"From The Hips" Pregnancy Guide Offers Deeper Look at PPD

There is a great new pregnancy guidebook out called "From the Hips: A Comprehensive, Open-Minded, Uncensored, Totally Honest Guide to Pregnancy, Birth & Becoming A Parent," written by Rebecca Odes and Ceridwen Morris.  I think this book rocks and will eventually outsell many of the other books that just cause fear and confusion and frustration for women who are about to become mothers.  (Was anybody else freaked out after reading "What to Expect When You're Expecting," or was it just me?)

My favorite feature? The chapter called "The Postbaby Brain" on pages 188-205.  The authors take an unvarnished look at the feelings moms have about parenthood, both good and bad.  And they actually talk about postpartum mood disorders for 5 pages (!), rather than the usual paragraph or two, even offering a list of symptoms for postpartum depression, postpartum OCD, postpartum panic disorder and postpartum psychosis.  It's nice to see a general interest pregnancy book go into more detail about the variety of symptoms one can experience and recognize that PPD is not a one-size-fits-all illness.  I would have liked them to offer a little more information on how to seek help, but they do provide a list of resources on page 194 that includes Postpartum Support International and Postpartum Progress (wahoo!), among other good sites and books.

Odes and Morris offer ten "anti-rules" for parents-in-progress, which you can learn more about by picking up their book:

1. Everyone's an expert, but you're the authority on yourself and your baby.
2. Confidence is more important than instinct.
3. Strive for imperfection.
4. Parenting is out of control.
5. There's no such thing as a "natural" mother.
6. Shift happens.
7. Babies are people, not problems.
8. Frustration, resentment, anger, exhaustion, exasperation, aggravation, jealousy, nostalgia, regret, etc., don't make you a bad parent.
9. Look forward, not backward. 
10. There is no right way.

Comments

[Carter-Ann]

Ooh sounds good. A childless friend, after seeing the huge amount of pregnancy books I had, asked what was missing and I immediatly said "postpartum mental health". Looking back, I read over 50 parentings books, trying to prepare, and nothing gave me the slightest realistic warning about ppd. And a couple of pararaphs about baby blues does not count as covering the issue! Look forward to reading From the Hip. Oh and congrats on the resource listing!

[Carrie]

Tip #8 is a really helpful reminder! Thanks for sharing this resource.

[j]

it seems such a deceptive thing, postpartum, and that it sneaks up on so many women and yet is not discussed nearly as in depth as could be in general...

that is an impressively realistic list you have quoted, i'll certainly have to check this out... Five pages is far more than I've seen in any of the other general-advice books i have taken out from the library or picked up at borders.

Here is some postpartum info I found this morning online that may be of help: www.dsib.org/pregnancy

thanks for the suggestion