Category Archives: motherhood

New Study looks at PPD Screening & Well Child Visits

Leave a reply

A study published in The Annals of Family Medicine focused on The Validity of a 2 step screen and the PHQ-9.

The results found that the 2 step screen was sensitive and the PHQ-9 was highly specific towards identifying Postpartum Depression. Women completed screening at 0 months, 1 month, 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, and 9 months postpartum.

Now if only general family doctors and pediatricians would actually implement this and we could get a solid referral system together for the moms who screen positive for Postpartum Depression, we’d be much better off!

The complete study is available here.

Astounding Testimony of Postpartum Experience

Leave a reply

Over at The Prodigal, Dave Loveless has been doing a Mental Illness series. Yesterday’s post was a rather detailed and honest account of a Mormon Mom’s experience with Postpartum Depression, including how her faith affected her recovery. I would strongly recommend reading it but do warn that it is graphic and long.

Ahhh.. the good, the bad, and the pissy

Leave a reply

i am in a grumpy mood today and I don’t know why.

I shouldn’t be. but here i sit. In a grumpy frustrated world into the depths of which I am spiraling further and further.

I need to get up and get my chores done. I know I need to but yet I don’t want to move. I’m sore. I’m tired. I’m grumpy. Maybe the toddlers are winning this one.

(by the way, did you know it takes twice as much energy to frown than to smile? that’s something to think about – being sad is HARDER)

Ok, pity party over. Gonna get moving now.

Thanks for the shoulder.

Natalie Dombrowski is SPEAKing

Leave a reply

Natalie Dombrowski is a brave mama.

I found her today because Unexpected Blessing is listed as a helpful site in a sidebar for an article about her in the Southtown Star.

She has survived so much – traumatic childbirth, hospitalization for postpartum depression, and is now dedicated to helping other mothers through speaking events and her new book, Back to You (available at amazon, by the way).

Her first event is coming up this Thursday and if you’re in the Palos Park area of IL, I would highly recommend checking it out.

Here’s the event info:

Sunrise of Palos Park
12828 S LaGrange Road
Palos Park, IL
7:00pm
Natalie will also be our featured interview the following Thursday on January 15th so check back then to find out more about Natalie and her story!

Proud to be Anti-Depressant Free!

Leave a reply

It’s taken a little over two years (April would have marked 3 years) but I am successfully Anti-depressant free and have been for the past month and a half. I still take some natural supplements to help with my mood (Omega 3.6.9 & B12) but I am so happy to be off medication. It certainly served it’s purpose while I was on it but with my last step down to barely nothing and family life picking up, more often than not I would forget to take my medication and realized after having done this for a month that I hadn’t been taking my anti-depressant and had been managing things quite well – even a crisis that flew my direction. Pleasantly surprised at this turn of events, I made the decision to stay off my medication. I have been laughing, giggling, and really enjoying life with a passion I haven’t known in a long long time. I think the thrill of knowing I’m in charge of my own mind (and doing well) again has something to do with it. The scaffolding worked and I am LOVING the renovation!