Postpartum Progress

Just Back From PSI Conference

Last week I went to Postpartum Support International's annual conference on postpartum mood disorders.  As usual, I'm so glad I went.  It is very exciting to see so many women in one place who are so committed to working towards better education, treatment and support for the women who go through this.  So many of us who were there are survivors, or people close to those who have suffered, and we know what an important cause this is!  Ladies, you should feel very good about all the work that is being done to support you out there!!  My head is swimming with all of the info and ideas I got from the conference, and I'll try and share some of them with you this week after I get myself organized.  Thanks to everyone in Kansas and Missouri for their hard work on putting the conference together, thanks to everyone at PSI and hello to all my new friends!

More Moms Join The Surviving & Thriving Photo Album

I am completely gleeful to let you know that I've posted two more photos in the Surviving & Thriving Mothers Photo Album -- Melissa N. and Kristin G.  The album is getting bigger, which is fabulous because it means there are more and more happy faces to show those who are suffering that you CAN get through this and become a fullfilled, happy and healthy mom.  I know you don't believe it's possible, but just look at all these beautiful, shining faces who are living proof!!!!!!!  If you want to be part of the album, email me at stonecallis@msn.com.

NJ Catholic Churches Launch PPD Program

A few weeks ago, the Catholic Church in New Jersey announced a statewide program to educate priests and parishioners about postpartum depression.

The program was unveiled during a news conference in Newark that brought together Archbishop John J. Myers, community health professionals and former victims of postpartum depression.  The program aims to make each of the state's 684 Roman Catholic congregations a source of assistance for women stricken with the illness.  The archdiocese will begin training priests, deacons and lay ministers next month, teaching them about the symptoms, and resources for referring mothers for treatment.  Amen to that!

Canadian Entertainer Amy Sky's Story of PPD

For all of you Canadians out there, here's a link to a story from St. Catharine's Standard about singer/songwriter Amy Sky and her experience with postpartum depression.  Sky is a campaign spokesperson for the Mood Disorders Association of Ontario, which is encouraging people to get a Check Up from the Neck Up in a province-wide campaign.

Upcoming Event in Asheville Features My Psychiatrist!

The Mountain Area Health Education Center in Asheville, NC is hosting an evening for prescribing clinicians called "Postpartum Mood Disorders: A Systemic Approach to Biopsychosocial Treatment" on Thursday, August 16, from 5:30 to 8pm and an all-day conference on Friday, August 17, from 8:30am to 4:45pm..  The key speaker will be Dr. Jeffrey Newport, associate director of the Emory Women's Mental Health Program here in Atlanta and also my psychiatrist!!!!  I have firsthand knowledge that Dr. Newport rocks.  Dr. Judy McKay, a psychiatrist specializing in perinatal mood disorders from Columbia, SC, will also present.  Continuting education credits will be available, and the program is aimed at physicians, nurse practitioners, psychiatrists and physicians' assistants.  The fee to attend on the 16th is $65.00 and includes dinner, and the fee for the 17th is $99.  To register, go to www.mahec.net. 

Postpartum Depression Resources Just For Dads

While it is crucial that women have as much information as possible when suffering a postpartum mood disorder, I think it is equally important for family members to understand the role they can play in supporting these women -- especially husbands.  Having a supportive husband who understands what you're going through and provides the right kind of help plays a big part in recovery.  I've been meaning to let all of you know about a great resource for new dads with wives/partners going through postpartum mood disorders -- Postpartum Dads.  You can go to the Postpartum Dads website by linking here.  This site features information to help dads understand what women with perinatal mood disorders are going through, what they themselves are going through and what can be done about it.  It also features personal stories of men who have made it through this experience and how they dealt with it.  I think this is a wonderful resource, because men are very much affected by their partners' illnesses, often unsure what to do and unsure about their own feelings and how to deal with them.  I also often point people to Karen Kleiman's book, The Postpartum Husband, which offers practical solutions for living with postpartum depression.  We can't forget that the men are going through this with us, and they need help too!

Feisty PPD Segment on This Morning's FOX

I planned to tell you that a PPD segment was going to air this Friday on FOX so you could be ready to watch, but unfortunately it got moved up to this morning, so I missed it and you may have too.  Anyway, it appeared on the nationally syndicated "Morning Show with Mike and Juliet."

The interview featured Melissa Noga, a mom who experienced postpartum anxiety, Dr. Meg Spinelli, Peter Breggin and PSI President Susan Stone.  You can, and SHOULD, watch the whole thing here.  Melissa was great, Dr. Stone was great, Dr. Spinelli was great, and Peter Breggin was a real ass.  He made the whole thing an argument about the "needless use of medication" and said that there was no evidence that antidepressants were related to hormones. 

I'M EVIDENCE, SIR. 

I and thousands of other women like me are evidence that, when in postpartum crisis, antidepressants can save lives and restore families.  May I point out that no one in the PPD arena has ever said that:

1.  Every woman who suffers a postpartum mood disorder should take medication; or

2.  Every woman who takes medication should remain on it forever.

I don't know where these people come up with this stuff.  Most PPMD advocates, myself included, support whatever works, be it exercise, supplements, medication, therapy or a combination of all of the above.  What they do say is that women need to get themselves out of the crisis, and if it's meds that do that, then fine.  I used meds, and yes it took me several to find the one that worked for me, but once it did it was GREAT.  I'm proud of the choices I made.  I wouldn't change them for a second.  How dare he or anyone else question me, and try to make me feel ashamed of my choice.

