Recently, one of my closest friends invited me to support what she explained was a very important cause for all moms. Postpartum Support International (PSI) Missouri Moms Connection was hoping to spread more awareness about what they do. I was happy to support something that she was working on and assumed that she just wanted to do something positive for other women. I had no clue that she had also suffered from postpartum depression.
Since we only connected as friends after she sought help, I jokingly asked her, “Are you sure you had it?” She has always been a source of strength and encouragement for me throughout my darkest hours as a mom. I asked her how she knew she needed help and how she got better.
She said she had become skinny—“ugly skinny” were her words. She cried a lot, sometimes for a reason and sometimes for no particular reason at all. It was so bad that one day, a mom found her crying in the carpool line of her older child’s school and told her that she didn’t have to feel this way—that she suffered from the same problems and was taking medicine that helped. That’s when that mom pointed to a bunch of other moms in line who she knew were on the same medicine and were feeling back to normal.
Support can come in different ways, through medicine, meditation, a spiritual connection with someone else, an exercise partner or therapist, or someone who has also experienced tough times. Jessica Manela Litwack, LCSW, is a certified gentle sleep coach who found a need in St. Louis and beyond for moms to connect. She created a private group on Facebook called “MamaSpace” where women can ask questions, talk about kids, and receive words of support and encouragement. The threads are active throughout all hours of the night with thousands of women who are awake nursing, rocking, or suffering from insomnia.
“Sleep deprivation seriously affects your ability to think clearly and impacts your emotions and mood dramatically," explains Litwack. "Moms are pulled in a million different directions and the inability to have a stable mood makes it very hard to be totally present for your kids."
Problems with sleeping can be one of the first warning signs of postpartum issues. Although many women experience mild mood changes during or after pregnancy, PSI says that 15 to 20 percent of women experience more significant symptoms of depression or anxiety. Symptoms of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders can develop at any time during pregnancy through the first 12 months after giving birth.
PSI lists the following warning signs and symptoms:
- Feelings of sadness or depression
- Irritability with those around you
- Difficulty bonding with your baby
- Feelings of anxiety or panic
- Problems with eating or sleeping
- Upsetting thoughts that you can’t get out of your mind
- Feeling like you are “out of control” or “going crazy”
- Thoughts that you should have never become a mother
- Worrying that you might hurt your baby or yourself
If you or someone you know has experienced any of these symptoms, PSI-MO offers free services to women in need and also provides education for family, friends, and healthcare providers.
The organization is hosting a girls’ night out fundraising event on Thursday, April 9 from 5:30–8:30 p.m. at 1821 Cherokee Street. The evening includes dinner from Feed Your Vitality, a wine tasting, live music, chair massages, smoothies, treats, and more. The cost is $40 per person.
