Postpartum Progress

Two Great New Books for Clinicians on Treating Postpartum Depression & Related Disorders

Two great new books are being published for healthcare practitioners (and others!) by two amazing women in the field of postpartum mood disorders, Susan Dowd Stone and Karen Kleiman. 

The first, called "Perinatal and Postpartum Mood Disorders: Perspectives and Treatment Guide for the Health Care Practitioner", was edited by Susan Dowd Stone and Alexis E. Menken and is being published this week.  It provides a wide foundation on these illnesses, and is intended for consumers and students/professionals in the following disciplines: psychiatry, social work, medicine, psychology, nursing, law, advocacy, social support, literacy (reaching consumers), pediatricians, obstetricians, administrators in health care facilities who are considering the issue and adding programs, legislators and health care policy advisors.  Contributors to the book, published by Springer, include Jane Honikman, Dr. Catherine Birndorf, Dr. Margaret Spinelli, Dr. Shaila Misri, Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett, George Parnham, Cheryl Beck and many others. This is a ground-breaking text on the issue in terms of its breadth and depth ... there is none other that provides such a comprehensive overview of the entire issue in a multidisciplinary format.

"The point of the book is that without educating our healthcare teams, we can raise awareness all we want but those who need to identify and help these women will still not be up to par," said Stone.  "Hopefully readers in various disciplines will be moved to more fully explore the issue after reading these 'perspectives' chapters."

The second, called "Therapy and the Postpartum Woman: Notes on Healing Postpartum Depression for Clinicians and the Women Who Seek Their Help", is written by Karen Kleiman.  It is currently available for pre-ordering here and will be published in September.

The book, published by Routledge, provides a comprehensive look at effective therapy for postpartum depression.  Using a blend of professional objectivity, evidence-based research and personal, straightforward suggestions gathered from years of experience, Kleiman's book brings the reader into the private world of therapy with the postpartum woman.   Based on Psychodynamic and Cognitive-Behavioral theories, D.W. Winnicott's "good enough mother" and the holding environment, in particular, it was written by a therapist who has specialized in the treatment of postpartum depression for more than 20 years.

I haven't had a chance to read Susan's book yet (I'm sure it's amazing), but I have seen Karen's and I found it completely fascinating even though I'm not a clinician.  It was so interesting to see that my reactions are not unlike so many other women who go through these illnesses, and to learn how to get around all of my blocks and objections to being diagnosed and treated. 

Rusty Yates Has Another Child

Here is a link to a story from ABCNews.com about Andrea Yates' former husband Rusty Yates, who just had another child with his second wife.

Straight Talk About Hospitalization & Postpartum Depression

One area I don't like to talk about is hospitalization.  I don't know why.  It's like the ultimate embarrassment for me or something that at one point I had to be hospitalized in a mental hospital (UGH!) for depression.  It was only for a few days, but it's one thing of which I have to say I still feel slightly ashamed.  If our society considered mental illness a physical illness, then of course I wouldn't be ashamed, because there is nothing at all wrong with being sick and having to go to the hospital.  But you and I both know that's not the way people think when it comes to "mental institutions."  Nonetheless, I can't let that stop me from talking openly to you about a type of treatment that some women with postpartum mood disorders must experience, so here goes ...

The truth is, if we are a danger to ourselves or others we need to be hospitalized.  Period.  I wish there were another way, a better solution, but as far as I know there isn't.   I got to a point where I thought I might kill myself.  And so, that's where I was sent.  The minute I got there and saw what was coming I completely changed my mind about killing myself, of course.  I told them very articulately that I was all better and there was no need to move forward.  (Stop the train, I want to get off!)  But once the proverbial cat is out of the bag you can't put it back in. 

