A collection of mordantly hilarious and sharply-observed stories on motherhood from the bestselling author of Family—The Ties That Bind . . . And Gag! Erma Bombeck has learned a few things about children and family over the years—and in a way that is uniquely and wonderfully her own, she shares everything she knows with her readers. Whether it's cleaning up after the kids and him, or expendable mothers-in-law, Erma Bombeck gets to the heart of the matter and makes us laugh through our tears. Praise for I Lost Everything in the Post-Natal Depression “A truly wise and funny woman; a laugh-till-you-cry book.”—Library Journal “The smiles never stop until the last chapter ends with a poignant insight into growing up and being a parent.”—The Abilene Reporter-News
When your plate is too full, it eventually tips. Welcome to the world of a Supermom. When an overachieving, successful businesswoman tries to be perfect in every role of her life, it leads her onto a dark road of postpartum anxiety and panic disorder with psychotic features. A poignant memoir written with humor and heartache, this autobiography details the other side of postpartum depression: anxiety, panic, and psychosis. Ackerman gently walks readers through her terrifying journey of how a seemingly charming life unfolds into a nightmare of physical and mental breakdown, ending with inspirational, heart-wrenching inner strength that gives hope to a world of women. Stacey Ackerman, otherwise known as Supermom, is an overachieving, type-A personality who survived a serious and debilitating mental health disorder after the birth of her third child. She shares her story in the hopes of helping other women survive a similar trauma. Her ordeal proves that a mental breakdown can happen to anyone, erasing the stigma of mental illness.
"As a psychotherapist and educator of future mental health practitioners, I believe this work fills an important gap in reference books for professionals who care for childbearing women. Since the volume provides invaluable neurobiological research on depression and anxiety, I recommend this work to all health and mental health professionals."--Illness, Crisis and Loss Over the past three years, pregnancy related mood disorders have become the focus of health care advocates and legislators alike with subsequent reflection in nationwide media. Statistics on the prevalence of perinatal mood disorders suggest that up to 20% of women experience diagnosable pregnancy related mood disorders. The growing recognition of these common disorders, coupled with an increasing knowledge base about the dire consequences of untreated maternal depression, has propelled this issue to the fore of national public health priorities. This increasing awareness has also resulted in recent legislative and healthcare initiatives to screen, assess, and treat such disorders. On April 13, 2006, Governor Jon S. Corzine (D -NJ) signed a law requiring all new mothers to be educated and screened for postpartum depression. This law is the first of its kind in the country, but many states and federal advocates are proposing similar laws. The motivation for states and the federal government to adopt education and screening program is high and may soon be a federal mandate. But a major barrier to successful implementation of such programs is the lack of available resources to train healthcare professionals in this specialty. This book offers a major resource for healthcare professionals, mental health professionals, and medical, nursing, psychology, and social work students who will be confronting this problem in their practices. The contributions, by renowned experts, fill a glaring gap in the knowledge professionals need in order to successfully manage maternal mental health.
Finally, a book for real moms that tells the honest truth about what to expect emotionally after having a baby. In their groundbreaking Postpartum Survival Guide, Dr. Ann Dunnewold and Dr. Diane Sanford shattered the silence about the enormous emotional challenges of postpartum adjustment and motherhood. Now, in Life Will Never Be The Same: The Real Mom's Postpartum Survival Guide, their new definitive guide to emotional health surrounding childbearing, they present their clinically-proven strategies for surviving and thriving during both the postpartum period and a lifetime of motherhood. The feelings surrounding becoming a mom are often more powerful than feelings at any other time in a woman's life. Pregnant and new moms take every precaution to ensure their physical health, from all the latest tests to prenatal vitamins. However, emotional health is just as critical, if not more! In fact, postpartum depression is the single most frequent complication of childbirth. As moms, the authors know what a wild ride pregnancy and postpartum emotions bring. In this book, they share with you the best kept secret of all: caring for yourself emotionally will lead to a happier, more successful journey through motherhood and beyond. Within this book is exactly what every woman needs to know to balance her life as a mom. In this book you will learn to: Be emotionally healthy in the critical postpartum period. Prevent normal ups and downs from turning into anxiety and depression. Cope with postpartum depression and anxiety. Replace mothering guilt and inadequacy with confidence and strength. Survive and thrive as a mother by learning self-care, the key to emotional health and successful mothering.
