Description of Perinatal Mood Disorders

During pregnancy or the first year after the birth of a baby, feeling depressed (sad, unhappy, upset) is common. Almost 80% of women have sadness, crying spells, and reduced energy. It may be difficult to enjoy things they used to enjoy or even to spend time with the baby or family. Usually this only lasts a week or two, but for some it can last much longer. Sometimes disturbing thoughts come to mind such as thoughts of suicide, self-harm, or hurting the baby. Fears that someone will find out about these thoughts and take the baby can cause some women to become isolated and secretive about what is going on inside. Sometimes there are big stresses in life such as problems with the partner, money, housing, transportation, one's health or the health of the baby (or even death of the baby).  For some women, the problem is mood swings or irritability. For some women the problem is more worry than depression. She may be worried about strange thoughts more than anything else. Some women may have symptoms before, during, or after a previous pregnancy. It is also possible to have had symptoms earlier in life when not pregnant or postpartum. Some women have trouble with eating too little or too much and sleeping too little or too much. Some women may use alcohol, tobacco or drugs to feel better.
Try not to worry if you have some of these symptoms, but do let your doctor, nurse or counselor know about them. There is help for you. It is not your fault. You can get help so you can feel well again.
Additional information on perinatal mood disorders is available at: http://postpartum.net.gravitatehosting.com/Get-the-Facts.aspx

Postpartum Depression and/or Perinatal Mood Disorders Support

You are not alone. There are many resources to help you when facing postpartum depression and/or perinatal mood disorders. Talk to your doctor, nurse, or counselor to learn more. Many communities offer support groups for women and their families.

There are three support groups in Kalamazoo. Any woman who is pregnant or a new mom is welcome to join the group. It is FREE. You can also bring your baby with you to the group. For additional information and support group locations and time contact  the Mother's Mind Matters office at (269)337-4510. Or you can e-mail us for information on support groups at info@mothersmindmatters.org

 

Support Groups

(click on "Events" tab for up to date Support Group events)

BirthTalk                                                                                                                              This support group is for moms (families) at any point of their pregnancy. If you have questions about birthing and parenting an infant, this is the group for you. Some of the topics to be discussed are changes in early pregnancy and getting ready for the birth.This is a great chance to ask questions or review labor coping skills. You are encouraged to bring a brown bag lunch and spend time with other expectant moms (and dads) and an experienced childbirth educator. Families with toddlers meet before this group from 10:00 a.m. until noon and families with infants meet from 1:30 – 3:30 p.m. Come early or stay late and chat with families who are experiencing what you are looking forward to.

BabyTalk                                                                                                                                                                      This family support group meets every Wednesday afternoon 1:30-3:30 p.m. Moms (and dads) with infants up to one year old can network with other moms and share the joys and trials of caring for a new baby. A children’s librarian will share age appropriate stories and activities on the second Wednesday of the month.

ToddlerTalk                                                                                                               ToddlerTALK is for caregivers with toddlers 1-3 yrs old. Toddlers play together while parents and caregivers of toddlers share the joys and challenges of parenting a toddler. Bronson’s Connie Koning, an experienced Registered Nurse, will take part in the conversation and can answer questions about child development and health. A children’s librarian will share age appropriate stories and activities on the second Wednesday of the month.

For more information on BirthTalk, BabyTalk, & ToddlerTalk contact Connie Koning at 381-1234       

                                                                                                                         

A.W.A.R.E. Support Group for women trying to recover from addictions                              

For women with children in their life or who are pregnant and in early recovery from drugs and alcohol.  The 1st hour is devoted to the topic of the day and the 2nd hour we have lunch, and have a discussion about our lives in recovery.  Meetings are every Wednesday from 10:30am-12:30 at  First United Methodist Church 212 South Park Street (Big White Church on corner of Park St & Academy across from Bronson Park)

 

Mother's of Hope for women trying to recover from addictions

Please Contact Mothers of Hope for an Appointment (any of the following contact numbers can assist you) : Gwen Lanier (269)217-3830, Loretta Bates (269)353-1881, or Delores Johnson (269)344-8085    

Downloadable Forms for Clinicians, Mothers and Support Givers

The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) is a survey you can fill out yourself. It is a screening test; not a medical diagnosis. If something does not seem right, call your health care provider regardless of your score.

Click to download EPDS Survey

Mental Health Professionals Network

This is a list of mental health providers who have a special interest in postpartum depression and perinatal mood disorders. For EMERGENCIES or if you need URGENT CARE, dial 911 or go to your closest hospital emergency room.
Mental Health Network List

Support Group

Support Group Flyer

A Support Group is a group of people who meet often to share their thoughts and feelings with each other. Often what bothers one person in the group will be familiar to other group members. Group members can share with each other good ways to deal with similar challenges. They are free and do not require insurance. Some maternal support groups welcome babies to attend with the mother.

Group Therapy

A Therapy Group is similar in some ways to a support group. The difference is the group is led by a qualified mental health professional. A therapy group is designed to help people cope with thoughts, feelings and behaviors found with depression, anxiety or stress. The therapist must make a record of each visit. A fee is charged for each visit. Your insurance may pay for this.

