canada.

"What I didn't know at the time is that it was really common," she says in the video.

"It can be very isolating when you don't know that."

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