In celebration of our one year anniversary, we’re working to highlight other sites around the Internet that are Doing Good. Every Tuesday at noon (central time, yo), we’re bringing you a story of why someone else chooses to devote their time Doing Good.
You know our beginnings. Now it’s time to see theirs.
I’d like to introduce you to Lauren from #PPDChat and My Postpartum Voice. Lauren is yankee-turned-southerner-turned-yankee-again who is an absolute gem in the Postpartum Depression circle. I've had the pleasure of giving her a hug in real life and she's really just as amazing in person as she is on her Blog and Twitter.
What she does with the weekly #PPDChat and all the other outreach to women suffering from antenatal and postpartum depression is just amazing. She is working, like we are, to give a voice to people who need help but are scared they are alone. She's changing lives and SAVING lives.
But this is not my story to tell, it’s hers. Welcome to The Band, Lauren!
As the warm water swirled around me, I closed my eyes and rested my head on the back of our small bathtub.
“Why me?”
“What is this? Will I be okay? Will I ever go back to the hospital? Where are the moms who have survived this? I need them. I need to know I’m okay. I have to find them. I have to know this will fade and I will once again be me.”
Before I finished that bath in July of 2006, I knew I had to start a support group for Moms struggling with Postpartum Mood & Anxiety Disorders. By January of 2007, I was holding my first meeting with a few attendees at a local non-profit for musicians in need of mental health support. The first meeting was beautiful and as they continued, I realized I needed the meetings as much as the attendees.
By April of 2007 I was unexpectedly pregnant. Curling up in bed after the positive test (during which I almost knocked the cup of pee into the sink - DOH!), I grabbed a copy of Karen Kleiman’s “What Am I Thinking: Having a Baby After Postpartum Depression.” In the first chapter, Karen points out she worries more about moms facing pregnancy after Postpartum Depression NOT Scared out of their wits. Score one because I was scared out of my mind. Then she went on to suggest a “reframing” of the pregnancy if unexpected. It was here when Blogging entered my mind.
I knew of Katherine Stone at the time. Why couldn’t I blog my journey? Allow it to be out there for other moms to read and know they could make it? Or what to do if they faltered? So my blog, Unexpected Blessing, began. It’s now My Postpartum Voice but has also been Sharing the Journey just after my son was born.
With a lot of support and an outlet to share, my pregnancy went well and my postpartum, given my dedication to advocacy and planning for ME instead of baby, I thrived and did not experience Postpartum Depression after the birth of my son. Statistically, I should have. But I planned and cushioned space for myself.
When my blog turned 3, I started #PPDChat. Casually involved on Twitter, I noticed “Twitter Parties” for brands and products. Why not talk about Postpartum Mood Disorders that way too? Why not drag Stigma screaming and kicking out of the closet and create sunlight with which to destroy it? I emailed a few people, kicked around ideas and garnered support. The first chat had a few attendees, the evening chat even more.
A year and a half later and we now have anywhere from 15-40 moms at each chat, reach thousands of people, and have grown to include women and families from the United States, Canada, Japan, Australia, The Netherlands, and beyond. The hashtag is available 24/7 and with our global involvement, SOMEONE is always awake and ready to dive right in with a struggling parent. We have moms, dads, and loved ones who have used the chat. There’s even a sister who used the chat and through connecting with us, was able to locate a therapist 5 minutes away from her struggling sister. We’ve saved lives.
Most amazing of all though is that, for the most part, we’ve managed to avoid any hatred or judgment within the hashtag. The community of involved moms respect and love each other. No one has jumped in and started bashing us. It truly is a community full of love and waiting to reach out and embrace any parent struggling with Postpartum Mood & Anxiety issues. And that, is a beautiful thing.
If anyone ever doubts the power of Social Media, just point them over to #ppdchat. All doubt will be removed, replaced with awe and love.