Online Resources

Kalamazoo County Resources

 

Alternatives Pregnancy Care Center

http://www.pregnancychoices.com/joomla

 

Birth Kalamazoo

www.birthkalamazoo.com

 

Borgess Medical Center

http://www.borgess.com

 

Bronson Methodist Hospital:

http://www.bronsonhealth.com

 

Caring Network

http://www.catholicfamilyservices.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=21&Itemid=19

 

Community Healing Center

www.chcmi.org

 

Department of Human Services

http://www.michigan.gov/dhs

 

Family and Children Services

www.fcsource.org

 

Family Health Center

http://www.fhckzoo.com

 

Gentiva

http://www.gentiva.com/index.php

 

Healthy Babies Healthy Start

http://www.kalcounty.com/hcs/hbhs/index.htm

 

Partners in Women’s Health

http://www.partnersinwomenshealth.com/index.html

 

Planned Parenthood of South Central Michigan

http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-center/centerDetails.asp?f=3299&a=90680&v=details

 

WIC

http://www.kalcounty.com/hcs/wic/wicworks.html

 

 

Women’s Health Resources

 

American College of Nurse Midwives

http://www.midwife.org

 

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists

www.acog.org

 

La Leche League International

http://www.llli.org

 

National Women’s Health Information Center

www.4woman.gov

 

Hale Publishing-Breastfeeding

http://www.ibreastfeeding.com

 

WebMD

www.webmd.com

 

The Antiepileptic Drug Pregnancy Registry

http://www.aedpregnancyregistry.org

 

Fussy Baby Network

http://www.erikson.edu/fbn.aspx

 

Postpartum Depression and Perinatal Mood Disorders Resources

 

Emory University Women’s Mental Health Program

http://www.emorywomensprogram.org

 

I’m Listening – Jane Honikman (founder of Postpartum Support International)

www.janehonikman.com

 

Online PPD Support Group

www.ppdsupportpage.com

 

Marce’ Society

www.marcesociety.com

 

National Center for Fathering

www.fathers.com

 

Online Forum for Dads

www.fathersforum.com

 

Perinatal Care Foundation – Wisconsin Association for Perinatal Care

www.perinatalweb.org

 

Postpartum Dads

www.postpartumdads.org

 

Postpartum Education for Parents

www.sbpep.org

 

The Postpartum Stress Center

www.postpartumstress.com

 

Postpartum Support International

http://postpartum.net

 

Postpartum Progress

http://postpartumprogress.typepad.com

 

Trauma and Birth Stress – PTSD After Childbirth

www.tabs.org.nz

 

The Mother Risk Project

http://www.motherisk.org/women/index.jsp

 

National Alliance on Mental Illness

www.nami.org

 

 

Multi Language Resources

 

Maternal and Child Health Bureau

www.mchb.hrsa.gov/programs/womeninfants/prenatal.htm

 

Mental Health Association of Houston

Tus Emociones Despues Del Parto

http://www.mhahouston.org/mha_houston.cfm?a=cms,c,36,9

 

New Jersey Department of Health

www.state.nj.us/health/fhs/ppd/sobre.shtml

 

Postpartum Support International-Spanish

http://www.postpartum.net/En-Espa%C3%B1ol.aspx

 

MedEdPPD

www.mededppd.org   - English and Espanol

 

 

Legislative Updates

 

Postpartum Support International

http://www.postpartum.net/Professionals-and-Community/Legislation-.aspx

 

Susan Stone, MSW, LCSW

www.perinatalpro.com

 

 

Medication Safety

 

