Meet Sara Beckel – Perinatal Health Coordinator

Hello! My name is Sara Beckel and I am the Perinatal Health Coordinator here at the RPHN! I wanted to take some time to introduce myself as I am the lucky one who gets to work with new families here in Regina! Putting a face to the name always makes me feel better, and I thought it might help you too!

To get started I am a friend, sister, auntie and wife but I’m also a mother to my two beautiful girls who are now 7 and 9! I have no idea where the time goes but it’s sure going fast!

I am a trained Doula and have been working in the birth space for the last 10 years, attending just over 100 births here in the Queen city! I have been working more specifically in the perinatal mental health space for the last 6 years and it’s sort of one of those careers that finds you, versus the other way around. I’ve always been passionate about improving birth in our community because it’s one of those experiences that changes your life completely, yet in my experience, birthing people are still unaware of the process, their options and the impact it has. If I’m being completely honest, I know first hand what it’s like to fear the birth process. It’s actually the main reason I decided to take doula training in the first place! The more I learned, the less afraid I was, and from that moment on it was just something that I felt called to focus on because more families needed it, and by ”it” I mean education and support!

It wasn’t until the birth of my second daughter that I got a real eye opener! We joke that our first birth and postpartum period went so well, why not do it again! Unfortunately, things didn’t go smoothly at all and I experienced Postpartum Depression (PPD) after the birth of my second daughter. Even as a labour doula, I was unaware of the true depth of the illness and how it can impact the entire family unit. It wasn’t until I walked down that path myself that I truly understood it. That dark time was excruciating yet powerful. My battle with postpartum depression has given me the lived experience I need to truly understand what women/birthing people and families are going through.

There are definitely a few things I wish I had known back then that would have made recovery so much easier! I thought I might share that here just incase you, or someone you know, is going through the same thing. Here’s what I wish I’d known back then:

Postpartum Depression (PPD) is part of a whole family of mental illnesses better known as Perinatal Mood & Anxiety Disorders or PMAD’s.
Perinatal Mood & Anxiety Disorders are THE NUMBER ONE BIRTH COMPLICATION TO DATE!!! 1 in 5 birthing people will struggle every single year.
That when left untreated, the impact on both mother/birthing parent can last a lifetime. This includes lifelong battles with depression/anxiety and delays in early childhood development.
That anxiety is often the underlying issue yet people only hear postpartum “depression” which can be misleading.
Symptoms of anxiety can vary and although panic attacks or feeling fearful is common, symptoms like headache, dizziness, digestive issues, intrusive thoughts and wait for it… uncontrollable RAGE are also part of the deal.
That MEDICATION IS SAFE WHILE BREASTFEEDING. Let me repeat that one…. Just kidding. I think you heard me! More importantly, that “exposure” happens either way so always factor that into your decision when considering medication.
That I deserved sleep even when the world kept telling me “this is motherhood” so suck it up!
And the most important one of all, that PMAD’s are temporary and treatable with help!! The word ”treatment” felt terrifying but now I know that it looks different to everyone and the bottom line is, you need and DESERVE a support system!

Even though I wouldn’t wish a PMAD on anyone, I’m now in a position to use my lived experience with Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMAD’s) to continue raising awareness and reduce the stigma that surrounds the illness, while creating clear and sustainable pathways to treatment here in our community! It’s my lived experience that fuels my passion for change and improving the health of new families during the perinatal period.

My journey has been filled with many ups and downs, twists and turns but I couldn’t be happier and more proud to be here, under the umbrella of the Regina Early Learning Centre, launching the Regina Perinatal Health Network (RPHN)! We truly believe every birthing person should have access to education and support that is inclusive and culturally appropriate through the perinatal period and we are committed to making a difference in the lives of the families we work with!

So, if you need support, there are many different ways we can connect!

Thank you so much for taking the time to get to know me a bit more and for sharing and supporting our new initiative. I’m really looking forward to the work ahead and meeting some amazing new families!

Sara