Here's what you should know:  Mental hospitals aren't a treat.  It can feel like being in jail.  Once you are in you can't just get out any old time you want.  At least not for 48 hours or so.  You don't have access to all of your things because they take them away from you to make sure there's nothing dangerous or illegal in them. You don't have free access to the people you love, except during limited visiting hours.  The decor is sorely lacking.  The food stinks.  The beds are lumpy.  You don't even have the right to go to the bathroom at any time without permission.  I remember at one point being in the cafeteria trying to eat the awful food and I needed to pay a visit to the facilities.  They wouldn't let me, because they couldn't leave my group and couldn't let me leave the cafeteria alone.  I was humiliated and infuriated.  "I'm a competent grownup!  How dare you tell me I can't go to the bathroom!  What happened to basic human dignity??!!"  They were unimpressed by my reaction, and I had to wait.  Also, I was in the general adult ward, with men and women in all sorts of mental states -- addicts, schizophrenics, people suffering from depression or bipolar disorder -- and I was scared.  The truth is no one would choose to hang out with a group of people she doesn't trust to make safe choices.  But be all of that as it may, it was the exact right place for me. 

I truly benefited from being in that hospital at that moment.  Once we get over the thinking that we are somehow better, special and different from the rest of the people in the "asylum", it can be a profound experience.  First, they took care of me and helped me become stable.  I was in a crisis and they helped me out of it.  Second, I was humbled and made to understand via circumstance that we are all one step away from losing our minds no matter where we come from or how much money we make or what we look like or what job we have or how competent we've been up 'til now.  Third, I learned that severely mentally ill people are still people, and I became very empathetic to their plight.  I remember watching a man who stood in the corner all day brushing himself off and found out it was because he thought there were snakes on him.  Another young man curiously kept cutting the eyes out of pictures of people in magazines.  Only later did I notice he had been taping them up surreptitiously in strategic places throughout the ward -- in the leaves of the ficus tree, on the wall clock, in the plastic floral wreath covered in a layer of dust.  The eyes watched me wherever I went.  I imagined what those two men, and some of the others, might have been like as innocent, happy children with no inkling of what was to come in their lives.   Could they help the situation they were in now?  Maybe, maybe not.  I went from a state of fear to one of wonder and to one of caring about these people and hoping for their well-being.   

I have family members of women with postpartum depression or psychosis reach out to me to tell me their sister or daughter has been hospitalized and that it's absolutely the WRONG place for her.  "She doesn't belong with those other people.  She's not crazy.  She's just not doing well."  I completely understand what they mean.  It's the wrong place for everyone.  Wouldn't we all like to go recuperate from wanting to kill ourselves in Tahiti?  Don't they have a "Mental Health Weekend" 3-day package at the Ritz?  That would be lovely but that's not how it works.  So I tell them I know it seems like a mistake, but it's actually the exact right place for her at that moment.  I tell you that if it's what you have to do to restore your sanity and return home a more healthy mother to your baby, just do it.  Suck it up and do it.  No matter how yucky it is, you will live.  And you might be a better person for it.

   

"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.

Postpartum Progress Speaks Out in Full Support of MOTHERS Act

I said I would speak out on the ridiculous campaign being waged through petitions and blogs right now to block passage of the Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act ... so here goes (hold on to your hats, folks):

I am truly peeved and disappointed at the breathless, hysterical ranting going on about the MOTHERS Act.  Many of those who oppose it seem to have done LITTLE to NOTHING to inform themselves about the actual bill and the organizations that support it.  Falsehoods are being spread.  Here are some examples:

"A federal bill that is dangerous to mothers and their newborns but being promoted under the guise of ensuring that 'new mothers and their families are educated about postpartum depression, screened for symptoms, and provided with essential services ...'  This is quite simply false ... it will push more mothers onto dangerous antidepressant drugs ..."

"If this bill is passed, any money spent on screening will be a complete waste of tax dollars.  The results will be an INCREASE in the severity and frequency of postpartum depression and an increase in violence and suicide."

"This legislation will ensure that new mothers and their families are also subjected to such treatment as they are screened for symptoms and provided so called 'help' that pushes these new mothers over the edge."

"The bill was originally proposed in response to the death by suicide of Melanie Stokes, a pharmaceutical rep. who took her own life by leaping from a balcony several stories off of the ground. Contrary to popular understanding it was not post-partum depression that killed Melanie, but the numerous antidepressant drugs she was taking ..." 

I'm not sure what algorithm they're using that would indicate that doing more to identify and treat these illnesses would lead to more PPD -- is this the new math they're teaching in schools?  And I have no idea how in good conscience they could spread lies about Melanie Blocker Stokes when her fearless and amazing mother Carol has worked so hard to get legislation like this passed so that other mothers can avoid the pain she has had to endure in losing her daughter. 

