Category Archives: woman

ABC’s Private Practice misses the mark

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Like many other members of the PPD advocacy community, I watched Private Practice tonight. It’s a show I don’t usually watch but tuned in because the storyline had to do with Postpartum Depression. It said so right in the description: Cooper, Violet and Pete treat a woman with postpartum depression. But she didn’t have postpartum depression which affects up to 20% of new moms.

A jump was quickly made to postpartum psychosis and mom was sedated and put on meds that were not compatible with breastfeeding (even though she WAS indeed nursing). There was also no clear cut consent shown to this course of treatment.

Then Violet didn’t want to give the baby back to the mother for fear that THEY would be the ones thought of as “what were you thinking!?” We work SO hard to fight against the myth that a mother’s baby will be taken from her if she seeks help. I can’t help but think about how many new moms saw this show and may possibly avoid seeking help because of this portrayal.

There were a few things they did get right. Cooper pointed out how rare psychosis is and stated that it’s NOT normal. And he’s right – postpartum psychosis affects 1 to 2 moms per 1000 births so no, it’s NOT normal.

And the portrayal of the mom with psychosis? Her behaviors and irrational beliefs? The fast talking and incoherent babbling? Totally on point. In fact, the one scene where she admits to how she’s really feeling got me right there. All of the sudden I was back in bed, curled in the fetal position waiting for my husband to get home. My breath caught and my eyes watered up. I’m nearly three years past that point but man it came rushing back in a heartbeat. It’s SO hard to forget that fall yet at the same time it has become a very empowering memory for me because I know how far I have journeyed since then.

The PSA was missing from the end of the show as well. If you go to ABC’s website and click on Private Practice then go the The Ex-Life (I think that was the title of tonight’s episode), the PSA is the first of the scenes you can select to watch. Hopefully your computer works their site better than mine does – I had two video audios running at once which made it really hard to hear what Amy Brennan (Violet) had to say (and thanks to Katherine Stone over @ Postpartum Progress for working with ABC on the PSA! Good job!)

Overall I have to give them credit for trying. They got a few things right. It could have been better but hey, it is a fictional drama, right? And just as here, not everything is perfect there. I suppose we’ll just have to be happy that they even bothered to broach the topic and consulted PSI in the process, right? Right?

Nicholas Fuelling promises to wait for his wife

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Earlier this week, Kristina Fuelling found herself sentenced to the lowest possible sentence for the death of her eight day old infant. Fortunately she found herself in the presence of a very compassionate judge and prosecutor who were both able to recognize her actions were a result of Postpartum Psychosis. She is currently being held at a mental facility and will be transferred to a state prison for the remainder of her sentence once her mental state stabilizes.

Her husband, in exclusive first statements to a local news station, has promised to wait for Kristina and opened up about signs and symptoms of Postpartum Depression and Psychosis. He encourages fathers and loved ones of new mothers to educate themselves and become familiar with signs that things are not going well.

According to the article, Nicholas’ statement of encouraging awareness is:

“I would tell new mothers, or expecting mothers and fathers to research it, look into it. It’s just as important as any other factor of raising a child,” he said. “There are signs: lack of sleep, having trouble with breast feeding, having trouble taking care of the baby, lot of anxiety. But sometimes it comes just unexpectedly.Even in hindsight now, I don’t even think I could’ve been able to change it unless I knew beforehand,” Fuelling said.

“So I would tell people out there to look for signs of severe anxiety. Get help. Ask your friends and your parents, family, to come over to help take care of the kids. Don’t be alone on it if you feel any feelings of being scared or not being able to handle the situation,” he added.

You can read the remainder of the article by clicking here.

Coping with Depression after PPD

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Sue McRoberts, author of Lifter of My Head: How God Sustained me through Postpartum Depression, recently blogged about her recent revisit with depression. I asked Sue for permission to share her words here and she graciously granted it. So here are her words, her story about coping with depression after surviving Postpartum Depression. To keep up with how Sue is doing or to offer words of encouragement, you can visit her blog by clicking here.

