Postpartum Progress

PPD & Anxiety Conference in MN on June 25

"Motherhood, Mood Disorders & Anxiety: Before & After Pregnancy" is a full-day conference being held at the University of Minnesota's Earl Brown Center on June 25th.  The event is for professionals and families, and will explore diagnosis, treatment and support for women experiencing depression or anxiety before or after birth.  It's being sponsored by NAMI Minnesota, the U of M School of Social Work, the Minnesota Dept. of Health, UCare and Astra Zeneca Pharmaceuticals.  The fee is $100 (with a reduced fee for students).  To register, go to www.namimn.org.

Highlights of Upcoming PSI Conference in Houston

If you want to know why it is DEFINITELY worth your while to attend Postpartum Support International's upcoming annual conference in Houston, here are a few very good reasons:

Margaret Howard, PhD will be speaking.  She is the Director of the Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island, which is one of the nation's leading specialty hospitals for women and newborns.  It's the only hospital where pregnant and postpartum women can come and be treated for all symptomatic conditions. It is also the first and only hospital in the country that allows the infant to stay with his mother during treatment if inpatient hospitalization is warranted.   To read a very touching story of a mother who greatly benefited from their program, click here.  Anyone who is attempting to bring cutting edge perinatal programs into a community-based facility needs to hear the story of how our nation got its first comprehensive program for women and their infants suffering from perinatal mood disorders.

Take advantage of PSI's Certificate Training in setting up support group services for women suffering from perinatal mood disorders.  Or, take part in advanced clinical training for professionals already serving this population -- this session will provide case presentations and application of efficacious treatment models for affective recovery.

Thomas Hale, RPh, PhD, will tackle the sensitive issue of medication use during breastfeeding.  This topic is always of great interest to mothers, clinicians and healthcare professionals.  Hale is professor of Pediatrics and assistant dean of Research at Texas Tech University School of Medicine and author of the widely-used reference book "Medications and Mothers' Milk".

Lucy Puryear, MD, will present on psychiatric illness during pregnancy.  Renowned in her field of pregnancy-related mood disorders, Dr. Puryear will walk us through the effects on the fetus and how these can be minimized with appropriate care.  Puryear, of Baylor University, is author of "Understanding Your Moods When You're Expecting".

Hear from George Parnham, Andrea Yates' defense attorney and tireless advocate for women whose mental status is not appropriately considered when tragedy leads them into the criminal justice system.  He will provide an outline of what recourses women may have in defense.

Valerie Plame Wilson, former CIA agent and author of the bestselling book "Fair Game", will discuss her battles with PPD and how she overcame it.  Wilson will be the keynote speaker at Friday night's banquet.

Anne Dunnewold, PhD, will discuss culture and motherhood, and offer sound advice to counter feelings of guilt that may arise when one is not the "perfect mother".  (Is there any such thing?)  Dunnewold is the author of the recent book "Even June Cleaver Would Forget the Juice Box".

There is much, much more.  Postpartum Support International is the world’s leading nonprofit organization devoted to eradicating the ignorance around pregnancy-related mood disorders in every community worldwide! It will be a great time to network with other sufferers and healthcare professionals who specialize in treating us.  I hope to see you there!!

IMPORTANT:  Early bird registration ends this Friday, May 16th.   Get your registration in now to save $50.   Online registration is now available.  Hilton's special hotel rate of $119 will end May 16th as well -- trust me, the room rate triples afte the 16th, so hurry!

(Thanks to Deborah Sorenson, Sherry Duson and Susan Stone for helping me put together the highlights of the conference!)

PPD Walk In Chicago Suburbs on May 10

Oops ... here's another PPD event this weekend that I didn't even know about.  So if you can't make it to Rhode Island or Long Island, but you're anywhere near Chicagoland, try this one on for size:

Tomorrow, Saturday, May 10, 2008 at 10:00 a.m. the Alexian Brothers Hospital Network will be holding its Annual 1-Mile Walk for Postpartum Depression Prevention and Awareness. The walk, in cooperation with the Schaumburg Park District, will take place at Volkening Lake, 900 West Schaumburg Road, Schaumburg.

