More PPD Events on the Way This Spring: Triathlons, Martinis & Flower Power

By March 17, 2010

A fewupcoming events I wanted to make sure to mention:

Jenny's Light is hosting a series of triathlons for kids from March through July, all to be held at San Jose State University. These events will raise funds for the organization, which works to raise awareness of postpartum depression and other perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. And don't worry, your kids won't be biking and running and swimming for miles. As described by Jenny's Light, "Our events are designed for fun with distances from 50 yards to 300 yards swimming, 2 miles to 8 miles cycling, and 500 yards to 2 miles running. All kids receive a finishers medals. All kids are able to use a kickboard if they need to during the swim." Great idea!

Flower Power Mom is hosting Celebrating Midlife Mother's Day April 11th through May 9th, with the goal of relieving stigma and highlighting the unique gifts of wisdom, strength and truth of over-40 moms. Funds raised by her event, which include the sale of t-shirts, will be donated to Postpartum Support International. You can learn more here.

Baby Blues Connection, which supports mothers in Oregon with perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, is hosting a "Martinis and Chocolate 50s Style Cocktail Party"fundraiser on May 1st in Portland from 7:30 to 10:30pm. The event will include a Mother's Day gift basket auction. Tickets are $30 each and can be purchased here.

March 17, 2010 7:26 pm Filed Under: Causes

Postpartum PTSD Sometimes Mistaken as Postpartum Depression

By February 19, 2010

The website The Survivors Club offers a story on postpartum post-traumatic stress disorder, which we rarely see covered, so this is nice.Check it out!

Here's the full story on postpartum PTSD from Taffy Brodesser-Akneron Salon.com.

Also, click here if you'd like to read more stories on postpartum PTSD.

February 19, 2010 12:55 pm Filed Under: Postpartum PTSD

New Group Created in UK to Support Women with Postpartum Psychosis

By February 18, 2010

What do I write about first? After 6 days in a row with the kiddos at home, the backlog is enormous. So many things to tell you about … I'm going to start with this neat discovery, which I happened upon thanks to Elaine Hanzak.

The UK has an organization called APP, which stands for Action Postpartum Psychosis. This group was created for women "across the UK who have experienced postpartum psychosis and who want to increase public awareness and research into the condition. APP is run by a team made up of academics, health professionals and women who have recovered from PP."

Their goalsare:

  • To provide up to date research information to women who have experienced PP and their families.
  • To facilitate research into all aspects of PP
  • To increase awareness of PP – its symptoms, management and impact – among health professionals and the general public

I think this is great. Women who experience postpartum psychosis often feel even more isolated than those of us who've had other perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. It appears that the group is in its infancy, so the website is lacking very many resources at this moment but I hope to see it grow.

February 18, 2010 6:21 am Filed Under: Bipolar Disorder, Postpartum Psychosis

Indiana Hospital Launches Postpartum Depression Treatment Program

By January 13, 2010

St. Francis Hospital & Health Centers in Indiana has launched a Perinatal Mood Disorders program to help diagnose and treat new mothers with postpartum depression. The hospital now screens all women who recently delivered at its Indianapolis and Mooresville hospitals for signs of postpartum depression. New mothers also can join a PPD support group. For more information, contact Angela Bratina at (317) 851-1657 or angela.bratina @ssfhs.org.

January 13, 2010 1:57 am Filed Under: Specialized Programs

NJ Symposium on Sensitive Perinatal Bereavement Care

By November 18, 2009

The Englewood Hospital Medical Center and Northern New Jersey Maternal Child Health Consortium will host "Providing Compassionate Care for Perinatal Loss and Grief" on December 2 from 8am to 3:45pm in Englewood, NJ. To learn more or to register for the event, click here.

November 18, 2009 1:52 am Filed Under: Causes

Postpartum Among Top 10 Fastest Growing Topics at Meetup.com

By October 8, 2009

How about this tidbit? Today I found out that "postpartum" is one of the fastest growing topics at Meetup.com. It's #7 overall on the top 10 fasting growing topics. I think that trend will continue. I think that more and more moms will create postpartum support Meetups, or at least list their already existing support groups at Meetup.com.

People ask me how Postpartum Progress has become the most widely-read blog on postpartum depression. What did I do? I don't advertise. I'm certainly not a social media genius — I have a hard time keeping up. The reality is that it has nothing to do with me. It could be anybody doing this blog.It has continued togain readers, as haveall the other great PPD bloggers,for the same exact reason that "postpartum" is the seventh fastest growing topic at Meetup.com:

Women going through postpartum depression, postpartum anxiety, postpartum OCD, postpartum PTSD or postpartum psychosis WANT AND NEED TO TALK to other women who are just like them. To share. To see they are not alone. To see they will get well.

I sometimes wonder if that's the most powerful treatment method of all.

I say the more postpartum peer support groups meeting in libraries, Starbucks,living rooms,churches, community roomsandhospitals, the better.To join a postpartum meetup or start your own, click here.

