I happened across another blog this evening written by a Mama who is going through PPD a second time around. Her writing is powerful, intimate, and honest. Please go stop by her blog, Grab a Cup, and show her some love and support. She’s in need of prayers and support!
After a particularly stressful weekend of Cameron screaming his way through it and the girls well, being toddlers, I made it a point to slow down today. You wouldn’t know it though because I did three loads of dishes and laundry (no, I didn’t FOLD the laundry.. that’s for tomorrow), cooked a wonderful rosemary dijon pork roast with carrot souffle, green beans, and stuffing. YUM. And for dessert, we made gum drops. (Jello cut into shapes and dusted with powdered sugar) See.. fun stuff!
After dinner, I decided to fix myself a cup of tea once I had finished cleaning up. Took the tea to the front porch and sat on our bench swing to watch Nature settle in for the evening. I am still breathless and amazed at everything I quietly witnessed.
Bees buzzed, birds chirped and called to one another, squirrels played tag in the gigantic pines, children down the road squealed in delight and called to one another, walkers strode by and bicyclists zoomed past. I watched the goats at the farm across the street scurry toward dinner and felt wind that was stirred up by two birds flying through our front porch. But the most captivating of all was a tiny brown creature with long ears and a twitching nose. A wild bunny rabbit sat in our front yard eating dinner. I sipped my tea slowly and watched as the bunny sniffed and chewed, occasionally stopping to scratch it’s ear. As he slipped away across the yard, he stopped to clean his face. Well-mannered little thing, I thought. The sun continued to slide down behind the trees, leaving an orange glow wrapped around the stand of pine trees in our yard. This glow illuminated all the flying insects and made them seem magical, almost surreal. And that my friends, is why I will take my front yard over Calgon any day!
The Mother’s Act is poised for mark-up in the Senate’s HELP committee, chaired by Sen. Edward Kennedy. Below is a summary of the bill. Click here to read the full text.
I plan on contacting all members of the HELP committee to voice my support for this bill and urge you to do the same. There’s a link at the top of the committee’s page to contact them or you can contact them individually.
Let your voice be heard – every one matters!
And here’s a petition you can sign as well: http://www.capwiz.com/ndmda/issues/alert/?alertid=11246546
SUMMARY AS OF:
5/11/2007–Introduced.
Mom’s Opportunity to Access Health, Education, Research, and Support for Postpartum Depression Act or the MOTHERS Act – Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants to: (1) states to provide to women who have recently given birth and their families, before such women leave their birthing centers, education concerning postpartum depression, postpartum mood and anxiety disorders, and postpartum psychosis and to screen new mothers for such postpartum conditions during their first year of postnatal checkup visits; and (2) public or nonprofit private entities to provide for the delivery of essential services to individuals with such postpartum conditions and their families.
Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and the heads of other federal agencies that administer federal health programs, to organize a series of national meetings that are designed to develop a research plan for postpartum depression and psychosis.
Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director, to expand and intensify research relating to postpartum conditions to carry out such plan.
This morning I went to go and get the girls up and during one of the trips back to their room while cleaning the house before getting them up, I didn’t see them so I went up to their gate. And what I saw next was an absolute blessing and made my heart soar.
Both of them were kneeling, facing each other, and holding hands. Alli was praying for the both of them that God would help them to have a good day. They looked up when they saw that I was there and I apologized for intruding. I shared with Chris what I had seen and we were both just very happy. When we went back into the kitchen, Alli told us she had just finished praying.
AWWWWWWWWWW.
I have been tremendously blessed to have the privilege to get to know Jess Banas. She is one of the most vibrant, compassionate, and warmest people that I have ever encountered. Jess serves as the Online Coordinator for Postpartum Support International and is one of the Adminstrator at the Online Postpartum Support Page (which was started by Tonya Rosenburg who will be appearing in an interview soon!) I hope that you find solace, truth, and comfort in Jess’ answers. I know that I have found all three through getting to know her and I am very excited to be able to share her sparkling personality with you!
1) I know that you have personal experience with Postpartum Thyroid Issues. Would you mind sharing your story with us and why it’s so important every woman get checked for these if PPD is suspected?
My first bout of PPD was in 1997. I had no idea that I was ill because of the lack of information related to postpartum anxiety that was available. I did not recognize my irritability and insomnia as relatable to thyroid imbalance or illness, I just thought I was ungrateful (for the gift of motherhood) and felt I was failing as a mother. Finally, I could not take the mood swings any longer and when I went in to get help, my doctor took my blood for a thyroid screen. I was diagnosed with postpartum depression and thyroiditis.
