Hi, everyone. All this talk of medicating pp depression is
depressing me. Is it that routine in the States now to shtup
pills with pp depression without drawing some kind of line? There
must be some kind of guideline for differentiating between pp
depression and clinical depression. Postpartum depression, IMHO,
should be "treated" by urging mom to breastfeed, to get help
around the house with "things" (dishes, floors, clothes - get the
idea?) so that she can just rest and devote herself to the new
baby and family (all animate - see the difference?), and TO FIND
PEERS! A continuation support group that formed up after
antenatal classes is ideal, but not always possible. Neighbors,
friends with small babies is always good. I find it so sad that a
culture pops pills instead of finding friends. Didn't Kathy D say
that pp depression was unknown in Mali?
I have no problem at all with medicating clinical depression - I
would just want to see a firm diagnosis, that's all.
Again, my dear friends, let's try not to support medicalization
of breastfeeding any more than we have to. I guess that's my main
message.
Off the soapbox. Judy Knopf in Beer Sheva, Israel (my kibbutz
brother says that if "winter" doesn't come soon with proper rain,
we're going to have to import wheat! Yikes! BTW, we see snow in
Beer Sheva about every 20 years: it snowed in Feb. 1972 when I
was preg with Danielle, and 19 yrs later.)