Postpartum Mood Disorder Event June 12th in Spokane

Postpartum Support International of Washington and the Council for Children & Families will host "Postpartum Mood Disorders: A Community Discussion of PPMDs" on June 12th from 10:30am to 5pm at the Downtown Spokane Public Library.  Presentations will include information on the cultural implications of PPMDs, the importance of early assessment and diagnosis, and the wellness model of treating PPMDs.  All are welcome.  The event is free and lunch will be provided.  To RSVP, email wcpcan@wcpcan.wa.gov.

Two Races This Weekend to Support PPD Programs

Just a reminder ...

If you're anywhere near Rhode Island this Saturday, the Stepping Out of the Darkness 5k and 2 mile road race will be held at Slater Memorial Park in Pawtucket. The walk is at 9am and the 5k road race is at 9:30am.  The race will support the Women's & Infants Hospital Day Program for postpartum mood disorder sufferers. 

And, if you're anywhee near Long Island, the Sounds of Silence Foundation for the Awareness of Pregnancy and Postpartum Depression's 1st Annual 5k Run/Walk/Stroller Walk will also be held this Saturday at 9am at Jones Beach State Park in Wantagh. Race proceeds and donations to the Sounds of Silence Foundation will benefit the Postpartum Resource Center of New York, Inc.

May is Mental Health Month

May is Mental Health Month in the U.S.  Personally, I think we need mental health all year long, and not just in May (wink, wink), but in case you are interested here is a link to Mental Health America's web page

Mental Health America -- Mental Health Month 2008

"Depression & Parenting" Workshop in Irvine, CA, on April 14

The Committee on Depression, Parenting Practices and the Healthy Development of Children will be holding a workshop on "Depression and Parenting" on April 14 from 8am to 5:30pm.  It will be held at the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Center of the National Academies at 100 Academy Way in Irvine, California.  All are welcome to attend. Seating is limited. For more information, the agenda and registration, go to www.bocyf.org/parental_depression.html

UCSF Hosting PPD Lecture & Training March 26-27

The University of California San Francisco, Community Medical Centers and the March of Dimes will be hosting "Shouldn't I Be Happy? What Everyone Needs to Know About Depression and Anxiety During Pregnancy and the Early Mothering Years" on March 26th at the UCSF Fresno Center.  The event will feature Dr.Shaila Misri, one of the leading reproductive psychiatrists in North America and founder and director of Reproductive Mental Health at St. Paul's Hospital and BC Women's Hospital in Vancouver, Canada. A training session will be held the following day from 8am to 2pm.  CME and CEUs are available.  Registration for the lecture is $20, and $30 for the training.  For more information, call 559-499-6532 or email shissong@fresno.ucsf.edu.

Peabody Chamber Opera Performs Libretto About PPD

I saw this on dcist.com:

Speaking of new work, the Peabody Chamber Opera will give the world premiere of a new opera by Catherine Reid, The Yellow Wallpaper, in the quirky venue of Baltimore Theater Project (February 14 to 17). The libretto by Judith Lane adapts the early feminist short story by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, about a writer struggling with postpartum depression and the stifling attitude of her physician husband.

Cool.

P.S.  Here's some more info on the opera from the Critical Mass blog at the Baltimore Sun.

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.

Two Run/Walk PPD Events in Northeast on May 10

Here's a way to improve your health and get involved in raising funds for PPD awareness:

The Sounds of Silence Foundation, Inc. for the the Awareness of Pregnancy and Postpartum Depression's 1st Annual 5k Run/Walk/Stroller Walk will be held Saturday, May 10, at Jones Beach State Park, Wantagh, Long Island, New York.  The event begins at 9am.  Race proceeds and donations to the Sounds of Silence Foundation will benefit the Postpartum Resource Center of New York, Inc.  For more information, contact Erin Reilly at reillye@soundsofsilencefoundation.org.  You can also watch for event updates at http://www.postpartumNY.org/events.

Also, the "Stepping Out of the Darkness" 5k Road Race for the Women & Infants Hospital Day Program in Rhode Island will be held May 10th as well, at Slater Memorial Park in Pawtucket, Rhode Island at 9am.  For more information, contact Sarah Robinson at sarahr2@cox.net.

