Postpartum Progress

Resources for New Moms Who've Suffered Past Sexual Abuse & Postpartum PTSD

Women who have experienced sexual abuse are at a higher risk for experiencing postpartum post-traumatic stress disorder.  I was recently asked about resources for these women, and I came upon a blog called "Survivor Moms Speak Out", created by the authors of the book "Survivor Moms: Women's Stories of Birthing, Mothering & Healing After Sexual Abuse."  If you are someone you know falls into this category, this site and book may be of help to you.

Other resources for you to consider:
TABS - Trauma & Birth Stress, an organization based in New Zealand. 
PTSD After Childbirth - A Guide for Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse
An article about remembering sexual abuse in childbirth

History of Physical & Sexual Abuse Increases Risk of PPD

Some preliminary research presented at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine meeting found that female victims of domestic violence have a 40% increased risk of developing postpartum depression, a cross-sectional study showed.

Those who suffered intimate partner violence in the form of physical or sexual abuse or stalking as an adult were significantly more likely to develop postpartum depression than women who did not experience any abuse.  Women who said they were physically or sexually abused as a child also had a higher risk of postpartum depression, according to Matt Garabedian, MD, MPH, a maternal-fetal medicine fellow at the University of Kentucky in Lexington.