Katherine Stone

Katherine Stone is the founder & editor of Postpartum Progress. She was named one of the ten most influential mom bloggers of 2011, a WebMD Health Hero and one of the top 25 parent bloggers using social media for social good. She also writes the Fierce Blog, and a parenting column for Disney's Babble.com.

Meet Me in Chicago at BlogHer ’13!

By Katherine Stone May 20, 2013 Comments

I realize that many of you are not bloggers so feel free to ignore this, but for those of you who are and who have been thinking about attending a blogging or social media conference, why not come see me in Chicago in July?

I’m speaking at Pathfinder Day on July 25th and attending BlogHer ’13 on the 25-27th. If you’re looking for a discount on registration, you’ve come to the right place. You can save 20% on registration for either or both events. See below for the discount codes, and be sure to list my name and Postpartum Progress as your referrer.

May 20, 2013 12:46 pm Filed Under: Postpartum Depression

Get PPD Training in France This Fall With PSI

By Katherine Stone May 20, 2013 Comments

How about getting some PPD — or la dépression post-natale — professional education in France this Fall? PSI’s Perinatal Mood Disorders Certificate Training will be held in Tain-l’Hermitage, France, located between Lyon and Avignon, on September 23-24.

This is a rare chance to take Postpartum Support International Certificate Training in Europe, thanks to the generosity of La Teppe Medical Center and Oguz Omay, MD. Trainers include Birdie Gunyon Meyer, RN, MA; Wendy Davis, PhD; and Psychiatrist Oguz Omay, MD. There are three separate workshops happening that week: Interpersonal Psychotherapy training with Scott Stuart, MD on 16-17 September, Perinatal Psychiatry with Kathy Wisner, MD on 18-20 Sept, and the PSI Training 23-24 Sept.

The workshops are in small groups enabling close contact among the participants. The location and food is wonderful, and the cost is kept to a minimum. All trainings are provided in English. Don’t hesitate to contact Dr. Omay if you would like to register or if you have any questions about the trainings or lodging. You can find more information and download the registration form here.

May 20, 2013 12:19 pm Filed Under: Postpartum Depression

When Hope Is Hard To Come By During Postpartum Anxiety

By Katherine Stone May 15, 2013 Comments

I received so many great submissions for the Mother’s Day Rally for Moms’ Mental Health. SO. MANY. And because of the limited number of slots I wasn’t able to include all of them. Still, there are a few other people that I think it’s important for you to hear from. This letter is from Alyssa, Warrior Mom and postpartum anxiety survivor. I think her words are very appropriate for today, which happens to be the American Psychological Association’s Mental Health Blog Day.

Dear Moms,

I want to say: I know.

I know what the weather’s like. I know it’s stormy, and rainy, and cold and gray. I know your umbrella is broken, you packed the wrong jacket, and the forecast doesn’t look better for days, weeks or months.

I know.

There are days when it feels like nothing will ever be better. You will never feel like you again. Things will never return to the way they once were. Hope is hard to come by when you are overwhelmed by postpartum anxiety and related illnesses.

I am not here to say, “oh it gets better!” with a fake smile and shiny white teeth. I am here to look you in the eye, put my hand on your shoulder and reassure you that your sun will shine again. And until that day, we have a spare umbrella, a sweatshirt to share, and some warm tea to get you through.

I spent a long time, too long really, hiding from myself. I fought my darkness, thinking that I could do it on my own, and that my anxiety and intrusive thoughts would just go away. They didn’t. But I continued to hope they would, instead of confronting postpartum anxiety head on. In retrospect, I wish desperately that I would have addressed it sooner. Why did I suffer quietly? Was it shame? Fear? Truthfully, I don’t know. I just know that I wasn’t ready to acknowledge it as reality.

When I started seeing a therapist, I was given a diagnosis of PTSD, postpartum anxiety and a little bit of postpartum OCD. I had a traumatic c-section, which I thought was the root of my issues. However, once we dealt with the trauma, and watched it dissipate, more anxiety and OCD tendencies came out. The intrusive thoughts got even stronger. So, just when I thought we had “talked away” the real issue, more problems literally overwhelmed me. I was convinced I was broken, and that I would feel this terrible forever.

Until the day that I had an a-ha moment. I don’t know that everyone has these moments. I was talking with my therapist, bemoaning my reality. I am sick of feeling this way. I want to know when it will stop. Why can’t it all just go away? She looked at me quite simply and said, “Have you ever thought to thank your anxieties?” I am sure I looked at her like she had 14 heads and 5 hideous noses. She continued, “You went through something terrible. Your emotions are valid. Your anxieties are valid. Your mind is so aware and so hell-bent on protecting you that this is what it’s doing. Is it out of control? Yes. But how amazing, how lucky you are to have a brain and a body that cares so much for your well-being that it goes to such great lengths to ensure nothing like this happens again.”

It wasn’t that statement that fixed me. Truth be told, I am not “fixed.” I still feel my anxieties daily. But after that day, I started reframing them. Acknowledging them. Thanking them. It was so much easier than fighting a losing battle.

Today, I am a proud mama. I love my baby girl more than anything. I still think at least 200 absurd thoughts a day, and occasionally, on bad days, the intrusive thoughts are strong again. But my darkness is gone. Anxiety is a lonely, cold, terrible place to be, and I couldn’t let it be my reality. Now? It isn’t. It’s a part of my reality, but it is the same way any of my other character flaws (poor communication, bluntness) are.

You will be here, too. I know you will be. I believe in you, and I trust that you will find the same support I found. Look for it anywhere–close family, trusted friends, here on this very website, full of amazing resources and reassuring voices. Know that we are here for you, rooting for you, holding your hand. Know that there is nothing to be ashamed of. You are a great mother. You are a worthwhile person. And YOU will be YOU once more.

With all my love and hope,
Isha
www.everydayisha.com

May 15, 2013 9:38 am Filed Under: Postpartum Anxiety

PSI’s Mental Health Blog Hop & Other PPD News

By Katherine Stone May 14, 2013 Comments

I’ve been traveling for several weeks in a row and also trying to get the Mother’s Day Rally ready, so I’ve been remiss in letting you know about the PSI Blog Hop. To help raise awareness of maternal mental health month, you can write your own blog post and link up to the blog hop throughout the month of May. Here are instructions on how to participate, and here is an example of a Blog Hop story from PPD advocate Ivy Shih Leung. Be sure to check it out!

Other news:

* The Manhattan JCC will host a special event on June 4th from 7-8:30pm entitled “Pregnancy & Postpartum Depression and Anxiety: More Than Just the Baby Blues.” Featured speakers include Dr. Margaret Spinelli and Sonia Murdock, founder of the Postpartum Resource Center of New York. For more information, or to register, please call 646-505-5708.

* The 2013 Strollerthon to benefit Postpartum Education and Support will be held on May 18th at Fred G. Bond Metro Park in Cary, NC. For more info or to register, click here.

* The University of North Carolina has just launched a five-year study looking at the role of oxytocin in postpartum depression and bonding between mothers and babies.

* Abbie Goldberg, professor at Clark University, received a $718,770 grant from IMH to study postpartum mental health in heterosexual women, lesbian women and those who have a history of relationships with women but are partnered with men at the time they become parents.

* Australia’s specialist helpline for moms with postpartum depression (or postnatal depression as they call it down under) is in desperate need of funding after a 70% increase in calls.

May 14, 2013 10:44 am Filed Under: Postpartum Depression