Now I know standards dictate that I don't share with you what these people are saying because it somehow gives them a voice.  But I'm blowing up the standards today, because I think my readers need to know exactly what is being said, so that you can be moved to speak up about it and defend the importance of the MOTHERS Act.  (One of the organizations behind this push is CCHR.  CCHR is the Church of Scientology.  Need I say more?)

The Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act does NOT recommend drugs or require drugs or endorse drugs.  What is does is the following:

• Encourage the Department of Health and Human Services to coordinate and continue research to expand the understanding of the causes of, and find treatments for, postpartum conditions. 
• Encourage a national public awareness campaign to be administered by HHS to increase awareness and knowledge of postpartum depression and psychosis.
• Encourage HHS to make grants available for projects for the establishment, operation and coordination of systems for the delivery of essential services to individuals with postpartum depression.

There is no nefarious undercurrent, no plot by "the man."  The simple point is to continue to look into the causes of postpartum mood disorders, to let people know they exist and to provide better support services for the women who have them and their families.   Period, the end.  Every woman has the choice to decline participation in a screening, and every woman has the choice to look at all of the various treatment options available to her and choose the best one for her, whether it includes medication, therapy, alternative treatments, support groups or some combination thereof. 

Do I agree that we must be careful to only treat those who are ill?  Of course.  Do I agree that we must be careful in the types of treatments that are used, and must recognize the risks of taking certain treatments as well as the risks of not taking them?  Of course.  But I will not allow fearful conspiracy theorists to derail what is most important, which is getting our country's healthcare system to eliminate the stigma of mental illness, recognize the prevalence of postpartum mood disorders, learn more about their cause, allow new mothers who are suffering to feel safe in getting professional help and identify the best and safest treatments possible.

Please add your thoughts.  Scroll to the bottom of this post and look for the comments link to speak out.  C'mon girls - USE YOUR VOICE.

Here are links to other great comments about the opposition and the importance of supporting the MOTHERS Act.  If I've missed your response, let me know and I'll add it to this list.

• Susan Stone, President of PSI - this is so beautifully written - you MUST read it
• Spin Me I Pulsate
• Buoy for Perinatal Blues & Beyond
• Postpartum Perspective
• Unexpected Blessing/Sharing the Journey
• Depression Introspection

PSI Responds to False Rumors About MOTHERS Act

Stories have been circulating on the web and elsewhere disseminating falsehoods about the Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act.  Postpartum Support International has shared a response to those falsehoods that is very important for everyone to read.  I'll offer my response separately.

It has come to the attention of PSI that misinformation about the Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act and its lead sponsor, Postpartum Support International (PSI), is being aggressively circulated on the web.  This bulletin suggests protest against the bill's adoption on false belief, and implies that PSI's interest in the legislation emanates from its funding by pharmaceutical companies.  These assertions indicate the bulletin's authors have neither read nor understood the legislation nor sought verification of PSI's funding sources, which are available to the public.  The following is true:

1.  PSI is not, nor has it ever been, funded by pharmaceuticals.  Our funding comes from private donations, memberships and our own fundraising efforts.  It appears our fine organization was mischaracterized without any attempt to verify this false assertion.

2.  The Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act does not mandate screening, the use of medications, or any other form of involuntary or coercive engagement in unwanted services for perinatal mood disorders.

3.  Melanie Blocker Stokes leapt to her death as a result of postpartum psychosis which was not promptly diagnosed and treated.  Her mother, Carol Blocker, has devoted her life to the passage of this protective legislation named for her daughter.  Her death was not the result of medication misuse.

4.  To further clarify and summarize, the Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act encourages the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) to coordinate and continue research to expand the understanding of the causes of, and find treatments for, postpartum conditions.  It also encourages a national public awareness campaign, to be administered by HHS to increase awareness and knowledge of postpartum depression and psychosis.  It encourages HHS to make grants available for projects for the establishment, operation and coordination of systems for the delivery of essential services to individuals with postpartum depression.

