Am I first?

Guess I am.

I do believe PPD is a true issue with many women. I personally did not experience it with either child, but I have seen others suffer through it.

I wonder though, how much of it society’s presentation of new motherhood as the ultimate high and achievement. Being a new mom is hard as he** and it takes a LOT of work. Not feeling that you live up to the image is enough to depress anyone, without the hormonal issues that are supposed to trigger PPD.

Thanks for this post…I had postpartum depression with my second son and it lasted longer than expected. I was not acting like “regular” me and I just recently I will say like a year after my son’s birth I snapped out of it. No medication was needed because like my sister pointed out to me the meds can be worst than the diagnosis.

I think there should more awareness to the seriousness of postpartum depression because there is a small child that needs to be cared for and when you are out of it you don’t feel like doing anything. I wish people wouldn’t sweep it under the rug like its not the big of issue when it is.

No, I do not feel that there should be a mandatory testing. I can see this getting completely out of control and a lot of doped up mothers and babys being taken away from mothers who may not even be victims of the condition. Furthermore, the woman who they are creating this bill in the name of was already taking medication. A lot of times those medications are just as bad if not worse. They make people feel suicidal and detatched from the world in some kind of blah mood. That doesn’t sound like a happy alternative to me. More like legal Cocaine.

On another note. There are rumors or news that Danger is pregnant again. If this is true then she doesn’t need to be taking any meds.

Do you feel that postpartum depression is an overlooked illness?
- Yes.

Do you think that the government should pass the Mothers Act to automatically screen new mothers for postpartum? Or do you think that this is another way for the pharmaceutical companies to push more drugs unnecessarily?
- A basic screening (16 questions) should be done for depression. If there is strong evidence for depression, then there should be further (in-depth) screening for specific PPD symptoms. Can’t see how pharmaceutical companies would be able to push more drugs when it comes to this, seeing that the current medications for depression (and other mood disorders as outlined in the DSM-IV) would probably suffice in managing PPD.

Do you know anyone that’s ever suffered from postpartum or have you yourself been afflicted by it?
- Others, yes. Me, no.

Can’t answer the other questions due to being child-free.

Do you feel that postpartum depression is an overlooked illness?
~Most definitely. I’ve seen stories on the news about mothers sticking their baby in ovens, dumpsters, and a case about feeding their infant poison. If there was more light shed onto this illness maybe someone would’ve been able to detect the early signs and reached out for help. How many children would have their lives taken away because the mother doesn’t have the proper resources to maintain the sanity she once had prior to birthing a mini me

Do you think that the gov’t should pass the Mothers Act to automatically screen new mothers for postpartum? Or do you think that this is another way for the pharmaceutical companies to push more drugs unnecessarily?
~Yeah the Mamas act should be passed. If the Act was passed it wouldn’t just be for screening, but also for research to be able to provide the proper tools necessary for the depressed ones. As far as prescription drugs goes there are other options, like counseling or group therapy (so she knows she is not alone). Sometimes people just need someone to talk.

Don’t know anyone personally that struggled with PPD, but I’ve seen women talking about it on Tyra and Discovery Health shows. Those women were actually brave enough to share their thoughts about wanting to take their baby’s life and in result able to get help to strengthen them and protect their offspring.

If I had a hat I would take it off to you for shedding light on this matter that is a lot of times ignored.

~Sweetie

Interesting piece, more so since I just read a feature in this month’s Esquire about a FATHER who might have had postpartum depression. In short, he felt overwhelmed with fatherhood so he strangled his wife, their youngest son and then attached rocks to the other two children and drowned them in the river.

To avoid sounding a damn fool in connecting men with PPD, I also did a quick search and found it is also somewhat common among men shortly after our wives/girlfriends give birth. Maybe that’s for another post…But to finally get to at least one of your questions PPD like many mental illnesses is overlooked. There’s still that stigma of being “crazy” so of course many people who need help don’t seek it out. Things will improve if we begin to equate mental illness with physical illness. When you’re physically sick you see a doc and some of us should be doing the same when we’re mentally sick (for lack of a better term at this late hour).

Honestly, I do not have much of an opinion on the matter of PPD. However, I do think that meds have the potential to make matters worse. It is a known “side effect” of antidepressants to increase the occurance of suicides as opposed to preventing them.