Ladies, please listen to people like Meg Spinelli and Susan Stone and Shoshanna Bennett and others who have specifically treated hundreds and hundreds of women with postpartum mood disorders and know the latest information in the field, rather than old men like Peter Breggin, who has been in practice for many decades and seems not to have advanced his understanding of these disorders since the 1950s.

Barnes to Appear on CBS Monday June 11

Wendy Davis of PSI gave me a heads up that PSI's past president Diana Lynn Barnes will be interviewed on the CBS Early show on June 11.  She will be discussing her new book, "The Journey to Parenthood: Myths, Reality and What Really Matters."  CBS has a good history of positively covering the issue of postpartum mood disorders and the need for more research and treatment.

Registration Opens for PSI Washington's Annual Conference

Registration is now underway for the PSI Washington annual conference, "Beyond the Birth: Current Trends in Treating Perinatal and Postpartum Mood Disorders", to be held September 21, 2007, at the Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue, Washington.  The target audience for this conference includes OB/GYNs, pediatricians, psychiatrists, family practitioners, midwives, nurses, doulas and many more.  The fee for the conference is $130 without CEUs and $180 with CEUs.  After August 1st, registration fees will increase by $25.  To register, go to www.ppmdsupport.com, or contact Debra Shelden at 425-681-0736.  Reserve early, as seating is limited!!

Postpartum Progress To Be Part of BlogHer '07

I'm very excited that I've been invited to speak at the BlogHer '07 conference in Chicago this July.  I will be in a session titled "Blogging: the Voice for Silenced Communities" on Saturday, July 28, and will be talking about Postpartum Progress, the blog you're reading this very minute.  BlogHer is an organization of thousands of women bloggers from around the world, and BlogHer '07 is a very popular conference.  I look forward to meeting lots of powerful women and sharing what we talk about here on Postpartum Progress.

War Wives At Greater Risk for PPD

Staff writer Denise Gellene of the Los Angeles Times reports on research finding that women married to deployed soldiers are at a much higher risk for experiencing postpartum depression:

"Women with spouses on military deployment during their pregnancies face a nearly threefold higher risk for postpartum depression in initial screening tests, researchers reported this week.

The findings mean that military wives should be informed of the risk and aggressively screened for depression during their postpartum medical exams, said lead author Dr. Jeffrey Millegan of the Naval Medical Center in San Diego ...

The study, presented Monday at a American Psychiatric Assn. meeting in San Diego, looked at 415 women who received preliminary screening tests for the condition approximately six weeks after their children were born.

One-quarter of the 90 women whose husbands were deployed at any point during their pregnancy screened positive, according to the study, compared with 11% of the women whose husbands were not deployed.

Researchers found that women whose husbands were deployed during their pregnancies had 2.7 times the risk of screening positive.

The women who screened positive were referred for further mental health services. The study did not follow those women to learn whether they were ultimately diagnosed with postpartum depression.

Still, Dr. Vivien Burt, director of the Women's Life Center at the UCLA Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital, said the results underscored the need for action because previous studies had shown that a mother's depression could leave lasting scars."

Houston Chronicle Editorial on PPMD

Here's a link to the great editorial written by the editorial board of the Houston Chronicle about the recent infanticide/suicide in Texas.  This is an awful, awful tragedy, of course.  I'm glad the Chronicle commented on the work that needs to be done to help these women.

New Study Says Docs Not Probing for Signs of PPD

From WRAL.com in North Carolina:

"A new study suggests a majority of doctors are not probing new mothers for signs of postpartum depression.

Of the 228 physicians responding to the survey who said they had seen women for postpartum visits in the previous three months, 79 percent said they were unlikely to formally screen the patients for depression ...

'We believe that it is very important that physicians work some type of depression screening into postpartum visits,' said Betsy Sleath, lead author of the study and a professor in UNC's School of Pharmacy. 'Perhaps even more important, women shouldn't be afraid or embarrassed to raise this issue with their doctor. We're expected by society to be happy when we have a child so sometimes it's hard to talk about the fact that women feel sad, or that it's hard being a new mother.'

Physicians and other health care professionals use a variety of tools such as a patient health questionnaire and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale to determine a woman's risk of postpartum depression.

Dr. Bradley Gaynes, one of the study's co-authors and a psychiatrist with UNC Health Care, said checking for signs of depression can be as simple as asking a new mother two questions:

• Has your interest in your usual activities changed?
• Do you feel depressed or hopeless?

'We recognize that physicians must cope with many demands on their time,' Gaynes said. 'But depression is one of the most common postpartum complications, and a postpartum depression needs to be identified before it can be treated. We encourage clinicians to always check for signs of depression during postpartum visits. These questions represent the core symptoms of a major depressive disorder.'

An estimated 13 percent of new mothers are affected by postpartum depression. The study, conducted by researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, will be published June 6 in the North Carolina Medical Journal."