Is it safe for pregnant women to take medication for depression while pregnant?
According to a new study from the Society for Women’s Health Research, only 10 per cent of women think it is safe. 68% of doctors believe taking medication for depression during pregnancy is safe.
About 50% of women believe it’s safe to take the drugs during the postpartum period. 97% of doctors think it is safe.
Why the huge gap?

If you’ve given birth in the last year, it’s a good idea to check yourself for PPD or postpartum depression also known as post natal depression.

Yesterday, I ranted on the need for partners and others connected to new mothers to stay close, active and involved when postpartum or post natal depression is suspected. The problem is, in the UK, Canada and other countries with socialized medicine, the systems are so stretched that it is hard to get anyone to take notice to get professional help. In the US, insurance and drug company practises lead to the same problem of women’s mental health being ignored by professionals. That doesn’t mean their example should be followed on a personal level.

The evidence is mounting that a happy, healthy mother leads to happy, healthy kids.
 
“If you’ve got a role model in your life that can’t cope or deal with stress, you’re not going to learn any skills yourself,” says mother Angie Hill in a recent article in the Toronto Star on Post Partum Depression.  
Eight months after the birth of her son, the radio show host sought help for what she knew were depressive episodes.
 
According to a new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association proves that Hill’s seeking treatment not only helps her, but her son as well:

Treating depressed mothers rapidly reduces the likelihood of …read more

How do you handle five kids and take care of yourself?
Helen, mother of five, is truly an expert mother. In yesterday’s post, we discussed how she managed to take care of herself after giving birth to number 5 with 4 other kids in the house. Today in part 2 we talk about how women can prepare themselves for any kind of birth and the recovery afterward.
Babylune: What kind of birth experiences have you had? Were all five born the same way?   
Helen: With the first baby, I was only 19 years old. Did not have a clue  about childbirth or what was …read more