Strap on those running shoes, ladies!!

Upcoming PPD Events - Spring '08

A "Depression in the Mother" Conference will be held in West Columbia, South Carolina, at the Brookland Baptist Church from 8:15am to 4pm on Friday, February 29th.  The fee to attend is $30.  The event is hosted by the Midlands Postpartum Coalition, and speakers will include Dr. Meltzer-Brody of the University of North Carolina, Dr. Judy McKay from the University of South Carolina and Dr. Jeffery Newport of Emory University.  CEUs will be available.  For more information, email bhasty@mha-sc.org.

Also, "Perinatal Mood Disorders: Components of Care" will be held April 10 and 11 at Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis.  Hosted by Clarian Health, the event will feature Dr. Laura Miller of the University of Illinois at Chicago and Dr. Jamie Renbarger of Indiana University, as well as fabulous RNs Birdie Meyer and Sara Pollard.  The fee to attend is $150 for one day, $200 for both days. CEUs will be available.  For more information, call 317-962-8078.

There will also be a PPD event in Atlanta on March 28 hosted by Mental Health America of Georgia.  My doctor will be speaking, as will myself and Lauren Hale, who is the Postpartum Support International coordinator for Georgia.  I don't have all the details yet but I will definitely share them when I have them.  So mark your calendars!

Columbia University To Host "Mood Disorders Across the Female Life Cycle"

On Saturday, March 8, Columbia University will host "Mood Disorders Across the Female Life Cycle" led by Dr. Margaret Spinelli.  The event is being held in conjunction with Postpartum Support International, Postpartum Resource Center of New York, and the National Association for Psychosocial OB/GYNs.  It will be held at the Alumni Auditorium in the William Black Medical Research Building at Columbia University Medical Center.  CMEs are available for MDs, PhDs, CSWs, Nurse Practitioners and Nurses.  To register, click here.

NJ Event Raises $40,000 for PSI

Sylvia Lasalandra just announced the results of the 2nd annual New Jersey fundraiser for Postpartum Support International -- the event grossed more than $40,000.  Congratulations to Sylvia and Susan Stone and all of the others who hosted this event.  (I wish I could have been there!)  With the monies raised at last year's event, PSI was able to launch its toll-free informational sessions.  This year's money will allow PSI to continue hosting those calls, which are open and available to all who need them.

Call for Abstracts for 2008 PSI Conference in Houston Next June

Postpartum Support International (PSI) in collaboration with The Women's Mental Health Initiatie at the Mental Health Association of Greater Houston has opened up the opportunity for you to submit workshop abstracts for the 2008 PSI Annual Conference, to take place June 6-7 at the Hilton Americas Hotel in downtown Houston, Texas.  All submissions must be received by 5pm, Friday, November 16, 2007.  Email them to mary@georgeparnham.com or send them via postal mail to YCMF, Mental Health Association of Greater Houston, 2211 Norfolk, Suite 810, Houston, TX, 77098.  The title and theme of the event is "Maternal Mental Health: a Multi-Systemic View".  The goal of the conference is to examine the topic of maternal mental health from a variety of vantage points of the systems involved, including medical, psychological, social, cultural and legal systems among others.  All presentations should related to this theme and enhance understanding of the topic.  Include your workshop title, presentation format and length, your personal information and public speaking expertise, learning objectives, 250 word abstract, and what is new or unique about this material. 

PPD Conference in Illinois on December 3rd

Advocate Health Care will be hosting a Postpartum Depression Conference Monday December 3 from 7:00am to 4pm at the Advocate Christ Medical Center Auditorium in Oak Lawn, Illinois (near Chicago).  This conference will promote a better understanding of postpartum depression and offer continuing education credits for physicians and nurses.  For more information and to register, go to www.advocatehealth.com/cme

PPD Among Latina Women To Be Addressed At November Conference

Alexian Brothers Behavioral Health Hospital will be hosting "The Latina Woman: Self Esteem, Postpartum Depression and Mental Health Issues" on Friday, November 9th, from 8:30am to 12:30pm at the Poplar Creek Country Club in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, just outside of Chicago.  The event offers free registration and CEUs.