Instead of throwing more doctors and meds into the mix they should add to the “social factor” of being a new parent. Groups where new moms and dads can meet and have an active exchange because quite frankly I think there are soooo many things nobody ever tells you when you have a child and no book mentions it. So these moms and dads may end up in situations they have no clue how to deal with. We don’t all have our parents to ask for advice or friends who have already been in the same situation. Free day care should be a given so even families who can’t afford to pay 1000 bucks each month can have some time away from their child – sounds cruel I guess but I think it is healthy to not be around one’s offspring 24/7.

Ok, I guess I am off topic. Sorry.

To piggyback off of Dewan’s comment, there was an article in the NY Times last week about the rise of PPD among fathers. The men they spoke to talked about the pressure they faced to be the “breadwinner” along with similar issues that women face in dealing with major life changes. It was very interesting.
I don’t know if there’s a way to be screened but I think making new moms aware of the issue and symptoms is important. We also need more ways to support new moms so they aren’t feeling overwhelmed. There is a rise of “post partum doulas” who are assistants to new moms giving them support as they adjust. They are kind of like nannies but instead of just being there to take care of the baby, they are there to help the new parents. There are groups out there working to make these services available to lower income families.

I think this is a overlooked diagnosis. I have never had PPD but have been diagnosed with depression. Also by way of my job I know the ins and outs of how our ob-gyn gets paid. See majority of minorities only receive insurance from the government when they are pregnant. You have a couple months of doctors care and then you are out. Now I know this is not the case for all but it is for a lot of people. The reason I think a bill being passed will not help is because, how are you gonna diagnose one person today and they run out of insurance when the baby is born. That is really defeating the purpose of medicines which I agree can often make maters worse. But anybody diagnosed and taking meds for depression knows it is better to stay on them once you start because to start and stop can cause serious change in behavior. Why don’t they pass a bill for health care for all. Because we all know early diagnosis of anything is key. Then those that choose medicine can have it for as long as they need, and not until the insurance runs out. Cause having worked for a few doctors they do what they do to get paid, bottom line too many denied claims and a doctor stops trying to bill insurances that test or diagnosis, and if you are with that insurance you are counted out nothing against you they just don’t work for free.

Yeah it might be a good idea for there to be some sort of screening for mothers…my aunt discussed feelings of PPD and I worry that this could occur when I have children.

Wow @ the comments talking about men having PPD.. My first female instinct is to be like “yeah right” since its the WOMAN who has to carry the child, possibly give up or set her goals aside, birth the child, and in most cases raise the child (father in the picture or not) but when they said its the pressure of being the bread winner and taking care of the family, I think that is COMPLETELY logical.. interesting

But on PPD, I am actually working with my teacher-who has a PhD- on the causes of PPD. We are researching all this information for a grant she is doing on the effects and causes of PPD. One thing we did find see is that self-esteem, marital status, depression before or during the pregnancy, and other indicators have an affect on women being diagnosed with PPD. The reason for this was to prove that there had to be some cause due to the fact that some women get it (only about 13%) and others dont.

I believe that this is a serious issue and that much more attention should be paid to it. But who pays attention? If its doctors, then who is going to tell them or mandate them to research all the info regarding the predictors of PPD in order to better assess their patients? Are the parents the ones? Should they take classes in PPD awareness where an instructor with expertise teaches them? Is it going to be free or do they have to pay for it, meaning more than likely most parents wont,,

The biggest reason PPD goes so far is because women are afraid to come forth with their problem. Women feel like they are horrible people if they are not enveloped with their child or like they are monsters for having horrible thoughts..But this only makes things worse..

Not that PPD isnt true. Im just trying to figure out why humans have so many chemical imbalances? I have my on theory’s on that ,but I dont think drugging everybody up is a legit fix.

I think all forms of depression are overlooked especially in the black community. We are less likely to seek mental health treatment than any other race. So yes I do agree that mothers should be screened early for PPD. I really don’t think it has anything to do with the pharmaceutical companies pushing drugs, because in most cases with depression consistant therapy has been proven to benefit those with depression. Being as though I’m in the process of becoming a social worker, my clinical opinion with any mental health disorder medication should be the last resort.

