Featuring a very exciting guest into today’s post! EVA WELLNESS!

Sarah Goodman and Mira Blumenthal Lax are the founders of Eva Wellness – mental health services for parents. They are also Mothers themselves and are extremely passionate about supporting people at any stage of their parenting journey.

I had the pleasure of speaking with Sarah about her journey when she became a mother during COVID and how her experiences sparked her desire to start up Eva Wellness to better support today’s parents. She has a huge amount of experience supporting parents, children and families with mental health and parenting concerns.

You can read more about Sarah, Mira and Eva Wellness and all the services they provide HERE.

Sarah & Mira have kindly put together the post below with some helpful information and tips about the importance of taking care of your own mental health throughout your journey to and into parenthood. Please enjoy and if you find yourself needing any extra support during this challenging time, please reach out to them! I can vouch that they are wonderfully kind and super easy and pleasant to talk with!

They also host “Mom Groups with Meaning” that is worth looking into as well!

Check out their instagram @evamentalhealth.

Eva Mental Wellness:

Mental Health Matters: Why Taking Care of Your Mental Health Throughout Your Journey to Parenthood Is Key

The path to becoming a parent looks different for everyone, but prioritizing your mental health is key at every stage of the journey. From family planning and fertility treatments to pregnancy, surrogacy, adoption, and bringing your baby home, the ups and downs of this stage of life can be tumultuous (to say the least).

So what does prioritizing your mental health look like? It can involve:

1. Sharing with friends and loved ones about what you’re going through and how you’re feeling
2. Taking time for yourself to ensure you are as well fed, well rested, and in tune with yourself as possible
3. Setting boundaries to protect your energy and your family (even if that requires having tough conversations with people you love)
4. Finding like-minded parents-to-be or parents that can support you, whether they’re longtime friends or total strangers
5. Seeking professional help

Mental health is multifaceted, and your experience with your own mental health can ebb and flow as you progress along your journey to parenthood. There is no one-size-fits-all solution, nor should you feel tied to a singular way of addressing the challenges you’re facing. It’s good to keep an open mind, check in with yourself regularly, and assess what might be best for you at that moment.

According to Sarah Goodman, Co-founder and Social Worker/Psychotherapist at Eva Wellness, a few ways to check in with your mental health are:

• Making space for your emotions – How are you really feeling today? Sometimes this simple question does not have a simple answer. Oftentimes we dismiss our feelings, telling ourselves that we “shouldn’t” feel the way we do. It is important to remember that however you are feeling is valid and important. You can use this information to figure out where you are at and what you might need. One activity that can encourage this practice is journaling. This can be a formal entry or simple bullet point responses. These reflections can help us evaluate what is causing us stress, worry, or discomfort and what we might need to do to manage it. Such as putting in more boundaries and communicating our needs to others.
• Are you taking care of your basic needs? Are you eating properly, sleeping well, showering, getting fresh air and movement? While these are our basic needs, they can be anything but basic to fulfill. Sometimes it takes a lot of effort to take care of ourselves, whether we are taking care of other humans too or we simply aren’t feeling our best. Taking care of yourself can make a big difference to your overall wellbeing.
• What are you doing for you? Often when we are feeling stressed, the easiest way to make time for our to-do lists is to get rid of the time you used to de-compress. Whether that meant working out, reading a book, or taking a walk with friends, that’s what usually falls by the wayside. Reminding yourself to prioritize those activities can be good strategies for stress management and good things to add back into your routine.
• Do you feel supported? Feeling isolated in parenthood can be very overwhelming. Share what you are going through with people who you trust. No one is meant to manage it alone.

Also keep in mind that the “village” everyone talks about is not only something that is required once you have a baby. It can be incredibly beneficial to open up to loved ones (or strangers on the internet) while you’re going through fertility treatments, looking for a surrogate, adopting, pregnant, or whatever else you’re dealing with as you work to become a parent. Because it is just that—it’s work. And it’s made easier when you surround yourself with people you know you can trust.

Now, that village may not look the way you expected it to, but there are many resources out there that can help. Eva Wellness is one of those resources. Eva is a parental mental health service and community for parents at every stage of their journey. Don’t have a village? We’ll help you find one. Think you might be experiencing symptoms of perinatal anxiety and/or depression? Our team can help you work through that.

If you’re looking for support, Eva is here to help.

Remember, taking care of your physical health while pregnant and postpartum is key—but your mind and mood matter too.

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Eva Wellness was founded by Sarah Goodman, MSW, RSW and Mira (Blumenthal) Lax, two moms who are passionate about maternal mental health and parental wellbeing. After becoming first-time moms during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Mira and Sarah discovered the need for an online and offline community where parents can come together, share their experiences, and get the help they need.

Eva offers therapy to support you through your experience with:

• Trying to conceive (TTC) and managing your fertility journey
• Infertility
• Pregnancy loss or grief
• Pregnancy after loss
• Perinatal mood/anxiety disorders
• General mood/anxiety disorders
• Traumatic labour/birth experiences
• Managing transitions (eg. “fourth trimester”)
• Supporting your child’s mental health
• General parenting challenges

Clients must reside in Ontario. At this time, all appointments are virtual.

We also offer in-person and virtual events for parents to connect, learn, and share. See what we’re up to by checking out www.evamentalhealth.com and following @evamentalhealth on Instagram.