I have a problem with asking for help.

Not when it came to postpartum OCD, though. Since I was convinced it was a given that I'd be carted off to jail or a padded room, I was pretty unafraid of reaching out to a doctor. I had given up, accepted defeat, raised white flag. I made that call and … well, nothing bad happened. In fact, I got better.

My problem is asking for help with this blog. I have devoted six years of my life,thousands of hours and MANY thousands of my own dollarsat this point to create it and keep it going. I don't regret it for one nanosecond, because I love y'all and I love Postpartum Progress and I truly believe it is important to have a place where women can find information in "plain mama English" about postpartum depression and other mental illnesses related to childbirth. I plan to keep going for as long as I need to. As long as someone out there can still benefit from this blog. As long as you still aren't tired of me.

My husband keeps telling me that there are those of you who, if I just asked, would contribute to keeping Postpartum Progress going. I don't ask, though, because that horrifies me. Asking for money?! Are you kidding?!!!!!! I don't know why that is. I just don't feel worthy. It feels mortifying.

The truth of the matter is though, that this is an ENORMOUS, life-consuming undertaking for which I could use any support that someone is willing to offer. I don't have a paying job anymore so that I can devote my full energies to writing this blog, answering all the emails, and guest writing at other sites so that moms will have the best and most comprehensive info on PPD. So …with that said, I'm going to swallow my pride …

You can now find a donation button on the right-hand side of your screen, just under the search feature. It looks like this:

I have been inspired to do this by Liv from the blog Choosing Beauty, who out of the blue sent me $100 smackers (wow!) to support Postpartum Progress. She was my first ever donation. Unsolicited even! Read what she wrote about "paying it forward" and her decision to give money to this blog here. I'm still so honored by her generosity. Thank you a million times over Liv!

If you feel that Postpartum Progress is an important service, or you feel that you or someone you loved was truly helped by the information and support offered here, I hope you will consider donating so that it can continue to exist and grow and so that other new moms and moms-to-be can benefit.

If you would like to donate:Click on the donation image — clouds with a heart in the middle –in the right-hand sidebar of this website. (Don't click on the image above as that is not a live link — only the one in the sidebar.) Clickingwill take you directly to PayPal's secure server. Then you just enter the amount you'd like to donate in the little box. If you have a PayPal account, you can sign in and complete the donation that way. If you don't, you can still donate. Just look to the left of the login box and you'll see a message that says "Don't have a PayPal account?" and click the "continue" link.

Now I will go hide under a rockto avoid furtherembarrassment.