Help, Resources, and Advice for Stressed Out Parents, Post Partum Depression (PPD), and PMADs

Details: Category: New Parent Big Stuff, Mental Health, Health & Illness Support

If you are feeling stressed out and feeling alone? Do you find yourself wondering if you could have post partum depression (PPD) or a Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorder (PMAD)? Here are a list of warning signs from the Post Partum Depression Center, as well as links to personal experiences and stories from local parents about how they deal with feelings of stress and depression.

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Please note, for emergency help:

NYC Well

NYC Well – Talk. Text. Chat. 24/7

1-800-NYC-WELL (800-692-9355)

If you are having thoughts of harming yourself or your baby, please call 911
Call 311 for information about free and low-cost services and hotlines in New York City.

IN THIS ARTICLE

Warning Signs of PPD

Resources:

- support groups

- on post pregnancy mood disorders & depression, etc

- public figures on PPD

- books

- articles, videos, and documentaries from around the web

Read more on Park Slope Parents:

Personal journeys - stories from our PSP Members about how they adjusted to life with baby from over the years

Disclaimer:

These posts have not been checked for accuracy but are instead listed to show the complexity and emotionality of PPD. The content is for general informational purposes only and is not a substitute for mental health and medical advice.

ParkSlopeParents.com is not intended to, and does not, provide mental health and medical advice diagnosis or treatment. Never disregard professional medical and mental health advice, or delay in seeking it, because of something you have read on the PSP Yahoo! Group or on the PSP.com web site.

Never rely on information in an e-mail or on our web site in place of seeking professional mental health and medical advice.

Warning Signs:

According to the Motherhood Center, "60% and 80% of women experience what professionals describe as the “Baby Blues,” or feelings of exhaustion, irritation, and sadness after having given birth. These symptoms typically begin anywhere from one to three days post-delivery and may last between two and fourteen days. If your feelings persist past two weeks, however, contact a professional; you may be experiencing Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMADs)."

They also say that "more than 15% of women experience postpartum depression, perhaps even more given that the diagnosis goes highly unreported."

Here are some questions to ask yourself if you think you may have PPD:

Do You…

Have trouble sleeping?
Find you’re exhausted most of the time?
Notice a decrease in your appetite?
Worry about little things that never used to bother you?
Wonder if you’ll ever have time to yourself again?
Think your children would be better off without you?
Worry that your husband will get tired of you feeling this way?
Snap at your husband and children over everything?
Think everyone else is a better mother than you are?
Cry over the slightest thing?
No longer enjoy the things you used to enjoy?
Isolate yourself from your friends and neighbors?
Fear leaving the house or being alone?
Have anxiety attacks?
Have unexplained anger?
Have difficulty concentrating?
Think something else is wrong with you or your marriage?
Feel like you will always feel this way and never get better?

Many new mothers will experience some of these feelings. If you answered yes to more than three of these questions, you may have postpartum depression (PPD). PPD affects 20-30% of all postpartum women. It is a real illness. It is very treatable. Do not deny yourself the opportunity to feel good again. Do not let misinformation, uncertainty, shame, finances, embarrassment, or denial get in the way of you seeking the help you need. Talk to your doctor. Talk to your husband. Once you decide to seek treatment, you will be on the road to feeling better…

The above is reprinted with permission from The Postpartum Stress Center, 1062 Lancaster Avenue, Suite 2, Rosemont, PA 19010. Phone: 610-525-7527. www.postpartumstress.com

Get more advice here about PPD:
http://www.nj.gov/health/fhs/postpartumdepression/pdf/PPD-brochure.pdf

RESOURCES:

Support groups and people who can help:

NYS Dept of Health: Perinatal Depression
http://www.health.ny.gov/community/pregnancy/health_care/perinatal/perinatal_depression.htm

NYC Dept of Health And Mental Hygiene: Post-Partum Depression
http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/pregnancy/html/after/depression.shtml

Motherhood Center
https://www.themotherhoodcenter.com
The Motherhood Center recognizes that becoming a mom isn't always easy. Sometimes there can be moments of joy, but there can also be moments when you feel anxious or sad. If you have these feelings sometimes or a lot of the time, you are not alone, it's not your fault, and you will feel better with the right help. The Motherhood Center provides supportive services for new and expecting moms, including a range of treatment options for women suffering from perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs.) Whether you are looking for a support group for new mothers, lactation consultation, individual therapy or more intensive services to help you feel better, The Motherhood Center offers something to every woman making the transition to parenthood. Staffed by experienced professionals, they take an interdisciplinary approach to tackling pre- and post-natal care, PMADs, and everything in between.

Brooklyn PPD Support
www.brooklynppdsupport.org,
Brooklyn PPD Support was established a peer-to-peer support group in Brooklyn in 2006 as a place where pregnant and postpartum women can get support if they think they are at risk for PPD or other perinatal mood disorder, are experiencing symptoms and need further help and resources, or are in the care of a therapist and want to attend the group as part of their treatment plan. The group is free, meets monthly, and babies are welcome to join us. Women are encouraged to attend for as many meetings as they feel are helpful, whether once for information or monthly for ongoing support. Please note that the function of this group is to provide a forum for the exchange of peer support. It does not replace care provided by a licensed mental health practitioner. Please understand that this is a closed group; only women experiencing symptoms of a perinatal mood disorder will be allowed to participate. Graduate students, researchers and well-meaning friends and partners may not sit in on meetings. Participation is free but RSVPs are required. Brooklyn PPD Support will give you the address details when you RSVP. Contact Molly Peryer (mollyatperyerdotorg; call 917-549-6012) or Chris Lindsay-Abaire (motherthemotherdotchrisatyahoodotcom; 917-771-6359).

Postpartum Resource Center of New York
www.postpartumny.org
This is a self-help organization established to provide emotional support, educational information and healthcare and support group referrals to mothers suffering from prenatal and postpartum depression (PPD).

Postpartum Support International
www.postpartum.net
805-967-7637

The Postpartum Stress Center
http://postpartumstress.com/

Postpartum Education for Parents
www.sbpep.org
805-564-3888

The Online PPD Support Group
www.ppdsupportpage.com

The National Women's Health Information Center
www.womenshealth.gov
1-800-9949662

ON POST PREGNANCY MOOD DISORDERS, DEPRESSION, etc:

A Mother's Postpartum Depression Bill of Rights:

http://www.postpartumprogress.com/six-things-a-mothers-postpartum-depression-bill-of-rights

Public figures on PPD:

Brooke Shields:

Gwyneth Paltrow: