Category Archives: public awareness

New PPD Help for Middle TN

Leave a reply

SAINT THOMAS HEALTH SERVICES PARTNERS WITH HOPE CLINIC FOR WOMEN TO PROVIDE POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION COUNSELING AND EDUCATION

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Jan. 23, 2009 – Saint Thomas Health Services has developed a partnership with Hope Clinic for Women to provide better counseling and educational resources for Middle Tennessee women suffering postpartum depression.

Baptist Hospital in Nashville and Middle Tennessee Medical Center (MTMC) in Murfreesboro, Tenn., which are part of Saint Thomas Health Services, make follow up calls to new moms once they return home. Some of the questions asked are related to postpartum depression and the women can be connected to the Hope Clinic for Women for a full phone assessment or to set up counseling, if necessary. In addition, physicians at Baptist Hospital and MTMC can refer patients who might benefit from the treatment services offered and the program is open to any women in the Middle Tennessee community who may be experiencing postpartum depression.

Resources available from Hope Clinic for Women include screening and diagnostic assessment, individual or couples therapy, support groups, support services for fathers or referral for psychiatric  evaluation and follow up. Services are offered on a sliding scale, based on the ability to pay.

“Our hospitals deliver nearly 10,000 babies combined per year and based on input from our obstetricians, mental health – especially postpartum depression – is very under-served in Middle Tennessee,” said Amanda Cecconi, women’s health service line executive for Saint Thomas Health Services. “Part of the patient experience we provide is to ensure new moms have what they need when they return home. Unfortunately, postpartum depression is often a ‘silent topic.’ We want to be proactive by helping identify women who may be suffering from it and to offer additional resources. Hope Clinic for Women, also a faith-based organization, was a natural fit to develop a partnership.”

As many as 80 percent of women experience some mood disturbances after pregnancy. Many suffer the “baby blues,” which can last from several days up to two weeks after delivery and are characterized by mood swings, crying, feelings of doubt or being overwhelmed. These feelings subside as hormone levels begin to stabilize.

One in seven women will experience postpartum depression, which usually occurs within a few months of delivery and should be treated by a health professional. It is more serious and a major form of depression that usually occurs within a few months of delivery and can last up to a year. Its peak onset usually occurs between two and 12 weeks postpartum. Symptoms can include drastic changes in motivation, appetite or mood, severe disruptions in sleep, excessive crying without cause or provocation and difficulty concentration.

“Postpartum struggles are common and the symptoms are treatable,” said Kristi Marshall, director of client programs for Hope Clinic for Women and a counselor for the program. “Our hope is that new moms won’t let feelings of shame or embarrassment get in the way. Seeking treatment doesn’t mean admitting failure; it is the first step in the road to relief. We’re here to help answer questions or provide treatment. We’re proud to be partnered with these hospitals.”

Saint Thomas Health Services assisted Hope Clinic for Women in obtaining postpartum depression training for two of its staff members.

Hope Clinic for Women has locations in Nashville at 1810 Hayes Street and in Spring Hill at The Garden, 2620 Thompson Station Road East. Another location in Rutherford County will be added in the near future.

For more information, call Saint Thomas Health Services at (615) 284-PINK (7465) or Hope Clinic for Women at (615) 321-0005 or visit www.hopeclinicforwomen.org.

Saint Thomas Health Services is a faith-based ministry with more than 8,000 associates serving Middle Tennessee. Saint Thomas Health Services’ regional health system consists of four hospitals – Baptist and Saint Thomas in Nashville, Middle Tennessee Medical Center in Murfreesboro and Hickman Community Hospital in Centerville – and a comprehensive network of affiliated joint ventures in diagnostics, cardiac services and ambulatory surgery as well as medical practices, the Center for Spinal Surgery, clinics and rehabilitation facilities. STHS is a member of Ascension Health, a Catholic organization that is the largest not-for-profit health system in the United States. For more information, visit http://www.sths.com.

MOTHER’S Act Reintroduced to 111th Congress

Leave a reply

U.S. Senator Robert Menendez reintroduced important postpartum depression legislation in Senate January 26th, 2009!!