It is most unfortunate that any organization would attempt to dissuade public support of critical legislation by circulating erroneous information about the bill's contents and intent.  Please call or visit PSI's website to read the legislation or submit any questions.

AMA Newspaper Focuses on Barriers to Caring for PPD Moms

American Medical News, the newspaper of the American Medical Association has just published a great story on postpartum mood disorders called "Beyond the Baby Blues: A Spectrum of Postdelivery Conditions."  It features myself and a host of fabulous doctors, including Dr. Marlene Freeman, Dr. Shoshanna Bennett and Dr. Katherine Wisner among others.  It covers barriers to care by physicians, which is extremely important given that we're trying to get a bill passed in the Senate asking for more education and training of doctors, among other things.  Here is my favorite quote from the article:

"This is a disease that lives between specialties [obstetrics/gynecology, psychiatry, pediatrics]," Dr. Wisner added. "Patients are running around in circles."

Exactly.

National Center for Children in Poverty Releases New Policy Brief on Maternal Depression

Project THRIVE a the National Center for Children in Poverty at Columbia University has just released a new policy brief on maternal depression: Reducing Maternal Depression and Its Impact on Young Children: Toward a Responsive Early Childhood Policy Framework.  The policy brief provides an overview of why it is so important to address maternal depression as a central part of the effort to ensure that all young children enter school ready to succeed. It highlights:

• what research says about the impact of maternal depression on young children, particularly infants and toddlers, and how prevalent maternal depression is;
• examples of community and programmatic strategies to reduce maternal depression and prevent negative cognitive, social emotional and behavioral impacts on young children;
• key barriers to focusing more attention to maternal depression in policies to promote healthy early child development and school readiness;
• state efforts to address policy barriers and craft more appropriate policy responses; and
• recommendations

You can download the PDF and read the executive summary here.

Project THRIVE is a public policy analysis and education initiative at the National Center for Children in Poverty to promote healthy child development and to provide policy support to the State Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems (ECCS) initiatives funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau.

Part of NCCP’s longstanding commitment to promote improved state early childhood policies and practices, the goal of Project THRIVE is to help states strengthen and expand their early childhood systems, paying particular attention to strategies that improve services for those at highest risk and that help reduce disparities in access and quality of care to early childhood health and mental health.

PSI Annual Conference To Be Held in Houston June 4-7

Save the Date!  This year's Postpartum Support International conference will be held in Houston, June 4-7 at the Hilton Americas-Houston.  The event is co-sponsored by the Women's Mental Health Initiative of the Mental Health Association of Greater Houston.  Some of the main speakers include Dr. Margaret Spinelli, Dr. Lucy Puryear, Valerie Plame Wilson and George Parnham.  Registation will begin in March.  I'll be there, and I hope to see you there as well!  For more information, visit www.postpartum.net.

More Deaths Reinforce Need for Screenings

Last week in Milwaukee, Alisa Lorraine Evans, 38, attempted to drown her 2-week-old twin boys in the bathtub, killing one and leaving the other hospitalized.  According to WTMJ-AM in Milwaukee, "Issues of postpartum mental illness will figure significantly in the case ... Authorities said the woman had lost an adult son in a Texas shooting incident last fall, and she told police she only wanted the babies to go to heaven."

Of course I won't go into any details here, but the WTMJ story states:

"Joyce Smith told investigators her daughter was depressed and had said Jan. 10 she didn't want to live anymore and talked about 'hurting or killing herself.' She had been living in Milwaukee about six months and was separated from her husband in Waco, Smith said. Evans, who was a licensed vocational nurse, told police she wanted a permanent solution to her problems and 'only wanted the children to go to heaven'..."

Additionally, last Sunday a mother in Sacramento apparently drowned her 8-day-old daugther.  Kristina Feulling of Granite Bay faces murder charges.  According to News10 in Sacramento, "Kristina Fuelling's psychological condition was being investigated late Sunday and there was no indication that drugs or alcohol were a factor in the child's death."
Fuelling's family and friends issued the following statement:

Kristina is known as a loving and caring person and we have only witnessed Kristina showing affection and care towards her baby. Kristina stopped work months ago only to take care of her pregnancy and baby. She has called the doctor numerous times for every little concern since the baby was born. Her life has been completely dedicated to caring for her child. It seems illogical that such a loving mother would harm her baby and we hope officials will find the same to be true. It does not seem real that baby Faith is not alive and with us. Our prayer and support are united for Kristina.

