Dear Warrior Moms,
If you have been around these parts for awhile, you know that Postpartum Progress is an amazingly strong, supportive, ass-kicking group of women. We have all walked through incredibly dark times, are currently walking through them, or battle the guilt and flashbacks following an arduous recovery. We battled through together. After experiencing a perinatal mood disorder, I know that I personally often look back and say, “Why did this happen to me?!” Although we are stronger because of our struggles, there is power in asking pertinent questions and reflecting on where we have been and how far we have come.
We want you to take an even farther look back, to the time of your life prior to becoming a mom. We want you to imagine your childhood and what shaped you to be the woman that you are today.
So often we analyze our pregnancies, past mental health history, and current life situations when battling a postpartum illness, which are all important frames of reference. But we got to thinking, what if there are factors from childhood that increase a woman’s potential to experience a perinatal mood disorder? What if we could harness information from all of you to understand how to better help protect and support women that might get PPD?
Well Warrior Moms, we are doing just that. We have an exciting research study that we are eager for you to be apart of, something that has never been done before.
In a simple, straight-forward survey that you can take in less than 2 minutes, we will ask you about any Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) you may have had. In Plain Mama English, Adverse Childhood Experiences are traumatic personal or relational situations that took place when you were younger. The Centers for Disease Control have uncovered a link between childhood trauma (ACEs) and chronic diseases developed during adulthood, as well as social and emotional problems including depression and anxiety. We’ll also be asking you questions from about Resiliency, which looks at any protective factors you may have had that would have helped combat the negative effects of ACEs. Measures of resiliency include relationships and supportive infrastructures that encouraged you, offered love, and fostered your self image as a child.
This survey is absolutely anonymous. We want you to answer the questions completely honestly because it helps us see how many moms who’ve have perinatal mood or anxiety disorders may have had traumatic experiences as a child. Also, you can take it at any time, so please make sure you set aside a minute or two to help contribute your information.
We hope that, with your help, we can analyze this childhood data and see how it relates to the frequency of perinatal mood disorders. Again, all responses will be completely anonymous. Please help us gather this important retrospective information that could potentially assist moms in the future! Visit this link to complete the survey: http://fluidsurveys.com/surveys/postpartumprog/warrior-moms-aces/
Please note the survey is open to any mom who has had postpartum depression, postpartum anxiety, postpartum OCD, postpartum psychosis, postpartum bipolar onset, postpartum PTSD or anxiety or depression during pregnancy. It doesn’t matter if you are struggling with this illness now or did so in the past.
Your inner child also thanks you :o)
-Maria Weiters for Postpartum Progress
