Earlier this month I shared with you some of the hopes and dreams of members of the Postpartum Progress Warrior Mom Battalion. Since then, I’ve heard from more Warrior Moms, so I wanted to share their words with you as well:
“My dream is that OBs, midwives, pediatricians and other healthcare providers would be required to be trained and educated on maternal mental health. I think that prenatal healthcare providers and childbirth educators should begin to talk about perinatal mood and anxiety disorders with their patients during pregnancy. I also dream that screening would be mandatory and that patients were given referrals to get the help & support they need. My big dream is that the stigma attached to perinatal mood and anxiety disorders would dissolve, and I think with spreading awareness and love and compassion, this is possible.” ~ Suna C.
“I wish that no mother ever feels alone with her struggles. I want to do whatever it takes to spread awareness on this topic & share my story (no matter how hard that may be) in order to help others. My wish for the future is that all medical doctors, OBs, pediatricians, etc. be educated on perinatal mood disorders & how they should be treated. My big dream is that all OBs give a written questionnaire to new mothers at their 6 week check-up, and really discuss it with their patients. More importantly I believe that pediatricians should continue giving this questionnaire to new mothers throughout the ENTIRE first year, and possibly up until the second year. I did not realize I needed help until my son was 18 months old & I really wish I had gotten help sooner. I was so happy when I found Postpartum Progress & I really just want everyone to know there is help out there & many resources available. I think pregnant mothers should be educated a lot more about the possibility of these mood disorders & what may put you at risk. I was at risk having suffered with anxiety throughout my life & I know I received some information about postpartum depression but I had no idea that postpartum anxiety, OCD, etc. existed. My dream is whatever it takes to educate & spread awareness so that no one has to feel that darkness & isolation.” ~ Nicole B.
“Before the onset of my PPOCD, I had no clue that these things existed. The shock itself is enough to leave a woman feeling hopeless and alone. There was almost no one in my life I could tell about what I was dealing with. My goal is to be SO open with the world, that some day every new mom knows for sure that she is not alone. If we were all open with people, and if we found the confidence to tell the truth about what we have dealt with, then I believe the world would have no choice but to think it’s COOL that women are so confident speaking out about this issue. Maybe then we can turn postpartum issues into something less foreign and more understood. After all, there are no trials in the world that are not shared by other people. If only we could find each other.” ~ Michelle G.