Today, I had the joy of participating in a conference call with the office of Senator Menendez and the other organizational sponsors of The Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act where we received the heads up that U.S. Senator Robert Menendez was hoping to reintroduce the bill today. And as of this afternoon, that is exactly what he has done!!  For hundreds of thousands of American mothers and families, this renews the hope that 2009 will indeed be the year when Congress acknowledges our nation’s mothers by addressing the full spectrum of maternal experience and finally passing this legislation .
The statistics we have on the numbers of women suffering from perinatal mood disorders (which range from 12 – 22% in the research) easily exceed the incidence associated with a public health crisis. And remember, these statistics, do NOT include the suffering of women who miscarry, endure stillbirths, give up babies for adoption or terminate pregnancies, all of whom are also susceptible to these devastating disorders and whose circumstances are included in the furthering of research and support being sought.
It is not too soon to begin contacting the senators in your state to let them know you support this long overdue legislation!!  And while you are at it, feel free to express your support to U.S. Senator Robert Menendez for whose steadfast determination we are so very grateful.Thank you to Senator Robert Menendez and the bill’s other leading cosponsors, Senators Richard Durbin, (D-IL) and Olympia Snowe (R-ME).

If your organization would like to become a sponsor of this crucial bill, please contact Emma Palmer  in Senator Menendez’s office at 202-224-4744.

Wife of Soldier Missing in Denver

Leave a reply

Kristen McCartney has gone missing. According to her mother, she suffers from Postpartum Depression and was not taking her medicine at the time of her disappearance. Police have located her vehicle with keys inside but are still looking for Kristen.

You can read more here.

Nicholas Fuelling promises to wait for his wife

Leave a reply

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.

Health care practitioners discourage disclosure of Postnatal Depression

Leave a reply

Picture by Flickr

Picture by Flickr

In a study published yesterday, UK researchers reviewed the disclosure of Postnatal Depression from three different vantage points – the mother, the GP, and home health visitors.

The results are chilling.

The mothers reported making a conscious decision regarding their decision to disclose symptoms of Postpartum Depression which is not terribly shocking because I went through the same thing. It is most definitely a conscious decision and a difficult one at that.

The chilling result lies within the response of the Health Practioners  “described strategies used to hinder disclosure and described a reluctance to make a diagnosis of postnatal depression, as they had few personal resources to manage women with postnatal depression themselves, and no services to which to refer women for further treatment.”

I feel as if I’ve been punched in the gut. I want to cry, scream, yell, stomp my feet. But I know that won’t change what’s going on over there and even over here because I’m sure this attitude is very pervasive in the medical community here in America as well.

Where’s the responsibility of the medical professional who turns a blind eye to the struggling new mother and actually uses strategies to prevent her from admitting she’s having a hard time? How does that serve anyone but the selfish nature of that physician? What happened to the Hippocratic Oath and “Do no Harm?”

If we pretend a problem doesn’t exist, it doesn’t go away. What if we pretended cancer was all in our heads and didn’t offer chemo, radiation, or other therapies? Would it go away or would it sit and fester, eventually killing us and hurting those around us? I think we all know that answer. It is no different with Postpartum Mood Disorders. Left untreated a new mother may even slip into Psychosis as she tries to rationalize intrusive thoughts or fall even deeper into depression and attempt to take her own life or even worse, that of her infant’s.

With all the online resources, training, and knowledge at the fingertips of even lay-people such as myself, there is no excuse for medical professionals to ignore this condition anymore. Any medical professional in my opinion who would implement strategies to hinder disclosure of symptoms should be stripped of the right to practice medicine. It’s wrong and it should NOT be acceptable. Mothers deserve to be treated honestly and with respect. They need to be given a safe place in which they are able to admit any emotional trauma or difficulty they are having. Giving them this space will foster the growth of trust and compassion rather than continue to grow the cold shoulder on which they have apparently been leaning upon.

So what can we do about this? Write about it like Katherine Stone, myself, Cheryl Jazzar, and others. SPEAK like Natalie Dombrowski, become active in online peer support like Tonya Rosenberg, talk to another mom and let her lean on you. Let her know you too have been there. Talk with doctors or their nursing staff about your experience and how important their role in discover and recovery can be. Write your Senator in support of The MOTHER’S Act as this wil laid in the growth of knowledge and support among the medical professional as well as research regarding how to bring the new mother and medical professional together. Sharing your story is the best thing a survivor can do. Our voices woven together can be the strongest advocate for increased treatment and acceptance. Won’t you lend us yours?