Prenatal education on postpartum mental health is suicide prevention.

Most prenatal classes prepare you for birth. Held Families prepares you — and your partner — for what comes after: the emotional, mental, and relationship changes of the postpartum weeks, the warning signs to watch for, and a real plan for support.

Hamilton & online Partners welcome & included Education — not therapy or doula care
Book the 1:1 Postpartum Plan — $110 Join the cohort waitlist

Questions first? Email hello@heldfamilies.ca — no pressure, no obligation.

An expectant couple embracing at sunset by the water, the partner's hands resting gently on the pregnant belly
For expectant parents & partners Prepare together, before baby arrives — so neither of you is caught off guard afterwards.
Photo: maternity session via Pixieset (Anita Szromek) — see credits in footer.

Why this class exists

Postpartum depression, anxiety, and psychosis are too often recognised late — by parents who were never told what to look for. Learning the signs during pregnancy, together with your partner, means help can come earlier. That is prevention, in the plainest sense.

What you’ll learn

An honest look at the weeks after birth

No scare tactics, and no sugar-coating either — just clear, practical education you can actually use at 3 a.m.

  • What’s normal — and what isn’tBaby blues vs. postpartum depression, anxiety, and psychosis: how they differ, and when to get help quickly.
  • Warning signs, for both parentsThe signs a partner often spots first — and how to raise it with love, not panic.
  • Self-care strategies that survive real lifeSleep, support, and recovery plans built for a newborn household — not an ideal one.
  • How partners can truly helpWhat changes after birth, what helps, what doesn’t, and how to share the load.
  • Your own postpartum planWho to call, what to watch for, and what support to line up — written down before baby arrives.
  • Where to get help in Hamilton & OntarioReal local and provincial resources, so you’re not searching in a crisis.
New parents cuddling close together while holding their sleeping newborn
Photo: in-home newborn session via Mountain Laurel Photography / Showit — see credits in footer.
Available now

Start with a plan that’s just for your household

1:1 Postpartum Plan

A 90-minute session for expectant couples

One focused, private session to build your postpartum mental-health plan together — before baby arrives, while you still have time to prepare.

$110
per household
partner included
FormatZoom by defaultIn-person in Hamilton may be available — just ask when you email.
Length90 minutesOne session, at a time that works for your household.
Who it’s forExpectant parents + partnerPartners are not an add-on — they’re part of the plan.

In your session, you’ll work through:

  • The mental-health changes that can follow birth
  • Warning signs for depression, anxiety & psychosis
  • A partner’s guide: what to watch for, how to help
  • Practical self-care & sleep strategies
  • Your support map — people, professionals, resources
  • A written plan to take home and share
Email to book your session Email hello@heldfamilies.ca — Addie will reply to arrange a time. No payment is taken on this page.
Coming soon — founding cohort

Prefer to learn alongside other expectant parents?

The flagship prenatal class is launching with a small founding cohort. Join the waitlist now and you’ll be invited before any public announcement.

Founding cohort — waitlist open

Held Families prenatal class

A group class focused in detail on postpartum mental health — for couples and expectant parents, with partners fully included. Hybrid delivery: in-person in Hamilton and online.

$189
per household
partner included
Size8 households onlySmall on purpose — room for real questions and conversation.
FormatHamilton + onlineHybrid, so partners and out-of-town households can join.
DatesNot set yetCohorts are grouped by due month. Join the waitlist to be matched & invited first.
Join the waitlist below Email to join instead

On Instagram, search for Held Families and send the word HELD — or simply use the form below. Either way reaches the same waitlist.

Join the waitlist

Fill this in and tap the button — it opens a ready-to-send email in your own email app. Nothing is stored on this page.

Prefer email directly? Write to hello@heldfamilies.ca with “Waitlist” in the subject.
Clear boundaries

What Held Families is — and isn’t

Held Families is…

  • Education — clear information about postpartum mental health, taught before birth
  • Prevention-focused — recognising warning signs early and planning support in advance
  • For households — partners are included in the price and in the learning
  • Practical — you leave with a written plan, not just notes
  • Based in Hamilton, with online options

Held Families is not…

  • Not therapy or counselling — and not a substitute for care from your own health providers
  • Not doula services — no birth or postpartum doula care is offered
  • Not medical advice — always talk to your midwife, doctor, or care team about your own health
  • Not a crisis service — if you need help right now, see the resources below
About

Taught by a social worker — and a mom

The Held Bouquet — the Held Families mark: two arms hugging a bouquet of flowers

Addie Barlow

Held Families was created by Addie Barlow, a social worker and a mom in Hamilton. That combination — professional background plus lived experience of new parenthood — is the foundation of every class.

Addie’s focus is the part of prenatal education that often gets skipped: what happens to mental health, identity, sleep, and relationships after the baby arrives — and how partners can recognise the warning signs and genuinely share the load.

Held Families is education, offered with warmth and without judgment. Where families feel held — at every stage.

Questions

Frequently asked questions

No. Held Families offers education about postpartum mental health — information, warning signs, and planning. It is not therapy, counselling, diagnosis, or treatment, and it doesn’t replace care from your midwife, doctor, or mental-health provider.

Yes — please bring them. Partners are included in the price for both the 1:1 Postpartum Plan ($110 per household) and the cohort class ($189 per household). Partners are a core part of the learning, not an add-on.

During pregnancy, ideally with some time left to put your plan in place before your due date. Cohorts are grouped by due month, so joining the waitlist early helps you get matched to the right group.

Both. The 1:1 Postpartum Plan is on Zoom by default, with in-person in Hamilton available on request. The cohort class is hybrid — in-person in Hamilton and online.

Start by emailing hello@heldfamilies.ca. Addie will reply to arrange a time and next steps. There is no payment or booking form on this page.

Please reach out for support right away — to your care team, or to one of the resources in the box below. Held Families classes are prenatal education and are not a crisis or treatment service, but you deserve support now, not after a class.

If you’re struggling right now

You don’t have to wait, and you don’t have to go through this alone. The first two services below are free, confidential, and available across Canada, 24/7. ConnexOntario is an Ontario service:

Call or text 988 — Suicide & Crisis Helpline (24/7, Canada-wide) Talk Suicide Canada — 1-833-456-4566 (Canada-wide) ConnexOntario — 1-866-531-2600 (Ontario)

If you or someone near you is in immediate danger, call 911.

Get in touch

Say hello

Booking, waitlist questions, or just wondering if this is right for your household — one email reaches Addie directly.

Email hello@heldfamilies.ca heldfamilies.ca
Book 1:1 — $110 Waitlist