My Postpartum Voice

13/06/2016

Dads matter. Partners matter, period. Today, we're focusing on Dads specifically because of the upcoming holiday, Father's Day. Dads are often the first ones to notice something isn't quite right. They're the ones on the front lines with us and their level of support (positive or negative) can seriously affect how well (and how quickly) a mom recovers from her Perinatal Mood & Anxiety Disorder. [ 81 more words. ]

http://www.mypostpartumvoice.com/2016/06/13/ppdchat-06-13-16-dads-ppd/

Join us tonight as we explore how PPD affects dads and the entire family. See you at 9pm ET! 

06/06/2016

Military life has an effect on the Perinatal Mood & Anxiety Disorder experience. There's an sharp increase in the rate of cases experienced (and again, those are just the ones reported), for instance. Tonight, we'll explore this aspect and others that make experiencing a Perintal Mood & Anxiety Disorder either as a soldier or a partner of a soldier challenging. See you tonight at 9pm ET on Twitter!

http://www.mypostpartumvoice.com/2016/06/06/ppdchat-06-06-16-ppd-the-military/

Military life has an effect on the Perinatal Mood & Anxiety Disorder experience. There’s an sharp increase in the rate of cases experienced (and again, those are just the ones reported), for instance. Tonight, we’ll explore this aspect and others that make experiencing a Perintal Mood & Anxiety Diso...

30/05/2016

23/05/2016

Join us this evening as we discuss the need for more and more people to know the signs and symptoms of Perinatal Mood & Anxiety Disorders. We'll also go over what to ask, how to help a mom get the care she needs, and how to support the whole family as they navigate this issue. See you tonight at 9pm ET!

http://www.mypostpartumvoice.com/2016/05/23/ppdchat-5-23-16-first-aid-for-perinatal-mood-anxiety-disorders/

Join us this evening as we discuss the need for more and more people to know the signs and symptoms of Perinatal Mood & Anxiety Disorders. We’ll also go over what to ask, how to help a mom get the care she needs, and how to support the whole family as they navigate this issue. …

09/05/2016

Mother's Day is another time in a mother's life when she's expected to be all smiles, and filled to the brim with joy. After all, it's a day dedicated solely to our lives - motherhood. But not all mothers are filled to the brim with joy on Mother's Day. The gauntlet of emotions for many are rough - for many reasons. [ 106 more words. ]

http://www.mypostpartumvoice.com/2016/05/09/ppdchat-05-09-16-how-was-your-mothers-day/

We'll be providing a safe space for mothers to speak up about their tough Mother's Days. See you on Twitter at 9pm ET for a healing chat! 

02/05/2016

In recognition of the month of May as Mental Health Awareness month as well as the month during which several states recognize Maternal Mental Health, we're going to be going through the signs and symptoms of Perinatal Mood & Anxiety Disorders this evening. It's a chat we do every so often because it is so important to be aware of many signs and symptoms of the disorders on included within the group of PMADs. [ 29 more words. ]

http://www.mypostpartumvoice.com/2016/05/02/ppdchat-05-01-16-just-the-ppd-facts/

Just the facts, ma'am. That's what we've got going on tonight. Join us as we go over the signs and symptoms of PPD. See you at 9pm EST! 

25/04/2016

Any one of us who has experienced an episode of any of the Perinatal Mood & Anxiety Disorders has asked ourselves if we should have any more children. Do we want to put ourselves through the emotional hell once more? Put our loved ones through it? Put our child through it? It's a tough question - and one only you can answer. [ 167 more words. ]

http://www.mypostpartumvoice.com/2016/04/25/ppdchat-04-25-16-babies-after-ppd/

Should you have a baby after PPD? Only YOU can answer that question. Join us for an insightful weighing of dealing with this difficult issue. 

18/04/2016

Books are powerful things. Within their pages, there is wisdom. There's wit. There's whimsy. There's sheer magic. Books are answers. They're hope. They're stigma busters. They're the shimmer of light at the end of a tunnel. This is why, today, is proud to announce the development of a Book for Moms program. Here's how it will work - through Amazon, will purchase books related to Perinatal Mood & Anxiety Disorders for any mom who requests it and can't afford to make the purchase on her own. [ 222 more words. ]

http://www.mypostpartumvoice.com/2016/04/18/4-18-16-ppdchat-book-it/

Books for Moms. Because no mom should have to go without a book that holds the light she needs in the dark. 