More women who have slipped through the cracks.  We need postpartum mood disorder screenings in the hospital and at the 6-week postpartum checkup.  Period.

Postpartum Depression By The Numbers

Quick, guess which number is higher:  the number of people who sprain their ankle each year or the number of women who experience a postpartum mood disorder?  Actually, it's about equal.  Surprised?

In so many books, articles and news programs, you hear the statistic -- approximately 10 to 15% of women suffer from postpartum mood disorders (PPMDs), including postpartum depression (PPD), postpartum anxiety/OCD and postpartum psychosis.  What bothers me about that statistic is that it holds no meaning for most people, and because of that I think these illnesses get much less funding and attention than so many of the other prevalent illnesses that strike Americans.  As a result, I decided to do a bit of quick, non-scientific research to help people understand the real impact that postpartum depression is having on the women of our country.

According to the National Center of Health Statistics, there were approximately 4.1 million live births in the United States in 2004.  This statistic does not include fetal losses, including miscarriages and stillbirths.  The National Vital Statistics report indicates that the total number of clinically recognized pregnancies is around 6.4 million.  This is important to know, because all postpartum women are susceptible to PPMDs, regardless of the pregnancy's outcome.

So let's split the difference between the high and low estimates of PPMDs and say that 12.5% of all postpartum women in the US suffer.  This would mean that each year approximately 800,000 women are suffering a serious postpartum mood disorder.  How does that compare with the incidence among women of other major diseases in America?

• Each year approximately the same number of women -- 800,000 -- will get diabetes. (Nat'l Diabetes Information Clearinghouse)
• Each year about 300,000 women suffer a stroke.  (Centers for Disease Control)
• Each year approximately 205,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer.  (National Cancer Institute)

In fact, more women will suffer from postpartum depression and related illnesses this year than the combined number of new cases for men and women of tuberculosis, leukemia, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and epilepsy.  This is not to minimize these other terrible diseases, of course.  I simply want to illustrate just how prevalent postpartum mood disorders are.

Dr. Ruta Nonacs of Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School adds, "Postpartum depression is far more common than gestational diabetes.  All women receiving prenatal care are screened for diabetes, but how many pregnant and postpartum women are screened for depression?  PPD is also more common than preterm labor, low birth weight, pre-eclampsia and high blood pressure; in other words, PPD is the most common complication associated with pregnancy and childbirth."

Let me leave you with one last thought:  More women will suffer from a postpartum mood disorder than men will be diagnosed with new cases of impotence (617,715) this year.  Yet you wouldn't know it, considering the overabundance of erectile dysfunction (ED) ads and people falling all over themselves to discuss ED openly.  Why don't PPMDs get the same attention from pharmaceutical companies?  Why doesn't society work as hard to eliminate the stigma of postpartum mental illness?

This really is a big problem, and deserves much more attention that it's getting.

Note:  This article has been revised and updated from a piece I wrote for Postpartum Progress in 2004.  It is crossposted today on BlogHer.

 

Postpartum Progress Opens Up To Guest Authors

Would you like to be a guest author on Postpartum Progress in 2008?  I have decided to open the blog up to some additional voices this year, as Postpartum Progress continues to grow. 

I've thought about doing this in the past, but haven't done it because I've been nervous about offending people if I edit them or choose not to use their articles.  But I've decided to ty and get over that for the sake of diversity.

You can submit your stories/articles to me at stonecallis@msn.com anytime throughout the year.  Here is how I will make choices about what will and won't appear on the blog:

1) Stories should run no more than 700 words.  I try to keep all my blog posts fairly short and easy to digest.

2) The article must be 100% relevant to Postpartum Progress and its readers, meaning it should be focused on postpartum mood disorders (postpartum depression, postpartum psychosis, postpartum OCD/anxiety, postpartum PTSD) or antepartum mood disorders.  As a reminder, Postpartum Progress is written to SUPPORT the women who have suffered or will suffer, and for their families and friends and those who treat them.

