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Pregnant Pause          

August 26, 2014                                                                        Issue #39
Because there is no health without mental health!

 

Mark it on your calendar, Move for Moms! is coming back Sunday, November 2nd at Piedmont Park. Join us and show your support! Let's promote awareness of maternal mental illnesses!

 

Early Registration Savings 

(before September 1st)

Adults (12+):  $30 - save $5

Kids: $10

 

Click here for information on how to register.

 

If you would like to know how to sponsor this event, please contact Janelle Petak at [email protected] or Connie Ngo at [email protected] for more information.
SUPER-PARENT EXPECTATIONS AND MENTAL HEALTH 

The pressure to be a good parent is immense, but exacerbating the pressure are societal expectations of what it means to be a good parent. In a recent study of 4,000 women, sociologist Carrie Wendel-Hummel, finds that "middle-class parents" tend to place added pressure on themselves to become super-parents. Wendel-Hummel states, "If everything is not perfect, they feel like failures - and mothers tend to internalize that guilt." For low-income parents, stress stemmed from the ability to find "quality childcare, reliable transportation, and safe housing." Additionally, low-income parents had more difficulty finding and affording mental health treatment.

 

To read the full article, click here.


THE FACE OF MATERNAL MENTAL ILLNESS

Are you able to tell if mother has postpartum depression just by looking at her? 

The answer is simply, no.

 

In an article on Postpartum Progress, mothers in their own words illustrate their lived experience with maternal mental illness. It's a brave and thought-provoking take on how mothers who live with these illnesses can put on appearances and hide their internal struggle.  This article gives more evidence towards the necessity to screen and identify all mothers for maternal mental illnesses.

 

To read the full article, follow this link  .


DID YOU KNOW?  

Mothers who have premature children may have postpartum PTSD: In a recent study, 29 mothers who birthed children before the 33rd week of pregnancy were assessed for "maternal distress, anxiety, and trauma related stress." Results illustrated a high prevalence (52%) of posttraumatic stress responses in this sample of mothers. Additionally, these researchers suggest that early examination/intervention for mothers giving birth preterm should be considered. Follow this link to read the entire study.

 

Having an epidural may reduce risk for PPD: In a recent study published in Anesthesia & Analgesia, researchers evaluated 214 mothers 3 days and 6 weeks after birth. Half of the participants received an epidural, the other half did not. Results indicated that postpartum depression occurred in 14% of those that had an epidural, as opposed to 34.6% in those who did not. To read the full study and results, click here. 

 

Postpartum depression can happen to all mothers: Whether you've read all the baby books or read none, nobody can completely escape the manifestation of a maternal mental illness. In an article written by a postpartum nurse, she describes her experience working with mothers and families while speaking about postpartum depression. To read the full story, click here.

LOOKING FOR WAYS TO GET INVOLVED? 

 

1) Follow us on Twitter

2) Check out our Facebook page

3) Sign up for our newsletters

4) Contact us to see if there are any current volunteer opportunities at: [email protected]

SCREENING & IDENTIFICATION TRAINING FOR PERINATAL MOOD AND ANXIETY DISORDERS

 

Project Healthy Moms' PMAD Screening and Identification Trainings are aimed at healthcare providers (e.g. physicians, nurses, social workers) who come in contact with childbearing women. Through this program, healthcare providers who are involved in maternal and child health are trained to recognize symptoms of the various PMADs and consequences of untreated PMADs. During the training, providers learn how to screen mothers for PMADs and are also educated about treatment options and referral methods. The goal of the training is to ensure that healthcare providers are able to correctly and routinely identify and refer women who may be suffering from PMADs in their practices.

 

To learn more and schedule a training, please contact Mika Bangcaya at [email protected] or (678) 904-1963.

RESOURCE LIST

 

Did you know that Mental Health America of Georgia has a resource list for pregnant and postpartum women? It is updated regularly and provides contact information for healthcare providers and outlets for self-care for pregnant and postpartum women.

 

To access the list, visit www.mhageorgia.org, then go to 

Our Programs > Project Healthy Moms > Resource List.

PROJECT HEALTHY MOMS WARMLINE AVAILABLE TO ALL GEORGIA WOMEN

 

The Project Healthy Moms Warmline is available in English and Spanish for ALL Georgia women seeking peer support and resource linkage for perinatal mood and anxiety disorders! Georgia women can phone in to the toll-free Project Healthy Moms Warmline, call the local Georgia number or email to contact a mother who has experienced and overcome perinatal depression/anxiety and who can provide emotional support and suggest appropriate resources. Please leave a message when you call the Warmline, and a support person will respond as soon as possible. It does get better!

 

Toll Free: 1-800-933-9896, ext. 234 (#1 for Spanish) 

Local: 678-904-1966 (#1 for Spanish) 

Email: [email protected] (English)  

[email protected] (Spanish)

 

WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT!

 

Project Healthy Moms is an important initiative of MHA of Georgia.  Perinatal mood disorders are the most common complication of childbirth.  In the United States, between 10% and 15% of new mothers suffer from these devastating illnesses which, if not properly treated, can have a long-term negative impact on the health of not only the mothers, but their children and families as well.  Our goal is to increase awareness, identification, treatment, and support of perinatal mood disorders in Georgia, while also reducing the stigma associated with them.  To learn more about Project Healthy Moms, click here.

Project Healthy Moms is only one of many programs developed by MHA of Georgia to further our mission of enhancing the mental health of all Georgians through education, outreach, and advocacy. Click here to learn more about MHA of Georgia's other programs.  Your support will help us continue our work educating Georgians about mental illness, striving to eliminate stigma, and advocating on behalf of people with  mental illness in our state.  Click here to support MHA of Georgia.

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