Katherine Stone over at Postpartum Progress is taking nominations for the Top 10 Perinatal Writers of 2010.
I’ll definitely be nominating some of the Postpartum Voices of the week for this award!
If you write about Perinatal Mood Disorders or really like something I have posted here, please nominate yourself (or me!) for the award.
Here’s the down low straight from Katherine:
I know I can’t wait to see the finalists. The list Katherine put together last year was phenomenal!
Katherine Stone’s blog, Postpartum Progress, turned six years old two days ago.
Six years ago this month found me struggling to find help for my first episode of Postpartum OCD. I came across Katherine’s site shortly after she started it as the only sources of help I ended up with were virtual. I found the Online Postpartum Page and the iVillage boards to be helpful as well. But never did I think I would end up a blogger like Katherine. Heck, back then I had no idea what a blog was, to be completely honest. (Oh, how the times have changed!)
I went back and read Katherine’s first post. Her goal? That Postpartum Progress help in some small way.
In her birthday post this past week, she writes:
I have now spent six years with postpartum depression, figuratively speaking. Six years writing about every aspect I can think of.
And I love it.
Thank you for reading. I hope it can continue to help women who seek answers and support.
I, for one, cannot WAIT to see what the next six years bring for Katherine.
And Katherine – you have done SO much more than just help in a small way. Your contribution has been tremendous. Because of you, women are bravely voicing their experience with Postpartum Mood Disorders (myself included). Because of you, more and more are aware of Postpartum Mood Disorders. Because of you – there is hope. Thank you.
As my regular readers know, I typically do not post anything beyond my Friday Soother on Fridays.
But this important and I know you will want to watch it.
The video is 33 minutes long but OH SO WORTH IT.
What a wonderful celebration!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oosq2oQuzA]
Today, at 1130 a.m. EST, a gathering will take place. A gathering that has been years in the making, has had some of the most amazing and dedicated supporters I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting, and a gathering that celebrates the thousands and possibly millions of lives which will be saved in the years to come.
Senator Menendez, Rep. Bobby Rush, Carol Blocker, Susan Dowd Stone, Katherine Stone, Sylvia Lasalandra, and several other advocates are gathering on Capitol Hill to celebrate the enactment of the MOTHER’S Act. This is a momentous day indeed.
This past year I spearheaded a blog event to help increase grassroots support of this bill. Several other women also worked diligently to increase support and gather signatures for a petition which was presented to Senators in support of this bill. It was not an easy task. We had opposition. Opposition which attacked us like nothing I’ve ever experienced. They said things about us that simply were not true in an attempt to bring us down and decrease our support for the bill. But it didn’t work. We persevered through their words, through their hatred, through their guilt-ridden tactics. Was it easy? Heck no. But we kept on in the trenches because we had truly been IN the trenches fighting off our own battles with Postpartum Mood Disorders before our births as advocates. We knew what it was like to be tragically alone in that cold, damp place. And we were gonna be damned if we let that continue to be the norm.
Along the way, we proved our compassion for all new moms. We provided resources and supported them as they cried out for help in the darkness of their battle with Postpartum Mood Disorder instead of attacking them for choosing to use certain therapies available to them.We lifted women and families up with love, warmth, and cherished each one of their experiences. We cried with them, laughed with them, celebrated victories and comforted in times of loss and grief. We were there.
We won a good fight.
And today?
Today’s just the icing on the cake – the party.
But beneath that icing, rest assured we will continue our hard work. We WILL be there for all those who contact us, who lean on us for support, for reassurance that yes, YOU too can beat this beast.
Today though, I’m giving you permission to have your cake and eat it too. We’ve damn well earned it.
No, it’s not flowers.
No, not chocolate or even a day at the spa. (although…. nah……)
Seriously though.
I know about the best Mother’s Day Gift of All.
The first annual Mother’s Day Rally for Moms’ Mental Health.
The event starts on Mother’s Day at midnight and will include 24 of some of the most amazing women in the Postpartum/Perinatal field.
From survivors to experts, these women will come together for 24 hours at Postpartum Progress, the nation’s widest read blog about Perinatal Mood Disorders, written by none other than the fabulous Katherine Stone.
I’m deeply honored to be among these 24 women.
We’ve been asked to write open letters to new moms focusing on the importance of maternal mental health. Any angle, length, voice, etc.
Some of the featured authors (besides myself) are:
Rita Arens, editor of “Sleep Is For the Weak: The Best of the Mommybloggers” and author of the blog Surrender, Dorothy
Vicki Glembocki, author of “The Second Nine Months: One Woman Tells the Real Truth About Becoming A Mom … Finally” and featured blogger on Oprah.com with Blunt Force Mama
Catherine Connors, author of the very popular mommy blog Her Bad Mother and contributing editor at BlogHer
Therese Borchard, author of the hit daily blog “Beyond Blue” on Beliefnet, which is featured regularly on the Huffington Post, and editor of “The Imperfect Mom: Candid Confessions of Mothers Living in the Real World”
Stefanie Wilder-Taylor, author of “Sippy Cups Are Not For Chardonnay” and “Naptime is the New Happy Hour” and a regular on NBC’s “The Today Show”
Ruta Nonacs, MD, PhD, Harvard Medical School psychiatry professor and author of “A Deeper Shade of Blue: A Woman’s Guide to Recognizing & Treating Depression in Her Childbearing Years”
So as you’re celebrating Mother’s Day this Sunday take some time each hour (or even a bit of time at the end of the day) to read this amazing collection of work. I know I can’t wait to see the entire collection!