11/04/2016

In honor of National Volunteer Week, tonight's will highlight the power of peer support in the lives of women and families journeying to heal from Perinatal Mood & Anxiety Disorders. Peer support matters. It's the "me, too" we hear when we can't hear anything else. It's the "you're not alone in this" when you can't find any hope anywhere. It's the hand reaching toward you as you fight against the darkness threatening to swallow you whole. [ 112 more words. ]

http://www.mypostpartumvoice.com/2016/04/11/ppdchat-04-11-16-power-of-peer-support/

In honor of National Volunteer Week, will highlight the power of peer support for women struggling with Perinatal Mood & Anxiety Disorders.

04/04/2016

"It's the happiest time of your life!" "Why can't you just get up?" "Sleep it off." "Get over it." "You're just being lazy." "It's all in your head." "Oh, I didn't have time to be depressed when I was a mother." These are just a few of the myths and stigmas we hear as mamas who struggle with Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders. [ 117 more words. ]

http://www.mypostpartumvoice.com/2016/04/04/ppdchat-04-04-16-navigating-myths-stigma/

Bring the stigma & myths you've encountered. Bring it ALL. Let it out and we'll address all of it, together. See you tonight at 9pm ET on Twitter!

28/03/2016

PARTY PEEEEOOOPPPPLLLEEEE!!!! You do NOT want to miss tonight's because we are gonna be grooving! Tonight, we will be collectively putting together a groovy playlist on Spotify just for ! Have songs that get your heartbeat going? Suggest it. One that brings you up out of a funk? Share it. One that you just like to dance to in your kitchen while no one watches? [ 69 more words. ]

http://www.mypostpartumvoice.com/2016/03/28/ppdchat-03-28-16-dance-party/

Tonight? We're gonna party like it's 1999. A collectively formed playlist, discussion of science behind music & mood. 9pm, ET. Be there or be square! 

21/03/2016

You know I am a HUGE proponent of self-care. Huge. So when I run into someone else who is actively creating a community around this concept, particularly for mamas, I have to get them involved in . Because self-care is at the core of our philosophy here. Today, I'm so thrilled that Graeme of will be joining us. I had the pleasure of meeting her at last year's… [ 122 more words. ]

http://www.mypostpartumvoice.com/2016/03/21/ppdchat-03-21-16-self-care-with-honestlymamag/

Self-care. It matters. It's not selfish, it's selfless. It's required to thrive, not just survive. Join us tonight for some self-care of your own!

14/03/2016

Rage. It happens to the best of us. It is also one of the symptoms of a Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorder which finds many moms and surprises them. The intensity. The depth. The sudden onset, as if it is a cat waiting around a corner to pounce at any moment. Tonight's chat will focus specifically on the issue of rage. [ 243 more words. ]

http://www.mypostpartumvoice.com/2016/03/14/ppdchat-03-14-16-fighting-the-rage-monster/

Rage. It happens to the best of us. Join us this evening at 830pm for as we discuss this symptom and how to deal with it! 

07/03/2016

Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders affect women all around the world. Today, we'll be examining motherhood, Perinatal Mood & Anxiety Disorders, and how they are handled on a global scale. Why is it important to consider a global understanding of Perinatal Mood & Anxiety Disorders? It is important because in understanding how various cultures treat and handle this issue, we may pick up methods to treat Perinatal Mood & Anxiety Disorders in our own lives. Tonight's chat has been pushed back to 8:30pm ET. See you on Twitter!

http://www.mypostpartumvoice.com/2016/03/07/ppdchat-03-07-16-ppd-around-the-world/

Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders affect women on a global scale. Join us at a new time, 830pm ET, to learn more. See you there! 

28/02/2016

No, we're not going to tell you if you should medicate or not. But we will be discussing the various methods women use to treat their Perinatal Mood & Anxiety Disorders. Everything from natural to pharmaceutical medication. The methods vary just as greatly as the women who end up in battle with a Perinatal Mood & Anxiety Disorder. Yet, many of these women still find themselves judged for whatever method they choose. [ 111 more words. ]

http://www.mypostpartumvoice.com/2016/02/28/ppdchat-02-29-16-the-great-medication-debate/

We're all just moms who want to get back to living and loving our lives. Why is the medication we choose anyone else's business? 

22/02/2016

So much focuses on how to get through PPD. But what about AFTER. After the storm has cleared. After you've stopped fighting every day for your mind to function properly. After the fog of this stage has lifted and you're no longer in survival mode. What happens then? When does the fog lift? What if it doesn't? What about explaining why you crawled into a hole to people who ask what happened or where you have been? [ 73 more words. ]

http://www.mypostpartumvoice.com/2016/02/22/ppdchat-02-22-16-after-ppd/

So much focuses on surviving PPD. But what about AFTER? Join us tonight at 8pm ET as we address exactly this. See you there!

