When I think about the shoddy way that new moms are treated in the United States, it is no wonder that so many women end up postpartum depression. We get so little support and so little time to recover and figure out what the heck we’re supposed to be doing in this new role with this new little, breakable person who came without a background file. We’re expected to push a human being out of you-know-where (as my son would say, "Holy Swiss Cheese!") and then get up and leave within 48 hours. We’re expected to figure out how to conquer the whole motherhood thing in just a few weeks, many of us getting no guaranteed pay and very little leave, and then get back to work in short order. In fact, according to the August 2007 issue of National Geographic, "American moms-to-be might consider a move to Slovenia …", where new moms are given at least 52 weeks of leave and full pay. Once we’re home, we don’t have the kind of "It takes a village" society that surrounds us with support. It’s an absolute miracle if anyone makes any effort whatsoever to check on our mental health.
That is why I was so happy to hear from reader Samara who felt it important to send me the following email:
"I wanted to let you know of something that occurred when I recently had my son. I delivered at Spectrum Health Butterworth in Grand Rapids, MI. When I arrived at the postpartum room I had a bunch of brochures including one on postpartum depression, there was a TV channel with a program on postpartum depression and a questionnaire that I needed to fill out. The next day a nurse came to discuss postpartum depression with me, go over my risk factors and let me know that they would also be sharing these results with my physician. Six and eight weeks after I gave birth, a nurse called to see how I was doing. If they didn’t get a hold of me the first time they left a message and called a second time. While some hospitals do not screen for postpartum depression I thought it was nice that Spectrum went above and beyond the norm for screening."
Well I’ll be! Perhaps it’s not so hard for you healthcare professionals after all. I looked into it, and Spectrum offers screening for every single new mom, hosts a support group, provides a toll-free number for service referrals for all women regardless of their insurance situation, and maintains their own Spectrum Health Postpartum Emotional Support Program phone line to answer questions, expedite appointments or referrals to counselors and connect women with peer support.
This is the way it should be in every hospital in America. I know that there are a few other hospital systems that do this sort of thing, but since a reader who just had a baby thought it was so important to take time out of her day to tell me this, I felt they deserved a shout-out. Way to go Spectrum!
"Well I'll be! Perhaps it's not so hard for you healthcare professionals after all."
You totally caught me off guard with that comment, and I am STILL cracking up!
The topic isn't funny, at ALL, but your tone there, like a country bumpkin, just. cracked. me. UP!!!
And yes, WAY TO GO SPECTRUM HEALTH!!
I want to add that the Postpartum Support International coordinator for Michigan, Nancy Roberts is awesome, and has been involved with PSI for years now. I'm sure she's had a big hand in this.
Diane
Thank you for posting this. I'm going to see if I can pass these comments on to my local hospitals. It would be a lot of help to other new moms. I especially like hearing that they call until they get ahold of you and are calling later on (around 6-8 wks). I didn't realize that I had PPD until I was talking to my PCP and bawling my eyes out about everything, this was when my daughter was already 3 months old.
I delivered at "fancy" Greenwich Hospital in Greenwich, CT and they handed me a PPD pamphlet and said ask questions if i needed to. I tossed it aside because at the time I was fine. PPD usually doesn't set in until 4 days postpartum and most moms are out of the hospital by then. I had a nurse call me and when I told her i couldn't stop crying, she said, "it will pass, is there anything else i can help you with?" I wish there was a way to get something together to have mandatory evaluations one week pp and then again 6 weeks later by either OB's or hospitals and pediatricians should also be aware.