3) I will not run any article in which the writer is attempting to sell their product or service.  No shilling.  I will make an exception, however, for published authors of books focused on PPD and related-disorders if they would like to share an excerpt of their book of which they are particularly proud.

4) I will not run any article where I feel the story has already been done many times on Postpartum Progress, so it would help you to be very familiar with the site.  The subject should be a new and fresh take on the issues surrounding PPD and related disorders.

5) I welcome personal stories of people's experiences with PPD as long as they are fairly concise and well-written.  I also welcome brief summations from people who have been able to attend conferences or roundtables or other events that I have not been able to attend, as long as there is some interesting, newsy nugget of info that came out of the event.  And I welcome stories about newly published research as long as it comes from a highly-regarded source.

I hope this makes sense to everyone.  You will, of course, be credited as a guest author for your story, and should you have a blog or website I will be happy to link to it in your article.  I will try and respond back to each person who submits an article to either let you know that it will appear and when, or to let you know why I don't plan to use it.  If I don't reply back it may be because I get too overwhelmed.

Chicago Tribune Columnist Asks Why Mother Remains in Prison

The following commentary on Debra Gindorf appeared on December 23 in Eric Zorn's blog on the Chicago Tribune online edition:

"Gutlessness leaves governor open to scorn

When people ask me why I have such a cranky attitude about Gov. Rod Blagojevich, I'm happy to tell them the story of Debra Gindorf.

Gindorf had a hearing in front of the Illinois Prisoner Review Board in early 2003. The board was clearly sympathetic to her lawyers' contention that she was in the grips of post-partum psychosis in 1985 when she killed her 3-month-old baby and 23-month-old toddler before trying to kill herself and that she was sentenced to life in prison before this condition was properly understood.

Not even the Lake County state's attorney's office, which prosecuted Gindorf, objected to her release.That was more than 1,700 days ago. Gindorf, 43, is still at Dwight Correctional Center with a bum heart and a broken spirit, according to her assistant state appellate defender Kathleen Hamill.

Not only has Blagojevich not had the guts to release this poor woman and explain to skeptics why it's the right and compassionate thing to do, he hasn't even had the guts NOT to release her -- to deny her petition for commutation.

Instead, it sits somewhere in the stack of 1,445 other pending parole and pardon requests on the desk of our state's invertebrate hockey-fan-in-chief.

Remember that next time you hear him preen about women's health issues, about his courage and about how other lawmakers need to buckle down and get to work."

Thank you, Eric Zorn.

Vancouver Mother Sentenced to 24 Years in Prison for Murdering 20-Month-Old

AGAIN???!!  This happens again??!!  When will people wake up and see that postpartum psychosis is no joke?  When will we develop better ways to treat and care for women with psychosis so that they aren't in a position to harm themselves or others?  My heart breaks all over again every time I read about another family destroyed due to postpartum psychosis.  From The Columbian:

"A Vancouver mother was sentenced Tuesday to 24 years in prison for murdering her youngest child.

Kelly N. Meining, 32, pleaded guilty Sept. 12 to first-degree murder in the May 19, 2006, stabbing death of Bryce J. Meining, age 20 months ...

Meining's husband and parents told Clark County Superior Court Judge Diane Woolard on Tuesday that doctors and child protective services had failed Bryce and his mother, because they knew she was mentally ill.

Every time his wife saw a doctor about her hallucinations, insomnia and paranoia, we left the hospital with nothing more than a bottle of pills,' Kris Meining said.

Sandy Reed said that in the years leading up to her grandson's death, her daughter had been diagnosed with illnesses from bipolar disorder to schizophrenia to postpartum psychosis. She was prescribed  22 different medications, Reed said.

I love you, Kelly,' Reed said before returning to her seat in the courtroom.

When it was the defendant's turn to speak, Meining told Woolard she was tired of people making excuses.

'I murdered my son, and there are no excuses,' Meining said. 'He was supposed to be safe with me, his mom.'

She said she knows her family is just trying to help, 'but I deserve to be in prison' ...

The one request she made of Woolard was to allow contact visits with her daughter, 7, and son, 4. She has seen them every other month while incarcerated at the Clark County Jail, but only through a glass panel.

