It’s time to talk about the Melanie Blocker Stokes (MBS) MOTHERS Act again. I know, I know. We’ve heard this all before, you’re thinking. I already called my Senator, you’re thinking. I already wrote about this on my blog, you’re thinking. Sheesh!, you may even be thinking. Well, apparently everything you and I have done so far in support of this bill hasn’t been enough.

As you may know, there are some people who are completely convinced that the MBS MOTHERS Act is a conspiratorial plot by the government to drug pregnant and postpartum women, and it must be STOPPED AT ALL COSTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You and I know that’s not true. So we’ve kind of ignored the negative campaign — been slightly pissed and sometimes even truly annoyed but gone on with our day because it’s silly and we have lots of more important things to worry about than some misguided folks. But the U.S. Senate can’t ignore it when lots and lots and lots of people speak out. That’s how they work, right? Polls. When they hear from lots of people on a certain issue, they tend to go in that direction. Right now our Senators are hearing from a whole host of people who think it’s a really bad idea to pass this bill — a bill that provides funding for increased research into the cause and treatments of postpartum mood disorders, provides better training for healthcare providers and provides for an awareness campaign so that more women will know about these illnesses and realize that they can get help. Those people, bless their hearts, are very vocal and have every right to say what they think. (Tom Cruise must be very pleased.)

Conversely, those who believe in the MBS MOTHERS Act are not being anywhere near vocal enough. Our Senators are NOT HEARING from enough of those of us who support it. If this trend continues, this bill will not pass. What happened to us, and to hundreds of thousands like us, and to our friends and sisters and mothers and girlfriends will keep happening. Women will continue to think they’ve gone crazy, never to return to their old selves. They will continue to live in fear of speaking up and telling someone about it. They will continue to be afraid to lose their children. They will continue to suffer, hurting both their health and the health of their children, because they won’t get treatment. Some might even kill themselves, or become so ill they harm their children. That is unacceptable to me. Is it acceptable to you? I started this blog because I was damn well not going to let anybody go through the isolation and terror and ineffective treatment from an untrained doctor that I received. Don’t you feel the same?

Postpartum Progress readers, and anyone who cares about postpartum mood disorders, I very humbly beg you to complete two very easy assignments:

1. Click this link and sign this petition to support passage of the MBS MOTHERS Act. It is as easy as pie. Thanks to the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance for getting the petition going. All you have to do is fill out your name and address and click send, and it will be sent all the proper places. The petition is also supported by Postpartum Support International.

2. Forward the petition link to everyone you know and tell them to sign their name to it as well.

We need thousands of people to do this. Not just a few hundred. Seriously, thousands. Please get clicking. And if you have a website, or an organization of proactive women and moms, or a blog, please get your readers/members involved ASAP.

P.S. In case you’re wondering, here is a list of the respected organizations that endorse the Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act:

• Postpartum Support International
• Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses
• American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
• Children’s Defense Fund
• March of Dimes
• American College of Nurse Midwives
• Suicide Prevention Action Network USA
• Mental Health America
• Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance
• National Alliance on Mental Illness
• National Women’s Law Center
• National Partnership for Women & Families
• National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare
• Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs
• American Psychological Association
• American Psychiatric Association
• Postpartum Resource Center of New York

If you would like to add your organization to this illustrious list, please let me know at stonecallis@msn.com. (They can’t all be part of the conspiracy to drug America’s moms, can they???)