January's topic was "Belly Flop: Diving into Help when Postpartum Hits."
Did you know
that
4 out of 5 women experience some level of postpartum blues or depression?
Yeah, that almost ALL of us. This is an incredibly relevant topic, yet so many moms don't talk about it openly. So this month, we decided to bring the postpartum issues out of the closet. It's important to know that it's ok. It's normal. It'll pass. And it's good to ask for help.
This month's devotional was by Vanessa. She did a truly wonderful job & was kind enough to share her notes with me, so there's an additional post coming right up!
And for this month's craft, we made memory jars for 2013... what a great idea for those of us who just aren't going to keep up with a full-fledged journal or scrapbook! Stay tuned for a tutorial post.
Our speaker was Donna Tingle, a Licensed Professional Counselor with Anmed Health Psychiatry here in Anderson. She shared her own experience with postpartum depression after her second child was born only 13 months after her first. Donna talked about how acceptance & understanding by her husband was a huge factor... that it wasn't until he was supportive & onboard that things began getting better.
Donna also talked about how to know the difference between "baby blues" & postpartum depression. If you experience all or a few of these symptoms, you may be suffering from the "baby blues":
- weepiness
- moodiness & irritability
- some good days & some bad days
- occasional sadness for no apparent reason
- feelings of being overwhelmed
If you are experiencing all or several of these symptoms, you may be suffering from postpartum depression & you should contact your obgyn:
- you have very few, if any, good days
- constant weepiness & moodiness
- feelings of overwhelming anxiety &/or hopelessness
- significant weight loss or gain
- inability to sleep or sleeping all the time
- restlessness (not being able to sit still, feeling jittery) or sluggishness (feeling like you're moving in slow motion)
- difficulty concentrating or making decisions
- feelings of guilt for no apparent reason
- thoughts of hurting yourself or your baby (if this applies to you, please call your doctor immediately)
Donna told us that if you have postpartum depression with one pregnancy, you are more likely to have it with subsequent pregnancies. Also, she told us that PPD is genetic... that if your mom &/or grandmother had it, you are more likely to experience symptoms. Treatment for PPD includes, but isn't limited to, coping techniques, counseling & medication.
If you would like to make an appointment to talk to Donna, here's her contact info:
Donna G. Tingle
864-226-1166
donna.tingle@anmedhealth.org
Additional Resources for postpartum blues & depression:
- WebMD
- Do you have symptoms of depression? Click here & here to take a quiz.
- Postpartum Progress - recommended by parenting.com & health.com
- Baby Center
- Blogs of women who have experienced PPD: Okay, BA, dooce, Postpartum & Pigtails
- Top 25 PPD Blogs according to Circle of Moms
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