15/02/2016

It takes a village to raise a child. We are not meant to raise our children on an island by ourselves, and yet, that is what motherhood has become for so many in this modern age. That's not to say that Perinatal Mood & Anxiety Disorders are a new fangled issue, nay, they have existed in tandem with motherhood for quite some time (even Hippocrates addressed the issue of mothers who went mad after childbirth). [ 78 more words. ]

http://www.mypostpartumvoice.com/2016/02/15/ppdchat-02-15-16-on-being-the-village/

Join us at 8pm ET tonight as we examine how you can reach out to support a mother & her family as they fight against Perinatal Mood & Anxiety Disorders. 

15/02/2016

2016 Gallery

http://www.mypostpartumvoice.com/2016/02/14/lovebombs4moms-2016-gallery/

Check out the inspiring words moms had for other moms in this year's inaugural campaign. 

14/02/2016

Your journey hasn't stranded you in the dark, I promise. It's just thrown a plot twist your way. I skipped ahead. Brighter days are coming! How do I know for sure? Because I've been in that same darkness and come out on the other side. Some days, I fought harder than others. Some days? I didn't fight at all. But more often than not, I fought. [ 28 more words. ]

http://www.mypostpartumvoice.com/2016/02/14/6400/

Your journey hasn’t stranded you in the dark, I promise. It’s just thrown a plot twist your way. I skipped ahead. Brighter days are coming! How do I know for sure? Because I’ve been in that same darkness and come out on the other side. Some days, I fought harder than others. Some days? I …

14/02/2016

You are Loved

http://www.mypostpartumvoice.com/2016/02/14/6396/

There is no shame in getting lost in the dark. It took me a long time to figure that out for myself. Know that you are loved. Understood. Valued. Supported. Believed. And never, never alone. (Pauline Campos) Related

14/02/2016

We See You

http://www.mypostpartumvoice.com/2016/02/14/we-see-you/

Dear mama, We see you, struggling so hard. We feel you, with the weight of so much on your tender heart. We are here for you, even when you can’t look up enough to see us back. We stand together, we hold you close, and we promise you, that with this community of acceptance and …

14/02/2016

Share Your Joy

http://www.mypostpartumvoice.com/2016/02/14/6386/

Dear Mama, Our babies shine light on love we never knew we could feel; motherhood can also hurt in places we didn’t know existed. Undiscovered places suddenly come alive with pain, sometimes within a minute of feeling that surely, our hearts have grown three sizes. This morning, my knee hurts–an old…

14/02/2016

Best Mom for Baby

http://www.mypostpartumvoice.com/2016/02/14/6380/

I have the wisdom of being 17 years out and being able to look back and “know” what might have helped me, a bit, possibly: 1. Please mama, say yes to help, any and all help – so hard, because we are usually the helpers to everyone, trust me, say yes I need help. 2. …

14/02/2016

That Joy Is OURS

http://www.mypostpartumvoice.com/2016/02/14/6376/

YOU? You moms? You’re good moms. Each one of you. Each of us. Sometimes it’s hard. Sometimes anxiety and a racing heart get in the way of recognizing the truth. Sometimes guilt over just about anything steals the joy we think we should always be feeling. That joy is OURS. We can own it. We’re …

14/02/2016

You Are Enough

http://www.mypostpartumvoice.com/2016/02/14/6372/

Just breathe! This DOES get better. No matter what you think, YOU ARE ENOUGH! And also…it’s OK if you don’t have all those gushy mushy lovey feelings coming out of every pore on your body for your child. It’s not a prerequisite. You’ve just met! (Jessica LaBonte) Related

14/02/2016

Love You

http://www.mypostpartumvoice.com/2016/02/14/6368/

Red, tired eyes? Tear-streaked face? Spit-up- or drool-covered shoulder?  Leaky b***s or formula stains on your sleeve? Hair that is frizzy – or greasy – beyond belief – and has only been in a bun for weeks? An anxious brain that won’t shut off – or a foggy one that won’t turn on? And – …

14/02/2016

Not Alone

http://www.mypostpartumvoice.com/2016/02/14/6364/

You are not alone. I’ve been there, others have been there. I am here for you to have a shoulder to lean on and a warm embrace. (Stephanie Trzyna) Related

14/02/2016

More Than Great

http://www.mypostpartumvoice.com/2016/02/14/6359/

We may never have met in person but my love and compassion surrounds you every day. I pass the torch of warrior like strength, the torch that was handed to me- made up of several voices, words of wisdom and compassion, and virtual hugs. You are doing more than great. You are loving your family …

14/02/2016

Celebrate Valentine's Day with !

http://www.mypostpartumvoice.com/2016/02/14/love-bombs-for-moms/

Are you ready for this? We're dropping love bombs for moms by moms today. Kick back, stay tuned, and enjoy every single one of them!