VIRGINIA — May is Maternal Mental Health Month, and St. Louis County Public Health is highlighting resources available for new and expectant parents who may be struggling.
A special “Northland March for Moms and Dads” is planned to raise awareness and bring participants together to support one another. The march will be 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Thursday, May 22, at Olcott Park in Virginia. Participants are encouraged to wear white to represent survivorship, support and community for perinatal mental health.
In a news release, the county reported that experiencing depression and anxiety during the perinatal period — defined as the time spanning from when pregnancy begins, through labor and delivery, to approximately a year after birth — is more common than people may realize.
Studies have shown one in five moms and one in 10 dads may struggle with mental health during this important time in their lives. Maternal mental health conditions are the most common complication of pregnancy and birth, affecting 800,000 families each year in the U.S.
"Having a baby is wonderful and amazing, but it's also exhausting and stressful," stated Kelly Lind, a public health nurse and supervisor for St. Louis County, in the release. "Our goal with this campaign is to make it easier for new parents to find the support they need, and make it clear that it's okay ask for help."
To help reduce stigma and connect families with the help they need, St. Louis County Public Health launched a new campaign to remind parents that they are not alone and that help is available. The signs and flyers direct people to a new website, northlandperinatalresources.org.
The website, created with local partners who work to support families, includes links to both local and national support options, as well as education for providers who are looking to learn more.
It also includes two important numbers: 1-833-TLC-MAMA is a free and confidential hotline that connects to a counselor 24 hours a day, and the 988 hotline for anyone needing immediate support for emotional or mental health.
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The line would run from its Iron Range Substation near Grand Rapids to its St. Louis County Substation near Hermantown with a connection to American Transmission Co.’s nearby Arrowhead Substation. -
Malachy Koons/KAXETrainings are available for new on-air volunteers on June 3, 2025, at KAXE in Grand Rapids, and June 4, 2025, at KBXE in Bemidji.
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Contributed/National Weather Service - DuluthA red flag warning is in effect through 9 p.m. Tuesday, May 20, 2025, including for the Camp House and Jenkins Creek wildfires, where crews are prepping for high winds. -
Contributed/MN DNRThe Minnesota DNR will accept comments through May 22, 2025, on its plan to create a new channel and install a 50-foot bridge on Mud Lake near the city of Steelton. -
Contributed/Brett Sayles via MinnPostThe state's Office of Broadband Development reported it can no longer honor $12 million in grants promised to local governments, organizations and small businesses. -
Contributed/Andrew VonBank / House Public Information ServicesLawmakers are working to pass a $66 billion to $67 billion two-year budget that will fund everything from schools to parks to health care and services for people with disabilities. -
Plus: North Memorial Health will continue to be the ambulance service provider in the Walker area after a meeting of the newly-formed special taxing authority; Minnesota's Office of Broadband Development announces it can no longer honor $12 million in grants to local governments and small businesses after federal funding cuts; and the Minnesota DNR is accepting comment on an environmental assessment worksheet to restore habitat on the St. Louis River. -
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Contributed/North Memorial HealthThe special joint taxing authority formed to fund the ambulance service for Walker and surrounding communities also approved a $528,500 levy for 2026. -
Contributed/C. Skustad / U.S. Forest ServiceThe three wildfires have burned more than 30,000 acres of land in St. Louis County and destroyed more than 150 structures.