This book helps you throughout your pregnancy and postpartum/postnatal recovery. By helping you understand what you are feeling, and teaching you empirically validated new skills so you can manage your changing moods, you can work toward feeling better. Becoming a new parent is one of the biggest changes one can face in life. You are experiencing enormous changes biologically, hormonally, and emotionally. Your whole life may seem uprooted. It makes sense that you might be feeling significant mood changes as well. With one out of five mothers and one out of ten partners experiencing depression and anxiety when having a baby, this workbook will remind you that you are not alone. This workbook is written with sleep-deprived new parents in mind, providing helpful information in short, digestible segments. These are intermixed with thought-provoking activities such as brief journaling prompts and suggestions for tangible steps to make small, realistic changes. You can pick it up and put it down, reading it on your timing, without the information becoming overwhelming. The workbook covers the entire range of mood symptoms, from the Baby Blues, to anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, PTSD, OCD, and more. The Pregnancy and Postpartum Mood Workbook uses inclusive language and content applicable to all new parents. There are chapters uniquely dedicated to building attachment, managing awful thoughts, bringing awareness to your partner's mental health, parenting babies in the NICU or with medical issues, and exploring culture, identity, and mental health. There is also a resource section with a wide array of support available to meet the needs of any parent. Adoptive and single parents, LGBTQ+ and heterosexual parents, as well as clinicians and birth workers will find this book to be an invaluable resource.
This guide has been developed jointly by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and is designed for use by all personnel involved in the care of pregnant women, their foetuses, and their neonates.
The raw, relatable call-to-arms memoir, breaking the silence on postnatal depression - from the bestselling author of Animals and Adults 'I am so grateful for this beautiful, honest book. It has helped me immeasurably' Pandora Sykes 'I loved this book' Clover Stroud 'Totally relatable ... had me laughing and crying in equal measures' Christie Watson 'Dazzling' The i An Unmissable Memoir, Stylist A Hot Summer Book, Refinery29 Six months after the birth of her son, Emma Jane Unsworth finds herself in the eye of a storm. Nothing - from pregnancy to birth and beyond - has gone as she expected. A birth plan? It might as well have been a rough draft! Furious and exhausted, her life is the complete opposite of what it used to be. She's swapped all night benders for grazed labia and Whac-a-Moling haemorrhoids. How did she end up here? In this brave, vital account of postnatal depression, Emma tells her story of despair and recovery. She tackles the biggest taboos around motherhood and mental health, from botched stitches and bleeding nipples to anger and shame. How does pregnancy adapt our brains? Is postnatal depression a natural reaction to the trauma of modern motherhood? And are people's attitudes finally changing? After the Storm is a celebration of survival, holding out a hand to women everywhere. 'This book will make new mums feel accompanied, which is the most sacred thing' Jenn Ashworth 'Hilarious, heart-breaking and wise' Leah Hazard, midwife and author 'Truth and power and lots of LOLs too. I loved it' Amy Liptrot 'A brave and compelling part memoir, part manifesto' Marie Claire
It's a great blessing when a new mom with postpartum depression (PPD) is fortunate enough to be diagnosed early by a knowledgeable medical practitioner or therapist. But without guidance, it isn't always clear where the boundary between normal baby blues and PPD lies. As with any other illness, the quicker that PPD is identified and treated, the faster the woman will recover. Postpartum Depression For Dummies can help you begin the process of determining what’s going on with you and give you a better idea of where you fall so that you can get yourself into proper treatment right away. The book covers all aspects of PPD, from its history and its origins to its effects on women and their families to the wide variety of treatments available—including conventional Western medicine, psychological therapy, alternative medical treatments, and self-care measures. Postpartum Depression For Dummies reveals: Why some doctors may be hush-hush about PPD How to distinguish between pregnancy hormone changes, "baby blues," and PPD The difficulties of getting a proper diagnosis The role and importance of a therapist The benefits of medication for depression Alternative treatments with a successful track record How to find the right balance of psychological, medical, and alternative treatment Ways you can help foster recovery The nutrition you need to care for yourself properly How to help your partner help you Postpartum Depression For Dummies also provides the additional resources you need—web sites, organizations, and further reading—to help avoid the unnecessary suffering caused by undiagnosed and untreated PPD and survive and thrive as a new mom.