The focus of the workshop is to highlight physical, emotional and spiritual issues relevant to today's Latina women.  Expert speakers will examine current research and provide practical information on how to assess and treat issues with this population.  For additional information or to register, email Donna.Siegler@abbhh.net or call 847-755-8006.

Jennifer Mudd Houghtaling Perinatal Depression Conference To Be Held October 17 in Chicago

The Jennifer Mudd Houghtaling Perinatal Depression Conference will be held in Chicago on October 17 from 7:15am to 4:15pm at the University Club of Chicago.  It is being presented by Mercy Hospital and Medical Center.  The event will help healthcare providers improve identification of patients with perinatal depression, explain current research and methods available for management of patients diagnosed with perinatal depression and describe the steps involved with organizing a comprehensive perinatal depression program.  The target audience for this event includes attending physicians especially in the fields of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Psychiatry, Pediatrics, and Emergency Medicine, APNs, RN/LPNs, social workers and mental health professionals.  Continuing education credits will be available for RNs and physicians. 

Faculty for the conference include Dr. Laura Miller, director of the Women's Mental Health Program at the University of Illinois at Chicago, Dr. Shaila Misri, director of the Reproductive Mental Health Program at St. Paul's Hospital in Vancouver, Dr. Zachary Stowe, director of the Women's Mental Health Program at Emory University, Dr. Jennifer Payne, assistant professor in the department of Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins University, and Dr. Lisa Rone, assistant professor in the department of Psychistry at Northwestern's Feinberg School of Medicine, Susan Stone, the president of Postpartum Support International, and Tina Zahn, author of "Why I Jumped: My True Story of Postpartum Depression, Dramatic Rescue and Return to Hope".  For more information, or to register, click here.

And don't forget all of the other upcoming fall conferences (thanks Wendy Davis for the reminder list!):

• Postpartum Support International of Washington on September 21 (http://www.ppmdsupport.com/intro)
• NYU Reproductive Psychiatry Conference on October 6 (https://tools.med.nyu.edu/Cmecourses/index.cfm?fuseaction=courses.DisplayWelcomePage&CFID=189654&CFTOKEN=14963082)
• "Social-Cultural Influences on Maternal Depression in Manitoba, Canada on October 4 and 5 (http://www.womenshealthclinic.org/public/whats_new.html)
• Arizona Postpartum Wellness Coalition and PSI Arizona's Prenatal & Postpartum Mood Disorders: Assessment & Treatment on October 18 & 19 (www.postpartumcouples.com)

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.

PSI Annual Fundraiser October 20 in New Jersey

Postpartum Support International will hold its annual fundraiser on October 20, 2007 -- the day that has been designated as Postpartum Depression Awareness Day in the state of New Jersey.  The event will be held in North Caldwell, New Jersey, at the Greenbrook Country Club.  For the second year, it is being sponsored by author Sylvia Lasalandra and her husband, Michael Frodella.  The evening will feature wine and food tasting tables and a silent auction to benefit the world's largest nonprofit organization devoted to the eradication of postpartum depression worldwide. 

Three honorees will be recognized for their outstanding contributions and support of maternal/child health: 

1. U.S. Senator Robert Menendez is being honored for his tireless advocacy and sponsorship of The MOTHERS Act, federal legislation that is gaining momentum and is expected to pass the Senate this year.  This act will ensure that every women nationwide will be given an assessment for postpartum depression prior to leaving the hospital and will provide funding for treatment, research and education.
2. Brooke Shields, a former New Jersey resident and Princeton graduate, is being honored as a long-time advocate of education and protections for new mothers.  Brooke recently lent her star power to the promotion of federal legislation by participating in a Mother's Day Senate press conference on the MOTHERS Act.
3. Donna A. Sanzari of Hohokus, New Jersey, who is being honored because her generosity and concern for women's issues led to the formation of the Donna A. Sanzari Women's Hospital at Hackensack University Medical Center.  The facility regularly hosts women's conferences and health-related events, and its services include antenatal and postnatal programs.

Last year's event resulted in funding for a new program called "Open Forum Sessions for Moms", in which mothers or concerned family members can call PSI's toll-free bridge line on Wednesdays to participate in live information sessions about postpartum depression and related illnesses with mental health experts.

Tickets for the October event are $150 per person, a portion of which is tax deductible.  Opportunities for tax-deductible donations/silent auction items or event sponsorship are also available.  Please email vino1020@aol.com for further information or to purchase tickets.  Or, to hold a place, send your check to PSI Fundraiser, 24 West Railroad Avenue, PMB 183, Tenafly, NJ, 07670.

PPD Workshop in Athens, GA on Aug. 24

On August 24th, there will be a 3-hour Postpartum Depression Workshop entitled: When Joy Finds Sorrow: Clinical Treatment of Perinatal & Postpartum Depression. J. Kip Matthews, Ph.D. will be presenting. He is a licensed psychologist in the state of GA.

To learn more about the seminar and for registration information, click on the following link:

http://www.akcconline.com/ppd_workshop.html

PPD4PPD Run This Weekend in Canton, MI

Christine Hughes contacted me to let me know that this Saturday, her running club is holding its 3rd Annual Pounding Pavement and Dirt 4 Postpartum Depression (PPD4PPD) run at 7:30am in Canton, Michigan.  The race, which is held at Independence Park, is a 5k, 10k and 25k, and also offers a kids' fun run. Christine has already been interviewed by WDIV (Ch. 4 in Detroit) about her experience with PPD.  The run benefits a PPD support group in Ann Arbor.  The money raised from previous runs has allowed the group to create a website, get a telephone line, get a new location for meetings and to afford more mailings to local physicians.  For more information, click here.  Great job, Divas!

SC PPD Run/Walk To Be Held Sept. 22 in Charleston

The Ruth Rhoden Craven Foundation for Postpartum Depression Awareness' 5th Annual 5k Run/Walk benefiting PPD is back on!  It has been rescheduled for Saturday, September 22 at 8am at Hampton Park in Charleston.  To register for the event, click here.  If you haven't been to Charleston, may I put in a little plug?  It's a fabulous little town -- good food, great shops and lovely homes -- and the weather should be quite nice there in the late fall.  If you can make it, consider going to support the women in South Carolina suffering from postpartum mood disorders.

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. 

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!!

PSI Offers Free Info Sessions on Wednesdays Via Conference Call!!!!

There is SO MUCH GOING ON!!!!!!!  This is very exciting for those of us who have survived these horrible illnesses.   Postpartum Support International has started to offer free Perinatal Mood Disorder Informational sessions via 800 teleconference line.  This new program began Wednesday, May 2, 2007 at 3pm EST and will continue weekly on Wednesdays, alternating between 3pm in the afternoon and 9pm in the evening EST.  The sessions are limited to the first 15 callers.  They are informational only and will offer participants an opportunity to ask questions and obtain information from PSI healthcare professionals.  They are open to women who feel they may be suffering from a pregnancy related mood disorders, as well as to concerned family members and friends. 

This is a HUGE, free resource for people all over the country.  You will be getting information from people who REALLY know what they are talking about.  I would recommend this to anyone who isn't sure if they have a postpartum mood disorder, who isn't sure if they are getting the right kind of help,  or who isn't sure how to provide the best support for someone they love who is going through this!

Participants must call 1-800-944-8766 five minutes before the call begins.  After the 15th caller joins the call, no other callers may join.  (I think this is a good idea because it lets those who are on the phone get more in-depth information.)  Check the PSI website for dates, times and facilitators. 

Shields, Menendez, Rush & Codey to Introduce MOTHERS Act in Senate Friday

This just in from Senator Menendez' office!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:

On Friday morning, leading into Mothers’ Day weekend, actress Brooke Shields will join U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Rep. Bobby Rush (D-IL) and Mary Jo Codey, wife of former New Jersey Governor Richard Codey, and others to announce the introduction of The MOTHERS Act in the Senate.  The legislation would initiate new federal investment in postpartum depression education, detection and treatment programs for new mothers. Similar legislation – the Melanie Stokes Postpartum Depression Act – has been introduced in the House by Rep. Rush.