The second time I had PPD, I was on thyroid medication, but still had a thyroid imbalance. My levels were 12 times higher than the highest normal range! I later discovered that thyroiditis is fairly common. In fact, studies indicate that 10% of postpartum women have thyroid fluctuations after pregnancy. Unfortunately, thyroid screens are not a common part of the six week postpartum checkup, even though the risk for thyroid imbalances are considerably higher than that of gestational diabetes which is 1-3%.
2) What do you find to be most challenging about Motherhood? The least?
The most challenging part of motherhood for me is finding harmony between my personal needs and those of my children. I find that if I don’t give time to myself and my relationship with my husband and friends, I become worn down, start to feel resentful, and feel less patient and tolerant. Giving to myself and taking care of my needs is not only important, it is vital to being a good parent and a good person. I have realized that saying “no” is a huge part of creating the time I need to give back to myself. Saying “no” is actually saying “yes” to me and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that!!
The least challenging part of motherhood is the feeling of love and joy that comes with having two little lives join my husband and I. It seems that the love just grows each day that they exist!
3) How has becoming a Mother changed you?
I have found out who I am in being a mother. I have discovered what makes me tick, what is important to me, and discovered my priorities. Once I did that, everything else became easier and calmer. Nothing is as important to me as my family. I have more inner peace now and take better care of myself as a result. Because of this, I am in better shape than I was before I had children.
4) In your opinion, what aspect of Motherhood should be most celebrated?
I am not exactly sure how to put this, but I strongly feel that mothers should be “mothered” more in this country than they are now. There is so much attention given to the expectant mother, but once the baby arrives, the focus is centered on the infant and the mother is lost in the shuffle. I feel that mothering the new mother is extremely important and not done routinely enough! New mothers should be celebrated and focused on more so than they are. By all means come over and visit the baby, but don’t come without having a casserole in hand and be willing to chip in to do a load of laundry (or two) at the very least. Don’t expect to have the new mother wait on you, wait on her! It takes a full year for a new mother to recover from pregnancy, so there is a valid reason for giving a new mother TLC!
5) What led you to become involved with PSI?
The Yates family tragedy occurred when my daughter was only 3 months old. When the media (incorrectly) called it postpartum depression, I was totally freaked out and feared that I would possibly do the same thing, so I felt compelled to go online and search for answers. I went to the ABC News Message board. There I learned what PPD was. I realized that this kind of thing would continue to happen unless somebody did something to change it. I realized that I was going to be that somebody. I had to do something to prevent things like this from ever happening again… I had to at least try. For those children and those mothers…I had to try.
Women I have met ONLINE taught me about links, URLs, spam, Google, how to research, and much more. Women who survived PPP (Postpartum Psychosis) were able to clearly show me the differences between sanity and insanity in regards to psychotic behavior. We, in turn, tried to educate others who came to the ABC News Message board searching for answers.
While researching, I found the PSI website. With the encouragement and help of Tonya Rosenberg, who strongly endorsed PSI as a force for change, I joined PSI.
6) What do you do to spoil yourself when you have time away from the kids?
Lots of things! I take long bubble baths, go out to dinner with my husband, exercise, talk on the phone, read, nap, eat great food, write, play my guitar, cuddle with my doggie, watch my favorite shows on TV (I have TV recorded), giggle with my hubby in bed, and when things are rough, allow myself to have a good cry. The best thing I’ve learned to do is to hug myself when I’m stressed instead of beating myself up.
7) What activity refreshes you the most when you’ve had a rough day?
A combination of exercise, a shower, and either listening to music or playing my guitar.
8 ) How did you come to work with the Online Postpartum Support Page?
After a few weeks, ABC news shut down the Yates discussion; so in July of 2001, I created the Yahoo! Postpartum Mental Illnesses Group. Tonya Rosenberg (The founder of the Online Postpartum Support Page) came to my Yahoo group, introduced herself to me, and invited me to check out her group in 2001.
9) Any advice for other women who want to pay their experience forward and help women with PPD?
That is so easy!! Go online and join PSI, other online PPD support websites, and start supporting other women. Model the best that women can be by taking care of yourself and your family!! Think globally and act locally!!
10) If there was one piece of advice you could give to an expectant mother (new or experienced), what would it be and why would this be important for her to hear?
Educate yourself on the subject of YOUR BODY & HOW IT BEST FUNCTIONS thru the various ages and stages of life! We know more about how to program our VCRs than we do our own bodies and that is simply to our own personal detriment. Ignorance is NOT bliss, my friends. In my own humble local library there are now tons of books on the subject of postpartum depression and women’s moods/hormones and bodies, so there is plenty of free information out there now! Also, please PLEASE do not hesitate to ask for and expect HELP!