Woolard, after consulting with Kris Meining, agreed to supervised, contact visits so the children could hug their mother and attempt to maintain a relationship while she's in prison.

I know it isn't easy to treat people with psychosis.  If they don't take their medication they won't get better.  If they or their families refuse hospitalization, what can be done?  If the people around them look the other way or if there is no one to care for them, how can they be monitored?  How long should they be kept hospitalized? 

I realize I don't have all the facts of the case, and that Meining herself says that much of the responsibility lies with her, but couldn't we do more to prevent this?  Shouldn't we?

5 Things Every New Mother Should Know About PPD

I was recently asked to put together a list of things women should know about postpartum depression.  I thought a lot about what I went through in 2001 with postpartum OCD, and the things I wish I had known that I believe would have lessened the severity of my experience.  While the list below certainly doesn't cover everything, I think it's a good start and I hope it will help many women in their journey as new mothers.

PPD can and often does happen.

Many pregnancy books and childbirth educators gloss over postpartum mood disorders.  They minimally describe the symptoms and emphasize how rare it is.  Actually, 10-15% of new moms experience these illnesses, and some studies report it may be as high as 25%.  My childbirth educator told our class that we really needn't spend too much time worrying about it, so I didn't, and thus I was completely unprepared for what hit me.

Postpartum depression is only one in a spectrum of postpartum illnesses.

Postpartum mood disorders include postpartum depression (PPD), postpartum obsessive compulsive disorder (PPOCD), postpartum psychosis (PPP) and postpartum post-traumatic stress disorder.  PPOCD is often characterized by intrusive thoughts, which are disturbing unwanted thoughts.  When I experienced my first intrusive thoughts -- about smothering my infant son with the burpcloth -- I had never heard of such things.  No one ever told me they were possible.  I was convinced I had just gone permanently crazy, and it never occurred to me that I had PPOCD.  If I had been better informed, I would have felt comfort in knowing what was wrong and that immediate treatment was available.  Instead I kept quiet for weeks because I was afraid I'd be locked up forever and lose my family.  (For more information on each illness and its symptoms, visit the Postpartum Support International website at http://www.postpartum.net/brief.html )

Symptoms can appear anytime during the first year after birth.

Many women think that if they start feeling bad when their child is 3 or 4 months old, or even older, that it can't be related to postpartum depression.  Apparently, even the DSM-IV, the manual that psychiatric professionals use to diagnose psychiatric illnesses, states that your illness can only be diagnosed as postpartum if the symptoms show up within the first four weeks after birth.  This isn't necessarily true.  Postpartum mood disorders can occur any time within the first year after the birth of your baby, though it is true that most are diagnosed within 2 to 4 months postpartum.

Ask your friends and family to be prepared.

It's important to talk about the possibility that you might experience some form of postpartum mood disorder with the people closest to you.  Ask them to educate themselves.  Sometimes we can't see that we're acting differently, or we try to convince ourselves we're fine and purposefully ignore our symptoms.  In that case, it often takes someone close to us to point out that we might need help.  Neither my husband nor my mother knew about what to look for or what to do about it, which made it harder on all of us.

The sooner you get treatment the better.

Many recent studies show that children of mothers with postpartum mood disorders who go untreated for long periods can be negatively impacted over the long term with behavioral problems.  A study published in 2006 in the Journal of the American Medical Association (http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/short/295/12/1389), for instance, found that children of mothers who have received treatment via medication for major depression or anxiety are less likely to be diagnosed with anxiety, disruptive and depressive disorders themselves, compared to children of women who remain untreated.  You MUST push past the fear and speak up to lessen the impact of these illnesses on yourself and your children.  You must be willing to say how you are feeling and seek treatment so that not only you, but your whole family can heal.

National Depression Screening Day To Be Held October 11

National Depression Screening Day is Thursday, October 11, 2007.  For more information on where screenings will be held, or on how to host a screening yourself if you are a qualified professional, click this link.

New Home for the Completely Updated Nationwide Support Group List

I have moved the U.S. PPD Support Group Listing to the Pages Section of this site, which you'll find to the left of your screen.  From now on, this is where this listing will be housed at Postpartum Progress.  It is completly updated and has many more listings now.  I encourage you to click here if you're looking for a group in your area that will offer you moral support as you go through this illness!