Organization of Teratology Information Specialists

http://www.otispregnancy.org

Resources for Mothers

Books Available in the MMM Lending Library

Name Author Year Copies
Mothering The New Mother. Women's Feelings & Needs After Childbirth Sally Placksin 2000 1
Pregnancy Blues Shaila Kulkarni Misri, M.D., F.R.C.P.C. 2005 2
Why I Jumped Tina Zahn 2006 3
A Deeper Shade of Blue Ruta Nonacs, M.D., Ph.D. 2006 1
This Isn't What I Expected. Overcoming Postpartum Depression Karen R. Kleinman, M.S.W. & Valerie D. Raskin, M.D. 1994 3
What am I Thinking? Having a Baby After Postpartum Depression Karen R. Kleinman, M.S.W. 2005 1
the no-cry sleep solution Elizabeth Pantley 2002 1
Overcoming Postpartum Depression & Anxiety Linda Sebastion, ARNP 2006 1
The Nursing Mother's Companion Kathleen Huggins, R.N., M.S. 2005 1
Breastfeeding Made Simple. Seven Natural Laws for Nursing Mothers Nancy Mohrbacher, IBCLC, Kathleen Kendall-Tackett, Ph.D., IBCLC 2005 1
The Breastfeeding Book. Everthing You Need to Know About Nursing Your Child From Birth Through Weaning Martha Sears, R.N., & William Sears, M.D. 2000 1
The Journey To Parenthood. Myths, Realty And What Really Matters Diana Lynn Barnes, Psy.D & Leigh G. Balber 2007 1
Down Came the Rain. My Journey Through Postpartum Depression Brooke Shields 2005 4
Beyond the Blues. A Guide to Understanding and Treating Prenatal and Postpartum Depression Shoshana S. Bennett, Ph.D., Pec Indman, Ed.D., MFT 2006 Spanish and English
Mood and Anxiety Disorders During Pregnancy and Postpartum Lee S. Cohen, M.D., & Ruta M. Nonacs, M.D., Ph.D. 2005 1
Manual of Obstetrics Diagnosis and Therapy Kenneth R. Niswander, M.D., Arthur T. Evans, M.D. 1991 1
Manual of Neonatal Care Third Edition John P. Cloherty, M.D. 1991 1
The Postpartum Husband Karen Kleiman, M.S.W. 2000 1
The Mother-to-Mother Postpartum Depression Support Book Sandra Poulin 2006 2
Your Child's Self-Esteem Dorothy Corkille Briggs 1975 1
Crack Mothers. Pregnancy, Drugs, and The Media Drew Humphries 1999 1
The Care Of The Drug Dependent Woman And Her Infant Enrique M. Ostrea, Jr., M.D., Cleofe J. Chavez, M.D., Joan C. Stryker, M.D. 1978 1
Help! These Kids Are Driving Me Crazy Ron Carter 1972 1
Parents Are Teachers Wesley C. Becker 1971 1
Problems of Parents Benjamin Spock, M.D. 1962 1
How Children Fail John Holt 1964 1
Understanding Your Moods When You're Expecting Lucy J. Puryear, M.D. 2007 1
The Ghost in the House. Reas Mother's Talk About Maternal Depression, Raising Children, and How They Cope Tracy Thompson 2007 1
Infanticide. Psychosocial and Legal Perspectives on Mothers Who Kill Margaret G. Spinelli, M.D. 2003 1
Postpartum Depression and Anxiety. A self-help guide for mothers Pacific Post Partum Support Society 2007 1
Beyond the Birth. What No One Ever Talks About Dawn Gruen, MSW,ACSW, Rex Gentry, M.D., Abby Myers, ARNP,Sandra Jolley, ARNP 2003 Spanish and English
Postpartum Mood and Anxiety Disorders. A Clinician's Guide Cheryl Tatano Beck, Jeanne Watson Driscoll 2006 1
Perinatal and Postpartum Mood Disorders. Perspectives and Treatment Guide for the Health Care Practitioner Susan Dowd Stone and Alexis E. Menken 2008 1
Perinatal Mental Health. A guide to the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale John Cox and Jeni Holden 2007 1
Even June Cleaver Would Forget the Juice Box Ann Dunnewold, Ph.D. 2007 1
Transition to Parenthood- A Course for Expectant Parents. A Training Manual for Clinicians and Childbirth Educators Diana Lynn Barnes, Psy.D, MFT 2008
Step by Step. A guide to Organizing a Postpartum Parent Support Network in Your Community Jane I. Honikman, M.S. 2000 1
Postpartum Depression for Dummies Shoshana S. Bennett, PhD 2007 1

Available Videos

Name Author Year Copies
The Pain of Depression A journy through the Darkness Freedom From Fear 1
Breaking the Silence. Postpartum Depression & Families of Faith Mental Health Ministries 2007 1
Postpartum Couples. Postpartum Mood Disorders: The Couple's Experience 2002 1

Suggested Resources for Group Therapy

Name Author Year Copies
The Theory and Practice of Group Psychotherapy Irving D. Yalom with Molyn Leszcz
Theory and Practice of Group Counseling Gerald Corey
Group Counseling: Strategies and Skills Ed. E. Jacobs, Riley L. Harvill, & Robert L. Masson
Step by Step. A guide to Organizing a Postpartum Parent Support Network in Your Community Jane I. Honikman, M.S. 2000 1

Suggested Clinical Resources

Name Author Year Copies
Women's Moods: What Every Woman Must Know About Hormones, the Brain, and Emotional Health Deborah Sichel, M.D. and Jeanne Watson Driscoll, M.S., R.N., C.S.
When Words are Not Enough: The Women's Prescription for Depression and Anxiety Valerie Davis Raskin, M.D.
The Postpartum Husband Karen Kleiman, M.S.W.
Postpartum Depression for Dummies Shoshana Bennett, Ph.D.
The Hidden Feelings of Motherhood Kathleen A. Kendall Tackett, Ph.D.
Depression in New Mothers Kathleen A. Kendall Tackett, Ph.D.
Transition to Parenthood- A Course for Expectant Parents. A Training Manual for Clinicians and Childbirth Educators Diana Lynn Barnes, Psy.D, MFT 2008 1



Mother's Mind Matters
MSU/KCMS Psychiatry
1722 Shaffer Road, Suite 3
Kalamazoo, MI 49048-1633
Phone: 269-337-4510
Fax: 269-337-6376