I do remember growing up and my aunt after her second child having PPD. I just remember her not wanting to be bothered or taking responsibility for her children, which at a young age was kind of scary to me. I think at one point she even ran away to Jamaica for a few months and got dragged back to the states by her mother. After some counseling she did get it together by the time she had her thrid child she was back on track. I think PPD is just something that with early detection can be avoided.

Sometimes I do get worried that it would affect me, but I think I’m strong minded enough to see the signs and at least try and seek some form of therapy.As far as Danger I think that girl had mental health issues before the child and is trying to blame whatever is going on on PPD.

**side note** Lithium is used for skitzos….just an FYI.

Yes it is over looked and yes it is screened at post natal appointments. It is very superficial, though, IMO (and yes, I am a mom). I agree that medication should be the last option for treatment of depression, especially with new moms. I was lucky that I had new parent classes to attend and lots of social support, but not every parent has access to that kind of support. I also had great insurance and a great midwife.

PPD (even depression in general) needs to be brought out of the closet in the AA and other communities of color. I suffered with general depression for months, until a friend pulled me aside and asked if I was ok. WE (AA) just dont discuss mental health issues and that is a shame.

I agree with Elle and DaThrone. Isn’t it just amazing that we live in a society that loves to cure absolutely everything with drugs?!! Not to downplay depression as an illness, but we tend to throw pills at everything instead of sometimes just going down to the roots of the issue.

Is it an overlooked illness? I think so. Not so much an illness that particularly needs medication passé. My mum tells me that when women are expecting, they get treated, on the most part, very well. You know, the extra attention, the automatic seat on the bus or on the underground (I live in London), the extra care from the baby’s father (husband/partner/lover), etc. But the moment a woman gives birth, its like she stops being important, and people dont realize the overwhelming sense of responsibility that new mothers feel when they look at a baby who is totally dependent on them for food, protection, etc. This overwhelming feeling, coupled with all the hormones going haywire in a mother’s body tend to be depressing- a new mom has to cope with breastfeeding, a body that sometimes wont snap back into pre-pregnancy form, and a society that seems to think she is ‘fine’ just because she has ‘popped’. Besides, people expect that a new mother with immediately bond with her baby, and develop automatic feelings of love and care. At the end of the day, these are pretty huge issues that have to be dealt with, and many women have to do it alone.

I also read somewhere that if a new mom was sexually molested in her childhood, she might develop a form of PPD in dealing with issues of having brought a child into a world in which the child might be hurt like she was. My point is that PPD might have a variety of causes that vary from mother to mother, so a one-stop medication solution might just not work for everyone.

I am of African origin, and I hear that in the days of my grandmother, a new mom has support from her friends for three months. Everyday, someone would come and help out with cleaning, cooking, taking care of the baby, etc, so that the new mom would not feel too overwhelmed by her new status. We might be living in a new age, but I think there is also something to be said for support from friends and family for new moms, which, I think, would be a first step other than just resorting to drugs.

Well:

Black culture has “issues” with acknowledging, and dealing with, any kind of mental struggles people tend to have. PPD is real, but the honest truth is that many types of severe hormonal imbalances can cause depression, including those induced by hormonal birth control.

However, I wouldn’t want screening. I’ve been in the hospital (labor & delivery) where they’d practically try to write a prescription for anti-depressants upon discharge. Not from a psychiatrist, but from a GYN, without a psychiatric assessment. You want to drug me up before I even leave? No thanks. Not to mention the unknown side effects the drugs could have on breastfed infants.

Depression is under-treated but anti-depressants are (IMO) over prescribed. You can get them from a GP, GYN or any other doctor, you no longer need to see a psychiatrist. Why write prescriptions without requiring therapy if the medical industry is truly interested in healing?

Not all depression needs to be treated with meds either. Some people need the kind of support and help received from friends and family otherwise, they are only medicating the symptoms, not the cause.

It’s a big issue that can’t be solved with screening and meds. The health care system may — MAY– be able to help with easing the severity of the effects of PPD, but getting to the real root of the problem requires serious social change with regards to pregnancy, childbirth and parenting.

Malia, the general screening for PPD is given at the first few well baby checkups, at least it is where I currently live. I was screened for the first five visits or so.