October 8, 2009 8:00 pm Filed Under: Support Groups

Warrior Moms: The Sisterhood of Postpartum Depression Grows

By September 25, 2009

I'm so proud of all you Warrior Moms out there, as well as other readers of Postpartum Progress, who will stop at nothing to help a mom or mom-to-be who is suffering. This community fills my heart in ways you cannot imagine.

A little over a week ago I asked you to reach out to a mom who was suffering. You did. You went to her blog, Belly Laughs,and provided numerous comments of support. Here was herresponse:

"Thank you everyone. The support and concern has been overwhelming. I am so touched by your words. I read the comments nearly every day and they do help me through difficult times. Thank you again. I am amazed by the kindness of strangers!"

Just look at the power you have to help heal!!!!!!!

What she doesn't realize, of course, is that we aren't strangers. We are sisters. Everyone who goes down this dark road joins the sisterhood of Warrior Moms, and we are and will always be here for each other. We love each other. Thevast majoritythat survive. The few that don't. All of them are loved. If you are suffering right now, know that we believe in you and love youtoo.

The teenagers have the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. The Southern belles have the Ya-Ya Sisterhood. And those of us who've had a perinatal mood or anxiety disorder have the sisterhood of Warrior Moms.

Ireally liked the honesty ofthis post I read today from greenmama called "How My Life Got All Shitty." (If that doesn't some up PPD, what would?)

"I tried to tell my husband how I was feeling; lying awake staring at the ceiling and the clock while the baby was sleeping; praying, praying, praying that I could just go to sleep and everything would be okay again; hating myself and what was going on inside of me because it felt abnormal, unmotherly, inhumane, everything that I would never ever wish for myself or on anyone else; wishing that somehow my baby would just go away."

She calls herself the neighborhood fruit loop now. She isn't. We know better. Go tell her so.

September 25, 2009 1:16 am Filed Under: Postpartum Depression, Warrior Moms

Families for Depression Awareness

By September 17, 2009

Nice piece by Lauren Hale on Families for Depression Awareness. Family members truly are part of the solution.

September 17, 2009 10:38 am Filed Under: Help for Fathers

Dad Admits He "Acted Like An Idiot" When His Wife Had Postpartum Depression

By September 9, 2009

I have a lot of respect for this dad at The Daddy Files, who admits to everyone on the planet who has access to the internet that he BLEW it when it came to supporting his wife during her postpartum depression:

"… when Will was born, I was so happy. MJ had a really great pregnancy and I knew she'd make a great mom. I was so excited to start our new family and I felt complete for the first time in my life. That's why I was so confused when MJ wanted nothing to do with Will.

I'm not exaggerating either. She was totally emotionless for the first six months of Will's life. She hated breastfeeding. She hated waking up every two hours. She hated being out of work. She even hated me and Will. She used to tell me she wanted to run away and not come back. She said Will and I would be better off without her. Do you know how soul-wrenching it is to listen to the woman you love more than anyone in this world say she doesn't want to be with you and your infant son?

At first I was sad and I tried to help her. But the more I tried to help, the worse it got. Then I just got angry. And when I get angry, I pick a fight. I told her it was horrible not to love your own baby. I told her to snap out of it. I told her she was being an idiot and she should be ashamed of herself. Basically I said all the wrong things. Because, as we've established, I'm an idiot.

It wouldn't be until much later that I truly realized what postpartum depression is and how deeply it can affect everyone. MJ eventually took it upon herself to see a counselor and when she took that initiative, I don't think I've ever been prouder of anyone in my whole life. It took guts to recognize the problem and take proactive steps and that's why I'm convinced I married the smartest and bravest woman in the world."

I have to wonder how many of you are reading this and thinking that's exactly how your husband was when you were sick, or that's how he's being now for those of you in the midst of this. Truth is, they have no idea what to do and no idea how to behave. Some dads have it within them to be incredibly supportive even though they don't understand, while others get angry or withdrawn and may blame, screamor disappear. We need to do a better job of educating all dads on the crucial role they can play to help their entire family recover from PPD or related disorders as quickly as possible and get back to the work of building new and wonderful people out of brand new babies.

For more information about fathers/husbands and postpartum depression from Postpartum Progress, click here. You can also visit the Postpartum Dads Project for stories from other fathers and how they coped with their significant others' PPD. And you can read more here from Postpartum Support International with their Tips for Postpartum Partners.

September 9, 2009 1:22 pm Filed Under: Help for Fathers, Postpartum Depression

Send Your Updates On Postpartum Depression Support Groups In the US & Canada

By August 17, 2009

It's that time of year again ladies — we need to take a look at the PPD Support Groups list here on Postpartum Progress and review what groups still exist, which ones are new and need to be listed and which are no longer held. This is SO important because the women who access this list (or the list at PSI) do not — I repeat, DO NOT — need to take that couragous step of calling to join or get information about a group only to be told it doesn't exist or to get a disconnected number. So please take a moment tovisit this page, and email me at stonecallis@msn.com with any information you have. Thank you so much in advance for your help on this!!

Oh, and I'd welcome adding support groups in Australia and Canada as well …

August 17, 2009 5:09 am Filed Under: Causes
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