Tag Archives: Postpartum Mood Disorders

CAMH researchers uncover possible biological link for Postpartum Mood Disorders

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Researchers at the Centre for Addictions and Mental Health, or CAMH, have recently published an intriguing study regarding a biological link to Postpartum Mood Disorders.

The study involved 30 women; 15 of whom were immediately postpartum and 15 who were not at all postpartum. All women underwent PET scans to measure MAO-A binding.

The findings are stunning.

Normal women who have just delivered a baby had 43% higher MAO-A levels than women who had not given birth.

Why is this stunning?

Well, it has to do with the role of MAO-A in the body. MAO-A is a protein which helps to remove chemicals from your body like serotonin which help you maintain a good mood. Elevated levels of MAO-A means that more serotonin is being cleaned out of your body, thus making you sadder. Wait, there’s a kicker. The highest MAO-A levels were recorded on Day 5 post-delivery, the most severe day of the baby blues.

Interestingly enough, MAO-A is also located in the placenta, in the  Syncytiotrophoblast layer where moms and babies exchange nutrients.

While social struggles and lack of support may exacerbate the symptoms and increase the recovery from a Postpartum Mood Disorder, researchers like Dr. Jeffrey Meyer and Dr. Michael Silverman are peeling back more and more layers each and every day. They’re exploring deeper than ever before into a neurobiological basis of Postpartum Mood Disorders which may one day allow us to successfully avoid the experience all together. What a day that will be! Until then, we need to continue to provide non-judgmental and compassionate support for moms and families struggling with a Postpartum Mood Disorder. It’s through the careful marriage of research, social support and medical support that we will best reach recovery.

Additional Sources:

A New Biological Explanation for Sadness in early Postpartum, CAMH Press Release, retrieved 05/04/2010

Free Postpartum Mood Disorder Conference in Flagstaff, AZ

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This Friday and Saturday there is a free two day conference in Flagstaff, AZ at Flagstaff Medical Center. The topic is Perinatal Mood Disorders: Assessment and Treatment.

CEU’s and AMA PRA Category 1 credits are available.

You can read more about this conference here, as well as access contact information for registration.


Thanks to Sera @ Laughing through the Chaos for leaving this tip in the comments:

Just an FYI in case anyone plans on coming up for it who isn’t already registered. I would definitely, definitely call before you travel there. I’ll be there and they were overwhelmed with the response. There’s a large waiting list right now, so they’re asking that if current attendees can’t make it, that they let the organizers know so they can start letting the wait listers in.

Thanks for spreading the word! It’s going to be an amazing conference, and we’re hopeful that it’s going to mean big things for awareness, education, screening and treatment of PMD in Arizona.

The reprehensible spammification of Postpartum Mood Disorders

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Something is afoot.

Something strange, disturbing, and downright irresponsible.

Sadly, I am not surprised at this recent development given what a hot topic Postpartum Mood Disorders has become of late in relation to recently (passed!) legislation and the courage of more and more mothers speaking out about their own difficult experiences after the birth of a child.

More and more, I have been receiving very odd links in my Google Alerts for several Postpartum Mood Disorder related search terms. These links lead to websites that have absolutely nothing to do with anything maternal, postpartum, baby, family, or any other related topics. And the information included therein is anything but accurate or reliable.

Even worse, I’ve been seeing a lot of new websites crop up with blanket promises of “Curing” postpartum depression for one low price. (One website even includes a friends and family “coupon” which cuts the price in half just for you!)

My stomach has been churning at the very thought of at-risk women and well-meaning family members finding these sites.

Oh yes, ladies and gentleman, I’m talking about the spammification of Postpartum Mood Disorders.

I can tell the difference between a reliable website and an unreliable website.

Women who blog with me, survivors, experts, and others intimately familiar with the topic can tell the difference.

But what about women and families currently being tossed about on the big nasty Postpartum Sea? Can THEY tell the difference or will they fall prey to these deceptive tactics masquerading as effective life preservers in a hopelessly churlish sea?

Spamming is a disgusting and contemptuous act which has been going on for years. Many of our in-boxes sit full of spam. Some of it makes it through from the spam folder into our in-box making it seem even more reliable. And if one of these links were to make it into the in-box of an at-risk woman or a well-meaning but uninformed family member of a woman struggling with a Postpartum Mood Disorder, the results may prove ghastly.

So what are we to do?

How do we get educated and knowledgeable when it comes to dissecting the authority and reliability of a website?

There are a few steps you can take.