Also, please take an active part in this site by letting me know if any of the information on these lists changes.  If a group stops meeting, tell me.  If you call a phone number or send an email and it doesn't work, tell me.  If you start a new group, tell me.  It is CRUCIAL that the information be correct so that suffering women can get the help they need as quickly as possible without having to make a lot of phone calls.  Thanks everybody!!

Searching for Inspirational Items For Suffering Moms

Aside from the Postpartum Depression Links page I've newly started, which you can find on the left of your screen under "Pages", I'm also creating an Inspiration for Moms page that will feature quotes, songs, poems and anything else that might give moms comfort during their suffering.  LADIES, f you have a song, quote, poem, bible passage or any other little item that helped you get through this terrible experience, and would like to share it with other moms across the country and the world, let me know and I'll add it to the page.  Email me at stonecallis@msn.com.  Thanks!

New Atlanta Area Support Group

I'm very excited to say that I'm starting a PPD support group for women in Atlanta.  (We need one around here!!)  It will serve mainly moms on the South side of the city, but women from all over are welcome to attend.  It will be held on the 2nd and 4th Mondays of every month at the Starbucks in Peachtree City located at Rt. 54 and Broken Bow Ct from 10am-11am.  This Starbucks has conference rooms, and we will be in a conference room and not out in the retail space. (Note:  You are not required to buy coffee.)  The first meeting will be held on Monday, August 27th.  The meetings are free and open to women who are up to one and a half years postpartum and are suffering or think they may be suffering from a postpartum mood disorder.  I also welcome survivors who'd like to be part of helping the group.  Babies are welcome for those who don't have childcare.  Call 404-538-4649 if you need more info or plan to attend.

Need Help? PSI Offers Free and Anonymous PPD Info Sessions Via Phone

If you have questions about PPD, either because you are concerned about yourself or a loved one, or want to know more as a provider, there is a wonderful free service offered by Postpartum Support International.  You can talk with a PPD expert about resources, symptoms, options and general information about perinatal mood disorders from the privacy of your own home, thanks to toll-free informational sessions.   You won't need to pre-register or even give your name, if it's important to you to remain anonymous. 

These sessions are held on Wednesdays at either 3pm or 9pm EST.  They are limited to the first 15 callers.  For the call schedule and access codes you'll need to participate, visit www.postpartum.net or call 1-800-944-4773.  And if you do call, let them know you heard about it on Postpartum Progress!!

Surviving Moms, Send Me Your Pics!

The Surviving & Thriving Mothers Photo Album is an online photo album of strong, competent, fabulous mothers who have recovered from postpartum mood disorders.  The women pictured in this album show countless others that you can recover and live a vibrant and happy life.  I am so indebted to all of the moms who have added their pictures, including the most recent mom, Samantha G.  Ladies, if you want to add yourself, please email me a jpeg of you and your child or children to stonecallis@msn.com!!

Ladies, Send Me Your Blog & Website Addresses So I Can Link To You

I am going to create a new page in Postpartum Progress that links to women who have blogs or websites that are either specifically about postpartum depression, or have included stories about experiencing postpartum depression.  If you have one of those blogs or sites, please email me at stonecallis@msn.com.  Tell me about your blog or website, and give me your URL web address.  Thanks!  I look forward to linking with you!

Back From BlogHer '07 With Great News

I just got back from BlogHer, the largest blogging conference in the world, attended by approximately 800 women bloggers (and a few men).  Anyway, it was FANTASTIC and it gave me so many ideas about how to improve Postpartum Progress and make it even easier to use and more helpful.  I also hope to work with some of the people I met to help get more information out to women around the world on postpartum mood disorders.  Just a few of the many interesting people I got to talk with about PPMDs include the manager of online strategy and programs for Planned Parenthood, the women who are launching themotherhood.com, the depression writer for Beliefnet.com, the people at Revolution Health, a blogger for Yahoo!, the editor for Urban Baby, and the president of the National Organization for Women.  There is so much great work to be done, so keep tuning in so that I can let you know what progress is made.