I'm on the very outer fringe of mommyblogging. Like if Dooce's Heather Armstrongis the sun, and Her Bad Mother's Catherine Connor is Venus and Mom 101's Liz Gumbiner isEarthand the Redneck Mommy's Tanis is Mars, then I am something like maybe 2003 VB12, also known as Sedna, way out in the very farthest reaches of the Solar System.
Let's face it. This is really a niche blog. 😉
Any way, since I'm not alwaysup to date on what's happening in the mommyblogosphere, I completely missed out on National Delurker Day 2010. It was January 14th.
What is delurking you ask? It's the process of making yourself known, via comment, after you've been reading a blog for a while but haven't said hello or shared your opinion. As described by BlogWorldExpo:
"In the blog world, many people read blogs and they watch and read comments all the while staying in the shadows and not being a part of the conversation. They are shy or they think that they don’t have something to add that is useful, or they just want to stay anonymous.
Delurking Day was formed to make it a day where everyone could leave a comment and be seen on the blog. It was a great way for bloggers to find out who was reading and also a time for those that were shy or not wanting to be seen on the blog to have a chance to say hello as well. If you are a regular reader of a blogs and you never want to leave a comment but enjoy reading and watching the comments as conversations ensue, this is your day. leave a comment and say hello."
So since I'm the pretend ruler over my own little world, I hereby declare today Delurking Day on Postpartum Progress. I ask you to speak up. Say hello. Tell us why you're here. I'm really glad you're here and I'd love to hear what you think, or what you need, or what you don't like, or your favorite color, or what version of a latte you order… Mine is a grande, non-fat, no-foam, 2 raw sugar latte just in case you wanted to know.
In case you don't know how to comment, look below the post and you'll see the underlined word "comments". Click on it.
I'd like to encourage more commenting this year, because the readers of Postpartum Progress really appreciate and want to hear from other mothers. The more women who speak up, the more they feel they aren't alone.
P.S. If you've had problems commenting here in the past, I tried to make some changes to how my blog accepts comments today to make it MUCH easier. So give it a try again!!!!
P.P.S. For those of you who didn't read this post today (Monday), I still want you to delurk. Let's just imagine this day lasts as many hours as we want it to. Like 450, or something. Whenever you get around to reading this post, delurk yourself.
I'm not a delurker, but I am a fan, Katherine! Hello and thanks for all you do for new moms. You're not on the edge of the solar system to many, many women out there. You're a star. I raise my grande all-fat chai latte to you.
Totally agree with Whitney! This blog is such a wonderful resource for moms everywhere. Thank you for all you do!
I've commented before, but will happily do it again! I love your blog, come here daily, so yeah, maybe I should comment more…Your blog keeps me going on some really dark days as I fight my way through a really nasty bout of PPDandA. Thanks for all the resources you post and my fave, the photo album. I raise my decaf (*!&#!* anxiety, how I miss my caffeine) coffee to you! Thank you!
Cary
(I seem to be having trouble leaving a comment today! Hopefully it won't double post!)
I don't know what I would have done without this site after I was diagnosed with PPD. Being able to come here and voice my opinion and get the opinion of others is a great way to get the word out and keep it circulating! BRAVO to you for doing that!
FYI: If you've never had a Caramel Apple latte from Books A Million (BAM), you're missing out!!!!
*waves hand*
(also, Venus? *blushes*)
I found this blog by accident, looking for discussion forums to help me with my struggle with PPA/OCD. I love this site. From covering all the mood disorders, the articles for husbands/families, the album, and everything in between, this is an amazing site that has truly helped me. It helps to know there is a light at the end of the tunnel, even if I can't always see it.
Hello! I have commeneted before. I love the info i receive from this blog. Stop by my blog any time. i love comments!
I am not a mom yet but a social worker who works with postpartum women in a hospital every day–your website is in my resource packet for new moms:) I also am in private practice and am hoping to make treating women with PPD a niche. I read your blog every day and think I found out about Karen Kleiman's training program from you–I just took her postgraduate course in December which was awesome! Thank you for blogging every day!! Your knowledge and passion are an inspiration!!
