I’m having an anxiety attack over this story: CNN.com – Mom?allegedly cut off baby’s arms – Nov 23, 2004.
This woman has a history of PPD and has had psychotic episodes. There must be more we can do to protect women like her, and their children, from harm. It’s heartbreaking.
Katherine Stone is the creator of Postpartum Progress. She is a survivor of postpartum anxiety & OCD. Follow her on Twitter at @postpartumprog or on Instagram at @katherine_stone.
Katherine Stone is the creator of Postpartum Progress. She is a survivor of postpartum anxiety & OCD. Follow her on Twitter at @postpartumprog or on Instagram at @katherine_stone.
Hello. I am the mother of 2 and I had experienced Post partum depression with my 1st back in 90'. I was a young 20yr old mother without a large support system. Fortunately I did have my Husband who was able to be home with me for the first couple months, and although there was no talk about mothers experiencing the horrible anxiety and thoughts that come to mind, my Husband reassured me daily I was not the only new mom that experienced what I was going through.
I did not want to hurt my daughter, however I was paralyzed with the ideas of someone breaking in and stealing her, or violently killing her, I was in a panic that someone would snatch her out of my arms or a carseat if I took her out in public, and I was convinced I would get into a car accident with her if I took her out and drove with her. My PPD lifted (thankfully) after a few months. I felt like I was a terrible mother, and told my Husband NOT to tell anyone so they wouldn't think I was a bad mom.
By the time my 2nd was born in 97' I was fully aware and prepared with phone numbers handy incase I experienced the same problems with my son. I did not end up having PPD with him. I was perfectly fine with taking him out, and never felt worried about driving with him or any of the other feelings I had before. But I WAS prepared just incase this came about again.
So, with that said I DO understand what this is eventhough mine didn't go into psychosis. I fully understand mental illness in general, as there are people close to me who suffered from it to different degrees. Even with all my personal experiences and knowledge about these very serious and real problems, I have to say I have NO empathy for Andrea Yates. I believe people who are only focusing on HER and feeling sorry for her and what she is going through really need to take a look at what those beautiful innocent children experienced at the hands of their mother. Even if I had acted out in such a sick manor, I believe I should be punished for my actions based on what the CHILDREN experienced by NO choice of their own. It was not "their" fault she was in the situation she was. When we take our focus off the horrific feelings of what the children HAD to have experienced leading up to their death…especially 7yr old Noah who realized what his mother was doing, and tried to run away as well as saying he was "sorry" with his LAST breath of air to his mother-undoubtedly thinking HE did something WRONG to deserve such a horrible thing to be happening to him at such a tender age…I believe we become very unfeeling to the victims who WERE the CHILDREN. If they had to "suffer" then why shouldn't Andrea? She should feel horrible and remorseful for what she did, as well as her Husband Rusty.
My opinion is that we are a cold society when we push the children's death to the back of the priority list and want to keep feeling such sorrow for Andrea no matter WHAT! There are so many people who kill and are in prison who also suffer from some sort of mental illness…Jeffrey Dahmer was definately SICK but they didn't show him mercy and place him in a psych hospital…THANK GOD! Now there is another mother who may possibly only be serving 180 days in Colorado for doing the same thing to her two children! 180 DAYS for drowning her two babies…this is a serious miscarriage of justice and if I had committed the SAME crime, I believe I would need to be sentenced to PRISON just as the other murders. There is mental health available in prison, and the last I read about Andrea is that she has established a good relationship with the prisons psychiatrist and is doing as good as can be expected there. I'm a child advocate, and no matter what those children were innocent and deserve JUSTICE to be served for their horrific deaths they experienced at the hands of their "mommy"! If Andrea didn't know what she was doing was wrong, why call 911? Why did she wait till nobody was home and kept it a secret? Why did she leave Noah's body floating face down in the bathtub with vomit urine? Possibly HE gave her such a fight and this ANGERED her that she had to FIGHT him so hard, therefore she didn't even remove him from the tub-and yes she could have picked up a 7yr old out of the tub.
Noah is the one who was pulling her hair out when she was doing this to him…Nope, noooo pity for Andrea here. ONLY for her dead children! I'm very sorry people can't see this from the childrens view, rather Andrea's. Sick very sick, and I think it will lead to other situations like this where we are giving leniency to these mothers who are sick with mental disorders if Andrea's case is overturned. My heart aches for those children everytime I think of them. Poor children, Poor children-NOT ANDREA-Poor children!
Heather