Many factors contributed to my postpartum psychosis. But the overwhelming cause was sleep deprivation. It wasn’t until I went through menopause that I realized – it’s not just the new baby and the wee hour feedings – hormonal changes also play a role in sleep disruption. These occur in the perinatal period as well as […] Read more…
Healthy Eating for Two
Eating for two means twice as much ice cream and pickles at midnight, right? Actually healthy eating during pregnancy is a little more complicated than that, and focus should be on common sense and sound science, rather than satisfying those weird late night cravings. FOCUS ON FOOD, NOT SUPPLEMENTS: Most doctors will recommend a specially […] Read more…
Resolve to Get Back to Prepregnancy Weight
Research shows that if you don’t lose that “baby fat” before your child’s first birthday, you probably will never get back to your prepregnancy weight. One year after delivery, nearly a quarter of new moms are still packing an extra 11 pounds or more! Here are some tips to help you get back to prepregnancy […] Read more…
My Christmas Angel
The holidays are supposed to be a time of joy. But for a mother’s who’s lost a baby, Christmas with an empty crib can be an overwhelmingly sad time. It’s been thirty years, but I still get teary-eyed when I think of my little angel. Our third son, Joshua, was born with are rare congenital […] Read more…
I’m Donating to Postpartum Support International on #GivingTuesday
Sometimes we don’t choose our causes, they choose us. I never expected to have a postpartum psychosis after the birth of my second son. I never expected to lose touch with reality, be taken away from my preemie son in a straightjacket, spend weeks on a mental ward and then claw my way back to […] Read more…
Celebrities Who Share Their Postpartum Struggles
Hats off to Hayden Panettiere for going public about her struggle with postpartum depression. I’m glad she had the courage to get help and the bravery to share her experience with the world. But I’d like to give special thanks to two celebrities who have gone the extra mile to support women and postpartum mental health causes. […] Read more…
Has Your Postpartum Experience Been Misdiagnosed?
Thirty-six years ago I had a postpartum psychosis. After delivering a premature baby and being sleep-deprived for almost two weeks, I was definitely out of touch with reality, and definitely had a postpartum psychosis. That diagnosis was correct. But when I became unstable a few months later, due to additional family stress, I was diagnosed […] Read more…
Romance doesn’t end when you say “I do.”
I was thrilled that my novel, “Back In Six Weeks” won first place in both the “Fiction-Romance” and “Women’s Studies” categories at the recent Colorado Independent Publisher’s Association EVVY Awards. After meeting and hearing the stories of so many other women who experienced postpartum psychosis or some other perinatal mood disorder, I’m thrilled that my […] Read more…
Is Guilt Over Your Postpartum Experience Killing You?
I had the privilege to attend the 28th annual conference of Postpartum Support International in Plymouth, Michigan on June 26 and 27. George Parnham, attorney for Andrea Yates was the keynote speaker. George ended his emotional presentation with the quote, “Every child deserves to be raised by a mother as free of mental illness as […] Read more…
Live Postpartum Psychosis Support Group
There are lots of support groups around the world for women with postpartum depression and anxiety. You can find a support group in your area on the website of Postpartum Support International. But women who have experienced a postpartum psychosis (PPP) may go through their entire life and never meet another woman who has […] Read more…