WHAT: In lead up to Mother’s Day, introduction of anti-postpartum depression legislation in Senate

WHO:   Brooke Shields; Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ); Rep. Bobby Rush (D-IL); Mary Jo Codey, longtime postpartum depression awareness advocate, wife of former New Jersey Governor Richard Codey; and Carol Blocker, whose daughter, Melanie Blocker Stokes, took her own life after battling postpartum depression

OTHER SENATORS/SPEAKERS TBA

WHEN: FRIDAY, May 11, 10am

WHERE: 538 Dirksen Senate Office Building (Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee Hearing Room), Washington, DC

PPD Event in Chicago June 14

For those of you in Illinois, an event called "Healthy Moms, Healthy Children" will be held June 14 at the DuPage Children's Museum in Naperville, IL.  The event will feature a panel discussion about how maternal depression impacts families and communities.  The panelists include Joan Mudd of the Jennifer Mudd Houghtaling Postpartum Depression Foundation.  A reception will start at 7pm, with the program starting at 8pm.  Space is limited, so call 312-456-0600 to register by June 8.  The event is free.

Hearing on Melanie Blocker Stokes Act To Be Held May 1st

PSI President Susan Dowd-Stone informs me that there will be a hearing on the Melanie Blocker Stokes Act on May 1st. 

In addition, The MOTHER's  Act is scheduled to be reintroduced in the Senate soon.  Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME) has now signed on as the lead Republican Co-Sponsor, which was a very important step.  If you have not yet written or called your Senators and local Congressman, or even if you already have, call and write them now and urge others who care to do so as well.  For more information on these bills and how to reach your state's legislators, click here.

If you are a Republican, it is even more important to reach out, as they have lagged behind in supporting these bills.  I reached out to Republican Senators Saxby Chambliss and Jonny Isakson in Georgia with the following letter:

Please support the MOTHER'S Act, which has now been co-sponsored by Senator Olympia Snowe (R-Me).  As a Republican and a past sufferer of postpartum depression, for the life of me I can't understand why more Republicans don't get on board with this issue.  You should understand the importance of healthy moms in the first year of their children's lives and thereafter.  Please, PLEASE support this legislation.  Thousands of women in Georgia each year suffer from postpartum mood disorders, and Georgia even has one of the top treatment/research facilities at the Emory Women's Mental Health Program.  Georgia should be a leader in this effort!

Sponsorship Opportunities Open for PSI Annual Conference

There are still sponsorship opportunities available for the Postpartum Support International Conference, June 21-23 in Kansas City.  Some of those opportunities include:

• Banquet Sponsor -- $10,0000
• Luncheon Sponsor -- $6,000
• Break Sponsor -- $2,000 each (four available)
• Awards Banquet Table Sponsor -- $1,000 each  (12 available)
• Silent Auction Item Donation

These donations are, of course, tax-deductible.  For more information on the benefits of each sponsorship and how to donate, contact PSI at psioffice@postpartum.net

PPD Symposium in Chicago on May 12

On Saturday May 12, I am looking forward to appearing in Chicago on a panel discussing postpartum mood disorders.  The panel will be part of an event called the "Operation Blue Lady PPD Symposium", which is being held at the Harold Washington Cultural Center in Chicago from 11am to 2pm.  My fellow panelists include Dr. Shoshanna Bennett, Carol Blocker, Tann Moore, Dr. Sarah Allen and George Smith.

At the event, the inaugural Melanie Blocker Stokes Leadership Award will be presented to Congressman Bobby Rush (D-IL) for his work on the Melanie Blocker Stokes Act, bill H.R. 20.  Congressman Rush will be a keynote speaker, as will Carol Blocker and Susan Dowd-Stone, president of Postpartum Support International.

The event will also feature a book signing by Sylvia Lasalandra, author of "A Daughter's Touch", and a presentation of the stage play "Cries of the Blue Lady" by Tann Moore.

To register to attend, click here.

PPD Conference in Denver on May 5

The Kempe PPD Intervention Program and Denver's Children's Hospital will host their inaugural annual conference on Saturday, May 5th, at the Children's Hospital Vestal Education Center in Denver.  The fee to attend is $150 and CMEs are available.  Click here for