First, is the site’s URL address directly related to the topic you’ve researched?

Chances are that if you’ve researched Postpartum Mood Disorders or Depression and end up on a website for air conditioners, furniture, auto repair, or turf builder, you’re not at a reputable website.

Second, let’s say that the website you’re at DOES correlate to the topic you’ve researched and the word postpartum is in the URL address. That’s gotta be good, right? Well, yes, and no.

Does this website link to known organizations specializing in helping women with this issue? (Think Postpartum Support International) What’s their google page rank? Are they HON Code certified? (Think Postpartum Progress) What’s the story behind the person who put the website together? Are they clear about their training? Do they let you know they’re a Mom/peer supporter, a doctor, provide confirmable evidence of education/degrees/certifications? Can you find anything about them elsewhere? Have other bloggers or websites linked to them and endorsed them or mentioned them? Or are they only published at their specific website and other unreliable websites? (I don’t have a high Google Page Rank or an HONcode certification but I am working to improve my page rank and also toward an HONcode certification as well. I also over-research everything I put up here which is why sometimes I’m a little behind on posting about a hot topic. I’d rather get it right than have it up as soon as it happens)

Third – is the website trying to sell you something? Does the website promise a cure? Are they dismissive of an entire approach to treating Postpartum Mood Disorders?

If the website is really trying to get you to buy something without describing in detail what it is, you need to be wary. There is no one size fits all treatment. There is NO overnight cure for Postpartum Mood Disorders. Just as with all women, all pregnancies, and all deliveries, there are many different types of Postpartum Mood Disorders and they are rooted in different issues dependent on the history of the woman, the type of birth she experienced, her thyroid levels, anemia levels, etc. There are SO many different layers to uncover when it comes to a Postpartum Mood Disorder. It is dangerous to buy into a one size fits all approach. Just as labor is a fluid process subject to change at any moment given any circumstances, so is postpartum recovery. We all approach life with our own individualized chemistry and baggage. Matching sets don’t commonly occur out here in the real world.

The practice of Quackery has been around for eons and will unfortunately continue to exist as long as people are willing to grasp at any answers that may save them from their current condition. That being said, there are legitimate complementary treatments and alternative approaches available for treating postpartum mood disorders. Anyone worth their salt in dedication to helping women with Postpartum Mood Disorder will be open to supporting whatever path you choose to take toward wellness regardless of what type of methods you choose. In the same vein, anyone worth their salt will also strongly encourage you to work with medical professionals as you work toward wellness. Anyone worth their salt will also openly share their training, education, and base of knowledge with you as well. There should be no hidden cloak, no Wizard of Oz mumbo jumbo going on during your journey to wellness with a good provider.

Here are a couple additional links that may help you navigate your way through the 102,000 results you’ll get via Google in .20 seconds for Postpartum Mood Disorders:

Tips on Identifying Reliable Health Information on the Internet

Quackwatch.org

What can you do if you fall victim to one of these websites? First, you can file with the FTC. And if you’ve lost money and care to pursue legal action, you are entitled to do so under something called the Lanham Act. You can also contact the Better Business Bureau’s Online department by clicking here. You can also click here for seven tips on how to keep your email address from getting added to the growing number of spam lists out there.

As more and more voices speak up about their experience with Postpartum Depression, more and more Snake Oil salesmen will crop up to take advantage of the growing searches occurring on the Internet for information. It’s sad and blasphemously tragic but such has been the way for ages with many medical conditions.

Bottom line: If in doubt, throw it OUT. That phrase is handy in the restaurant industry and certainly handy here too. If a link promises too much too fast or reeks of a foul distrusting odor, throw it out.

Tread carefully. Think it through. Talk to a professional. Take care of you.

Tomorrow we’ll be sharing tips on how to tell a good doctor/therapist from a bad doctor/therapist.

Have any tips or insights to share on this? Email me at ppdacceptance(@)gmail.com.

Be sure to check back to see if your tips/experiences were included!

Thank you, NY Times, for reminding me why I blog

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Wow.

On March 12, the NYT published an article about Mommy Bloggers entitled Honey, Don’t bother Mommy. I’m too busy building my brand.

I needed a good hard smack in the face to wake me up.

A good reminder as to why I, an alleged Mommy Blogger, do what I do.

It’s not because I needed to re-frame a pregnancy after a harrowing rollercoaster ride to Postpartumville.

Nah, can’t be.

It’s not because I want to educate and increase awareness about Postpartum Disorders and recognize other Mommy Bloggers doing the same.