I've commented before too but thought I'd say "hey" another time. 🙂
I'm here! I'm doing a blog series on my own experience with PPD.
I suppose I'm not really a lurker, but I don't always comment when I should. I'm here because I am a PPD/PPA/PPOCD survivor, I deal with it every day, and I firmly believe in supporting other moms so that they know they're not alone.
As for coffee, I'll take a regular cup of joe with some 1/2 & 1/2 along with a good book. And if I'm feeling a little more edgy, I'll talk a mocha latte!
Hello- My name is Becky and I am here because I am drowning in PP anxiety and need support. NO ONE around me understands- they think I can just "snap out" of it and though I have tried my very hardest I just can't. So I searched the net and came here to try and fine someone, ANYONE, who understood. I have been in treatment for 10 months, and nothing seems to help. My old Dr just threw more drugs at me and I had to stop breast feeding so I just recently switched, so hopefully things will get better. I can not see the light at the end of the tunnel, but you all let me know there is one there, I just have to keep trying!
Thanks- Becky
I found your site well after I had already recovered from my much-too-long battle with prenatal depression, ppd, and post-partum ptsd. I'm not even sure how I ran across your site, but I still find it a really valuable resource and so appreciate the work you're doing. Now I'm mostly working on trauma issues and on making sense of my experience with depression and motherhood (which I just wrote about today: http://musings-musings-musings.blogspot.com/2010/… Thanks so much for all your work!
oops…link I posted above doesn't work. We'll try again: http://musings-musings-musings.blogspot.com/2010/…
I don't know if I'm earth either considering I totally missed delurker day myself. So I'm righting the wrong and commenting here now. Did I do it right? Did I? Huh? Because Sedna sounds like a nice place to take the family on a long weekend.
As always, thank you!!
becky, the light is there! i promise! i could have written this same post 10 months ago. the fog and the misery will slowly lift. you can't fix a date to feel better, it 'lasts as long as it lasts' in the words of my former support group leader. but know in your heart that you will feel like you again.
I'm a new reader and am still surfing through all of your posts, but I wanted to comment and say hi. I found out about your website last week; I was in the waiting room at my doctor's office, ironically waiting for an appointment where I discussed PPD with my doctor, and read about your site in a magazine. Copied down the address and checked it out as soon as I got home. It's taken me nearly a year to admit I have depression and anxiety issues, and I'm finally on antidepressants, so I'm hopeful things will get start to get better soon. I wish I'd found your site much sooner, it helps immeasurably to know I'm not alone in this. Thank you for taking the time to write here.
I am still here, still reading, getting better every day
I came to your blog after my first son was born, 2 1/2 years ago. At first my interest was more professional – I consider myself on "maternity sabbatical" from finishing my LPC, and would like to focus on postpartum depression in my future practice. I enjoyed how your blog kept me current on PPD issues and opened my eyes to more aspects of perinatal mood disorders than I had been exposed to before.
Now my interest in your blog is also for personal reasons. My second son was born in mid-November, 6 weeks early – likely due to stress related to my mother's death 8 days before. The challenge of raising two young children, coping with my grief and recovering from the trauma of both mom's death and my son's early arrival (including his month-long stay in the NICU)… I remind myself daily that my situation is a recipe for PPD and I need to be gentle with myself. Your blog helps makes me feel less alone when I find myself struggling, and reminds me of my ultimate goal to be on the other side of this and have use experience to be a better therapist.