And again, not every new mother has the support system in place. Case in point: the pregnant homeless woman who was attacked in MD recently. Support is now pouring in, but if she hadn’t been attacked, where would she get her support from? Who would help her out?

And I agree with you to an extent re: the social change regarding pregnancy et. al. The fact is simply some women DO suffer from a genuine chemical imbalance resulting from the drastic change in hormone levels and would benefit from medication to restore a more normal balance. There will always be people who view pregnancy as an acute, preventable condition and if a woman chooses to be pregnant, then she chooses to get whatever is coming to her. Sad but true.

Anything that brings this condition to light is all to the good.

Whether the screening is at the first few well baby visits (like you), or during discharge (like me), my general issue is that I have yet to see psychiatrists perform these screenings, mostly OB/GYNs.

And if you don’t have a support system, is prescribing medication really going to resolve any issue, or will it give people a false sense of security?

>>some women DO suffer from a genuine chemical imbalance resulting from the drastic change in hormone levels …<>if she hadn’t been attacked, where would she get her support from? Who would help her out?<<

But see, that's my point.

Having just finished a clinical rotation in OB/GYN, I can tell you that mothers are screened at their postpartum visit for both depression and domestic violence. More importantly, I think it is important to differentiate between post partum “blues” (which just about all women have), post partum depression, and post partum psychosis (those are generally the mothers who kill their infants). My concern for Danger is this: she seems rather unstable from jump, which if she is taking lithium (a mood stabilizer) I’m already thinking she has a bipolar disorder or a borderline personality disorder (i.e mental illness) which makes her have an increased risk of developing PPD or even post partum psychosis anyway.

That being said, if you have a mental illness AND you clearly have a chemical imbalance in your brain, you NEED medication. PERIOD. Not all women who have PPD NEED medication, and I will be the first to admit that many health care providers throw medication at patients first without inquiring of their support system, safety measures that are in place of mom feels overwhelmed, etc. I recently screened a young lady and she clearly told me that she felt overwhelmed and had to step back and take a break from her children. Did I offer meds? Yes, but not before exploring other options to her. Did I FORCE the meds on her? No, because she clearly had a plan in place for those times of frustration and we are following up with her in frequent intervals, so I feel confident that a clear plan is in place without the use of meds, but if she comes back in a couple of weeks without progress and worsening symptoms, she will be leaving with a prescription.

ppd is very real… i went through it slightly with my daughter, i didn’t want to hurt her but i felt overwhelmed at times… and there was other things stressing me at the time as well… i went through alot of physical changes (i.e hair falling out, rapidly losing weight), but i didn’t tell anyone, i wish i would of so that i would of had someone to talk to. but it lasted about 6 or 7 months. I would cry alot! like all the time, if she was crying i was crying! its not a good feeling to have.

As if stretch marks, possibly saggy boobies and weight gain weren’t enough, now we have PPD, hair falling out and men who go through some sort of depression as well. Awesome!

So why exactly are people having kids?

This is heavy… does anyone have any thoughts on depression during pregnancy… while having to take care of husband, home and two small kids, in addition to working full time? I love my children and already love the child I’m carrying but I’m not really excited about bringing a third child into this world… maybe not yet is all…..

I can’t speak specifically on PPD, but I have had clinical depression for the past 5 years and I’ve been receiving treatment for the past 3 years with therapy and medication.
I think screening mothers for PPD is a great idea. Because the reality is that most of us don’t know enough about mental health. We can get up in arms about misdiagnosed illnesses and people being given a “happy pill” and being sent on their merry way but if we don’t take the time to educate ourselves, then we will continue to be herded like sheep.
We gotta take the time to learn about what PPD looks like, what we can do BEFORE it gets to the point where hospitalization is necessary and medication seems to be the best option. The same way we know how to fight diabetes before we end up having to lose a leg is the same way we need to treat mental illness before the suicide and murder attempts. I don’t want anyone to learn by trial an error like I had to do, the information is out there!
The black community has extremely high rates of mental illness, our ignorance is literally killing us and leaving us at the mercy of these doctors that we’re already so distrustful of.

Webmd.com is a great starting point for getting info on mental illnesses. Or anything health related in general for that matter, its my fav site ever (besides NWSO, of course )

Be blessed!

i just hope i don’t get it shoot!