Nope.

What about increasing awareness for resources for families struggling with Postpartum Mood Disorders? Could that be it?

Maybe. But probably not. In fact, I highly doubt it.

Hrm. What about processing the bumps along the road since my pregnancy?

Probable but unlikely.

According to the NYT, I blog so I can get free stuff. So I can pimp my little corner on the web out to Corporate America. And more importantly, I blog because with three kids ages 5 and under, I just don’t have enough to do.

YEAP! That’s IT! SO ME! OH SO ME! *jumps up and down* Wait – how did they know???

Oh wait, I’m supposed to be blogging about how to make tutu’s and scrapbooking too, cuz according to the Times, I care about those things.

Ahem. Who do you think I am? Martha friggin Stewart? Clearly you don’t have a hidden camera here because then you’d know I’m a bit more in Roseanne Barr’s lane when it comes to keeping house.

Thank you NYT for the harsh reminder of why I’ve leapt headfirst into this strange land called the Blogosphere.

I had almost forgotten.

And forgetting why you blog, dear friends, is just dangerous.

Discovery Health Postpartum Nightmares airs March 2, 2010 as part of “Baby Week”

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This past weekend I had an opportunity to view the entire program ahead of airing schedule at the invitation of Discovery Communications. And no, I’m not being paid to post about this. (Happy, FTC?)

Discovery Health is airing “Baby Week” this week. The second program is entitled “Postpartum Nightmares” and airs on March 2nd, 2010. Check your local listings for the time.

I will admit that I had my hesitations about this documentary at the outset. First, I was not aware of the program. Second, the first description I saw promised “experts’ and well, we know from the past how well that can go.

After a few emails, I discovered the experts they were able to get involved were none other than Shoshana Bennett and Pec Indman. Cool. Two amazing women who know precisely what they are talking about and are filled with compassion for the families fighting Postpartum Mood Disorders. Now – what about the re-enactments? What are THEY going to be like?

The re-enactments are not for the faint of heart. Just 90 seconds in and I was ready to throw in the towel – ready to write off the whole thing. I questioned if I was watching a documentary or a horror film. But I took a deep breath and continued to watch, shooing my children back to nap every five minutes.

Based on what I saw and managed to hear (in between shooing the kids back to nap), the overall narration was impressive. The three women in the documentary were treated with quite a bit of respect. They told their stories with amazing detail and explained the treatment through which they found recovery very well. Do note that their birth experiences were somewhat on the extreme side and I don’t remember hearing one I would term a “normal” birth experience (ie, no complications/surgery). At the end of the program, I was glad I hung tough. I am glad Discovery Health has put this out there despite the graphic dramatization of the re-enactments. Although, thinking back on my own experience, a lot of what was described eerily similar to what I experienced. The intrusive thoughts, the overwhelming anxiety, the desire to just not have to deal with it anymore – all of that is there. I just wish it hadn’t looked so much like a horror film.

If you are currently struggling with Postpartum Depression, have recently recovered or are emotionally fragile and haunted by images, etc, I would not recommend you watch this program as it may cause more harm than good.

Some of the important topics touched on during the program are:

Ultimately, I was happiest that there was a clear distinction drawn between Postpartum Depression and Postpartum Psychosis. And I was beyond thrilled that Postpartum OCD was discussed. It’s very rare for OCD to be discussed as it is quite often mistaken for Psychosis. I also thought it was really cool the way PSI was mentioned in the third story. (You’ll just have to see that for yourself should you choose to watch!)

I really liked that Dads were interviewed for all three stories in addition to the Moms. The dad’s give an additional depth to the story that just would not have been there had we only heard the story from the Moms. It is truly important to remember that a Postpartum Mood Disorder affects more than just mom. It ripples out and hits the entire family.

Discovery has a couple of pages set up for resources. You can find them here:

Postpartum Resources

Postpartum Family Info

If you choose to watch this program and want to vent and/or discuss it afterward, please catch up with me on Twitter. My username there is unxpctdblessing. I’ll be available to talk and answer (to the best of my ability) any questions you may have. Use the “hashtag” #discoveryPPD or @ me so I can find you.

You are not alone.

If you are watching the program and begin to have issues and need to talk with someone, you can call the PSI Warmline @ 1.800-944-4PPD. There is a Coordinator checking messages daily. Your call should be returned within 24 hours. If it is not, email PSI to let them know you have not had a call back. You can also locate a coordinator in your area via by clicking here and finding your state or international location.