Oh, and my newest bundle of joy seems to be adversely impacted by my dairy consumption, so my current order at Starbucks is grande soy caramel macchiatto with 4 sugars, but I would actually prefer it to be with nonfat milk. 🙂
I'm here because today I went to see a nurse practitioner about my ongoing intrusive thoughts that really took hold as a part of my life after the birth of our daughter 14 months ago. Tomorrow I start to up my dose of Zoloft in an effort to get them to leave me in peace. Sometimes I really don't like the fact that my own mind feels like it's failing me on some level. Why is it that I get to sit in the chair and answer the difficult questions? Those screening questions gave me the heeby-jeebies today. sigh. Thank goodness for Postpartum Progress. I try and tell myself that I can only do what I can do and take it easy. It's still exhausting no matter how many times you tell yourself that.
You must have met my kids. They too, think I am from Mars.
Wink.
Technically it is still Monday in my time zone, so I'm delurking!!
In the spirit of stepping out from delurking —
Hi Katherine! With much appreciation from one of your fans
Thanks Whitney! Cheers!
I keep trying to reply to all of you and it isn't working. That figures. 😉
Yes. Venus.
So glad you were able to find information and training here at Postpartum Progress. I'm always hoping this site is as helpful to healthcare pros as it is to moms!
I always appreciate your comments Tamra, and your openness on Surprisingly Sane.
Becky,
Send me an email at stonecallis@msn.com with info on where you're located and I'll send you contact info on people who WILL understand you. You are NOT alone, even though I know it feels like it. Many of us were in the same place you are now. We get it. Just keep hanging in there.
Thanks for the link. I'm going to go read it right now!
You did it right as far as we're concerned. But we're pretty laid back around here on stuff like that.
I think Sedna would be fine as long as you don't mind extremely long flights and freezing temperatures (-400 degrees Fahrenheit). I'm thinking it might take several years to get there.
4 sugars. A girl after my own heart …
You did, INDEED, have a recipe for PPD. I would say after everything you've described that it would have been miraculous for you NOT to have been affected. I'm so happy you are hanging out with us here. Thanks for delurking!
Really!,
Intrusive thoughts suck in the worst way. I know what you mean by "heeby-jeebies". For me, they were far and away the worst part of experiencing postpartum OCD. It's hard to understand how your mind could think a thought you don't want it to. I still don't get it. But I know it wasn't me. Thank God. And it isn't the realy you either.
Hey Sonia! Thanks for being a fan!
Thanks Suzanne! So glad you're here!
Actually I should probably quite caffeine too. I did for a while. But then I came back to it. How I love it so.
Keep going and don't quit on your recovery. Don't EVER quit. You are worth it, and you will get there.
Thanks TJ. I'm so glad to hear from you!
I will be linking to it.
Thanks for the heads up!
I mean "quit" caffeine. Quite caffeine. Heh heh. Freudian slip.
Please keep voicing your opinion Pamela! The many lurking moms out there and ones who are new to the site really get a lot out of
hearing from more people than just me.
Great to hear from you Sachi! I'm so
happy to hear you are getting better.
Katherine – I think I've definitely been a lurker! I may have made one comment, but am mostly just a reader of your amazing blog. I was referred to your site from my therapist and You have been my Sun over the past couple of years. I don't directly know anyone who has been through post-partum depression in the way it effected me, but all of the information that you've provided has been extremely helpful in my journey to recovery (and yes, a journey it has been). It's not necessarily a good thing to find other women going through post-partum d., but it is good to know that I'm not alone. So kudos to you; thank you; your amazing & keep up the incredible work that you do! ~ Diana
Hello,
I am a 40yo (OMG…I am still getting used to the 40yo thing Dec was my Birthday) Mom of 2 boys! I am a Labor and Delivery Nurse and survivor of PPD and PPAnxiety!! It sucks!!!! There is no way around it!! All I can tell you is that it gets better!! There is a silver linning to this dark cloud!
Katherine, what you do is awesome!! Thank you! I wish you were around when I was suffering 10 years ago!
Thanks again,
Lisa
Becky,
Hang in there! 4 years ago I was unable to leave my house or understand how to place an order at a McDonalds drive thru! It will get better!! I can now order at McDonalds and Wendy's without problems! I'm sending a HUG through the computer 🙂
Lisa
I turned 40 in December too. Yikes! Thanks for delurking Lisa. Just think about how lucky women in your L&D unit are to have someone like you who has been through PPD/A and will be on the lookout!
