NewsSquawk, June 1, 2007
New Dad on the Block: Joey McIntyre, formerly of NKOTB, announced on his web site that he and his wife Barrett are expecting their first child.
PPD News: According to research out of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the majority of doctors in that city do not screen women for postpartum depression. 228 of the doctors who responded to a survey said they had seen women for postpartum visits in the previous three months; of these, 79% said they were unlikely to formally screen for depression. An estimated 13% of new mothers are affected by postpartum depression.
June 14th, 2007 at 4:39 pm
Warning: I am going to get on a soapbox here because I am SO VERY PASSIONATE about this subject.
Screening for postpartum depression should be the norm for every new mother. It should be part of the “Well Mother and Baby” program that every insurance company and most Ob-Gyns are offering. Let me tell you what makes me crazy…when you first get pregnant, Mom goes to the doctor for a blood test and (if positive) is usually sent to an Ob-Gyn for prenatal care. Prenatal care usually includes vitamins, ultrasounds, heat beat monitoring, protein screening, weight and belly size monitoring, Lamaze and parenting classes, etc.
The schedule goes something like this: During the first trimester…appointments are every six weeks. Second trimester, doctor appointments are every four weeks. Third trimester, things really ramp up and appointments increase from every three weeks to every two weeks to every week and then if you are still pregnant past the due date…your doctor wants to see you everyday! Everyone around you becomes fixated on your comfort, health and well-being. Then, after the baby is born and everyone goes home, they don’t need to see YOU anymore. Everyone wants to see the baby. And, they want to see the baby on a very specific schedule. No one wants to see Mom again until 6 weeks after delivery and that appointment is only to make sure that your cervix is back where it is supposed to be and give you the OK for sex. It is simply amazing to me. Prior to the baby being born, there is huge amount of attention given to expecting mother…and then…what? Something close to nothing as far as I can tell.
Where is the intense and insistent short-term post natal care for the new mother? How about making a little bit easier for mothers-to-be and new mothers by including counseling/coaching part of the prenatal and postnatal well baby program? How about making sure that doctors are truly checking on the mental well being of the mother and not just the physical well being? How about a “how to spot PPD” class for expecting fathers?
Expecting mother’s should be introduced to mental health counselors before their babies are due to develop comfort and rapport so that after the baby is born and if the blues (or even new motherhood) become overwhelming for Mom and family…someone in the house will know who they can call for help.
http://blogspot.expectingexecutive.com