mama2mama is a resource for any mother who wants support and information to help her through the postpartum period
about us resources FAQs (coming soon) contact us self care home community forum real mamas download our brochure (PDF) Bellies & Babies If you or someone you care about is in crisis, and need immediate help, click here © mama2mama 2006	POSTPARTUM MOOD DISORDER Were always adding new info. Always feel free to email us at Sarah@mamalove.org or connect through the community forums Please understand this. What You May Need to Hear Postpartum Support International lists three important messages that new mothers who are experiencing a postpartum mood disorder need to hear.  They are:  1) You are not alone 2) You are not to blame 3) You will be well (this is treatable). The Truth The Number 1 complication of childbirth is postpartum mood disorder. The postpartum period is a time of crisis for all mothers. All mothers deserve a hand. The Stats 1 in 10 women are DIAGNOSED with some form of Postpartum Depression, Anxiety or Mood Disorder. This is considered a very conservative estimate. Locally, the number is closer to 1 in 5. That leaves 80-90% of mamas out there who may be struggling but do not recognize the need for help or are unable or unwilling to reach out. Postpartum Depression is not the same as "regular" depression: You will have good days. You may feel happy and euphoric and in love with your baby AND experience other PPD symptoms, such as insomnia, chronic worry, inability to concentrate, etc. One mother may want to be attached to her baby at all times, never able to let caring hands take the baby for her own respite; feeling terribly anxious when separated from her baby. Another mother may desperately long to have someone else care for her baby, feeling unable to care for herself or her baby; feeling overwhelmingly guilty because of a difficulty bonding with her baby. It's different for everyone. Test for Postpartum Depression The standard screening tool for Postpartum Depression is the Edinburgh Scale. This is what the Public Health Nurses, midwives and doctors use. I've reproduced it here for your use: http://mamalove.org/PPDselftest.pdf Definitions Let's define what we're talking about here. Here is the best in-depth article available: http://www.postpartum.net/in-depth.html Other definitions: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postpartum_depression http://www.medicinenet.com/postpartum_depression/article.htm#tocc http://www.emedicinehealth.com/postpartum_depression/article_em.htm In my experience, "Postpartum Depression" is somewhat of a misnomer. At best, it's an umbrella term that can help you understand what is happening to you and get you some support. At worse, it's a label with a terrible stigma attached to it. PLUS, it often doesn't describe the situation. I prefer to call it Postpartum Mood Disorder (PPMD). Every woman's experience is unique Obviously, PPMD is an umbrella term and is NOT a one-size-fits-all label. Here's a brief but somewhat helpful list of the different ways PPD (or PPMD: Postpartum Mood Disorders) may look: Following are a few examples of how different types of PPMD may be experienced by a mother: 1. You have everyone fooled into thinking that you are fine: you clean the house, take care of the baby, dinner is ready when your partner comes home from work; you even find time and energy to exercise. Then, unexpectedly one day you find yourself thoroughly exhausted and despondent; you hit rock bottom and everyone is shocked at how well you hid your symptoms. 2. You don't feel like yourself; you don't want to take care of yourself, you stay in the same clothes for days and can't bother to even take a shower. You can barely move from the couch or bed. 3. You don't want to spend time with your baby. You can only bring yourself to take care of the baby's basic needs and then pass him or her to anyone you can. When you do spend time with the baby you are not happy. 4. You want to take care of your baby yourself. You don't trust anyone to do anything. You don't let visitors hold the baby and even the father is not welcome to help. You constantly check on your baby and are always worried about germs and viruses. 5. You get angry at every little thing: dad helps out around the house much more than his share but nothing he does is right - dishes are not put away right, the laundry is folded badly, and the baby's diaper is all wrong. Everyone feels they have to tiptoe around you so they don't upset you. http://lifewithnewbaby.ca/ppmd_couldi.htm#what Quote from Postpartum Progress 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. http://www.postpartumprogress.typepad.com/ Tips for Dads http://www.helpformom.ca/tipsfordads.html Tips for Partners http://www.postpartum.net/postpartum-partners.html Phone Resources If you're local to the Sunshine Coast, here are some important contact numbers INCLUDING CRISIS CONTACTS: http://www.mamalove.org/phoneresources.htm Web Resources A whole lotta information here http://www.mamalove.org/webresources.htm My experience I finally sat down and wrote about my postpartum experience. I suppose that I wasn't ready to do it until now. Anyway, it's available for all the world to see on our "Real Mamas" webpage: http://www.mamalove.org/realmamas.htm It's the one called (ever so cleverly, I thought), "My Postpartum Struggle".