Your sun?!! Your sun?!! No making me cry now.
You're very sweet. Glad to meet you, and
I'm sure everyone else is glad to meet
you too.
I had no idea how cool Delurking Day would be, to see all of these women saying hello to each other and supporting each other
through what is such a painful journey. You
are all SO COOL.
Tanis of Redneck Mommy just commented
on my little ole blog. Dancing a jig.
This is a red-letter day, what with Tanis,
Catherine Connors and Liz Gumbiner commenting.
Is this a slow news day? I kid, I kid.
That's cool. I wish we could get more PPD
awareness in magazines that wasn't either
sensationalized (Gross headline here!) or
downplayed (5 Easy Ways to Get Rid of PPD & Lose Your Baby Weight at the Same Time!).
Welcome Christina. You are definitely not
alone. So glad you can see that now.
Hey ho Samantha. I know you! Hope you're well.
Thanks for all of your valuable comments Amanda Rose!
I'm a newbie. I found your blog a couple weeks ago. I'm currently undergoing treatment for PPD. I have a beautiful 5 1/2 month old daughter and it took me until she was 5 months old to finally seek help. Can you say – DE-NI-AL??? Only two weeks in on medication and I already feel like ME again. What an amazing feeling to be able to focus and feel joy.
Thank you for this website – it makes me feel MUCH less alone in this whole thing!
Hi Canaan. Welcome! Glad you found us!
Denial? What's that? Never heard of it. Or am I in denial of my experience with denial? I'm with you sister. It's so hard to even comprehend that we'd be one of the "unlucky" ones. Glad you reached out for help and are feeling better.
I am really out to lunch…I missed this but just wanted to shout out to Katherine for all the hard work you do for PPD. You rock!! This site is such a great resource. Giant hugs to all you brave women out there still fighting.
Hi Becky,
I have been where you are and it feels like there is no way out. But, please, please have hope and know that you WILL feel better and you WIll get better! I had to try a few drugs, change the dose, etc…it took about 5 months but now I feel better than ever. Unfortunately, I didn't find this website until after I recovered. It is a godsend. I had such bad anxiety that I couldn't even change my precious baby boy's diapers or feed him a meal. Now, we are the best of buds and I adore being with him and am even contemplating a second baby…something I wouldn't have ever considered a year ago. Hang in there. I'll keep you in my prayers. You can do this! 🙂 Anna
Hello !
My name is Heather and my psychologist referred me to this site! I have been so thankful, what a great resource for me and my husband. It is so helpful to know I am not alone.
Thanks again for being her !
It took me almost 15 months before I sought help ! So glad you're feeling better. You definitely are not alone! 🙂
Really!,
I am in such a similar boat (we all are, really). I finally went for help this month too! My son is just about 15 months old. I just started Zoloft too, and I also have those very scary intrusive thoughts. I started feeling a little better after 1 week of the meds and therapy. My dr. also taught me to objectify my thoughts which has helped. You are on the right path! Hang in there!
I'm a mom, a therapist and a PSI coordinator in MA and I really appreciate your blog and often recommend it.
Thanks for all you do here.
btw, I went to the hearing at the MA state house about the PPD bill today. It was great to hear all the presenters giving testimony, most especially the incredible mom surviviors that spoke so powerfully on behalf of so many! It felt hopeful, but we'll see.
Hi Suzan! I'm so glad to hear from you.
Thanks for recommending Postpartum Progress
to your clients!
And thanks for supporting the hearing in MA.
I'm hoping to have a wrap-up story on it
next week!
Welcome Heather! Nice to meet you. ::virtual hug::
You are definitely not alone. In fact, it's pretty crowded in here.
Thanks Kimberly! Keep commenting!!
And thanks for my giant hugs. Giant hugs are good.