Dear Lactnetters:
I spoke with a mom of a 4 mo old.  She has been diagnosed with PPD.  A
psychiatrist told her to wean immediately so she could take antidepressants.
 Or if she didn't want to do that, she could have electro-shock therapy (what
is this, the dark ages?!!),  As luck would have it, I had just received Kathy
Wisner's article in the Depression After Delivery newsletter on meds and
breastfeeding.  I sent it to the mom, along with an article on reverse-cycle
feeding (she was pretty much doing it already, but worrying about it).

She told me that she doesn't want to stop breastfeeding because it's the only
positive thing she can do for her baby right now.  She is single, had a
difficult birth, lot's of stress during her pregnancy, and is working
full-time as a sexual assault counselor.  She went back to work at 4 weeks.
No wonder she's depressed. The baby is refusing a bottle at the sitter's,
compounding how this mom feels (we talked about some alternatives).

Are there any other suggestions you can offer?  Support organizations for
single moms? Suggestions based on experience?  Ideas for alternate working
arrangements?  Any ideas would be most appreciated.  I told her that I was
going to ask for suggestions from youse guys, I she seemed most appreciative
to know that there was a whole army of concerned women and men who wanted to
help.

Thanks in advance.
Kathy Kendall-Tackett, LLLL & PhD