At the Postpartum Support International conference, I was reminded over and over that ours is a spectrum disorder. In a spectrum disorder the symptoms and characteristics can present themselves in a wide variety of combinations, from mild to severe. As many of you know, you can experience postpartum depression, postpartum anxiety, postpartum obsessive compulsive disorder and postpartum psychosis. One size does NOT fit all.
One area that has gotten less focus, but is now beginning to get more attention, is antepartum depression, or depression during pregnancy. Click here for a link to a good story on this by Jody Santos in the Boston Globe.
Click here for more stories about depression during pregnancy.
Yeah! Finally, after suffering through severe, severe anxiety through my pregnancies, I am so glad that someone is taking notice of the affects of this disorder throughout the pregnancy and childbirth period!
I am a licensed clinical social worker and have been practicing in the Denver area for the past 23 years. The article is so well written and hopefully will make it easier for Mothers to come forward with their symptoms. I have provided education to healthcare professionals regarding these issues and have emphasized screening for symptoms during each trimester as a preventive intervention. Change is slow but we are getting there!
Joan Getz-Heller, RN, LCSW
Denver, CO