I have taken quite some time to reflect on 2008 and contemplate what 2009 might hold.  This past year has been a mixed bag of good and bad.  I am thrilled for my husband and his wonderful new job that has brought us to Indiana.  But this move has been pretty hard on me.  Ten days after we left Minneapolis for Indianapolis my dear Aunt Carolyn died.  I felt like I’d lost my mother and immediate support system all in one swoop that month.  How do you make new friends in a new place when you are hurting twenty four hours a day?  How do you even talk to someone when you have nothing but tears and grief?  For six months I suffered because I had no idea what to do with all my grief.  To make matters worse, once again, I felt like I’d never even existed in Minnesota.  I found myself missing my friends way more than they missed me.  It was deja vu and painful.  I had no idea what to do with all my pain.  So I spiraled downward and found myself in a familiar place.  With no church home and no friends to speak of I found myself desperately depressed.  I did a weird thing with God that I don’t recall doing before.  I ran and hid.  I didn’t want his comfort or peace. I wanted to hurt and hurt.  I avoided any scriptures that would offer comfort.   I read stories and parables and things Paul wrote;  I avoided anything David wrote.  It was completely different that when I had PPD.  Each and every day I wanted to feel better, to feel human.  This time around I did not want to feel better.  I wanted my friends and church back.  I wanted my aunt back.  I reasoned that if I felt better then I didn’t really miss these people.  I wondered if somehow it would mean I was okay with Carolyn being gone if I didn’t cry every single day.  I cried each day for six months when I finally decided to address what was happening.  I admitted publicly that I was struggling with depression…again…and it cost me some huge opportunities professionally in ministry.  I was devastated as I never predicted such an outcome of my honesty.  It took me six weeks of reeling in pain to reach the point where I called my doctor for help.  My world felt like a bottomless, foggy pit and the medicine and medical support gave me a floor to stand on.  I am now reading the Psalms again and clinging to God for strength and hope.  I’ve decided to quit being a stubborn mule and ask Him for his loving comfort.  For some reason I felt like I needed to prove to God that I could do this by myself, boy that was dumb.  So here I am feeling pretty darn healthy.  I’m running and training for my first half marathon.  I’m sleeping well and I’ve stopped crying.  I’m reading a book about grief that is helping me sort out my world post Carolyn.  I’m determined to figure out how to live in my new world in Indiana.  I will continue to encourage people to see their doctor if they are depressed for months on end.  I take a pill and I’m okay with that.  Not everyone in ministry is.  I’m in a good place now and I’m able to pray for them, pray that they will never experience the depths of depression that I have.  I pray they will never understand the pain I’ve felt.  And I’m grateful to God for new opportunities that he’s already brought me.  I am hopeful that I will find my place in this world and that God will grow me up some more in the process.  So here’s to a new year, a new year for a better me, and for a better you.

Be lifted!

Sue

Isaiah 43:18-19

Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.  See, I am doing a new thing!  Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?  I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.

Ugly Babies and Postnatal Depression? REALLY?

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Ok, so there are no words for this one. Maybe there are. But they are not nice ones. I, well, let’s just say some things have slipped out of my mouth in reaction to this doozy that I am not proud of at all. Justified, yes. Nice? Heck no.

Study: “Ugly” Babies and Postnatal Depression

Contact Information for Dr. Reiner Sprengelmeyer

My email to Dr. Reiner Sprengelmeyer just moments ago:

Dear Dr Reiner Sprengelmeyer:

My name is Lauren Hale and I am a two time survivor of Postpartum Obsessive Compulsive Disorder along with a Major Depressive Episode who now dedicates her time providing peer support and education to families who find themselves struggling with a Perinatal Mood Disorder or Paternal Postnatal Depression. I also blog – something I started doing after discovering an unplanned third pregnancy.

I read an article today regarding the recent research you did in which the cuteness sensitivity of young women, men, and menopausal women towards babies was studied. At the end of the article, it stated the researchers planned to study further to uncover if there was a link between the cuteness and Postnatal Depression. I have to admit that I find this vein of research very difficult to understand and I am hoping you would be willing to shed some light on how any conclusion of this research would end in a positive for women struggling with Postnatal Depression. I can tell you that both of my children with whom I suffered PPD are absolutely beautiful and we have constantly been stopped by strangers (and continue to be even now when they are older) to be told how beautiful our children are. How do you dare to even imply to a mother who is already grappling with tremendous guilt about her depressed state that it *may* have something to do with her “ugly” baby? If there is any sympathetic bone in your body, please do not continue with this research. The conclusions can only lead to negativity and harm. If you feel differently, I sincerely would like to hear your side of the story as to why this research is necessary.

Warmest,

Lauren Hale

And that’s all I’ve got to say about that. Hrmph.