The holidays are almost over! 

Holidays can be bitter sweet.

An interesting finding about how infants experience their psychological milieu before and after birth. Catuion: It should not be understood concretely to mean that moms who are depressed should stay that way! This is certainly not the message!  

The following is quoted from Catherine Pearson’s report in the Huffington Post Blog

“Consistency Of A Mother’s Psychological State Vital To Child Development, New Study Shows

Developing infants can sense what their mothers are feeling, but in an unusual twist, authors of a new study suggest it isn’t necessarily a woman’s mental state that matters — i.e. whether or not she’s depressed — but rather the consistency of the woman’s psychological state before and after she gives birth.

The new study, slated for publication in the December issue of Psychological Science, examines how maternal depression impacts babies’ mental health and motor skills. Researchers from the University of California, Irvine, followed 221 pregnant women through pregnancy and for a year following birth. They split the moms into several groups: women with no depressive symptoms, women with depressive symptoms both before and after pregnancy, and women with symptoms either before or after pregnancy — but not both.

The researchers found that what mattered most was consistency. Development was best among babies whose moms experienced either no depressive symptoms, or who were depressed both before and after birth.

“The findings were really strong,” said Curt. A Sandman, a professor in psychiatry and human behavior at UC Irvine and one of the study’s authors. “Neither prenatal or postnatal depression had an impact on infant mental and psychomotor development. What mattered was whether or not there was congruence.”

According to the researchers, the mechanism whereby a pregnant woman communicates her psychological state to her fetus is a mystery. It’s possible that maternal stress and depression expose the fetus to elevated levels of stress hormones, they write.

But whatever the mechanism, Sandman argued that the findings suggest fetuses are somehow perceptive to their mothers’ psychological state, and as they grow, gather information to prepare themselves for the environment they are likely to face. Indeed, research has suggested that depression can impact how women parent — often in a negative way.

Dr. Ruta Nonacs, author of “A Deeper Shade of Blue: A Woman’s Guide to Recognizing and Treating Depression In Her Childbearing Years,” said women often follow one of two patterns: They are either less responsive to their babies, or they have greater anxiety and a tendency to hover and worry.

“During the first year of a child’s life, moms play a hugely important role in helping babies develop,” Nonacs said. “There’s a certain synchrony between mother and child — a child behaves a certain way, and a mom behaves in response to that. If we throw depression into that, communication between the mother and child gets to be a lot more complicated.”

And this, Sandman said, is why consistency in terms of a mother’s psychological state might matter.

“Even if the mothers were depressed, the fetus is collecting information to prepare for life after birth,” he explained. “They’re making accurate predictions about what they’re going to encounter.”

But the researcher cautioned that his findings do not mean that moms who are depressed before pregnancy should stay that way; rather, they should get screened for depression and get treatment early on. Estimates have suggested that nearly 15 percent of pregnant women have a new episode of depression during pregnancy, and that the same percentage have a new episode during the first three months postpartum.

In a joint report, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Psychiatric Association agreed that the decision to continue or change medication for depression is one that should be made between a physician and patient, and that there is “no universal ‘best answer’ for all women.” ACOG does not recommend universal screening, but says it should be strongly considered.

Experts caution that the new study should be considered against others that suggest a child’s development is affected more by a mother’s psychological state — whether or not she is depressed — than by the consistency of that psychological state.

“This model is very different from the prevailing approach that has found that stress during pregnancy or especially after the child is born is associated with negative developmental outcomes,” said Dr. Steven Meyers, a professor of psychology at Roosevelt University and a Chicago-based clinical psychologist.

“Research to date has found that children whose mothers are depressed generally experience more problems than children whose mothers aren’t depressed,” he said, “regardless of whether the mother’s depression matches her prenatal emotional state.”"

Through my google alerts, I was directed to this letter published in the  Star on Sat Oct 29 2011. A first-time mom wants to stay home with her 2 month-old daughter, but had made a deal with her husband that she would go back to work in order for him to agree to have a baby.
Following the letter is the response from Jeanne & Leonard. What do readers think about her response? About the compromises parents make and the deals they make with one another regarding children?

To see other readers comments, go to: http://www.thestar.com/article/1076114–should-new-mom-keep-her-back-to-work-promise#comments

Should new mom keep her back-to-work promise?

Dear Jeanne & Leonard:

My husband wanted to postpone having children until we were more financially secure. But I really wanted a baby, so he agreed, though only after I promised to return to work once the baby was born. That was a year ago. We now have a wonderful 2-month-old, and since “Avery” came along, I realize how important it is for me to be at home with her. My husband disagrees. He says we need my salary in order to meet our financial obligations, and he is angry and upset that I won’t return to work. But I think there’s nothing as important as the nurturing a mother gives her child. Who’s right? – R.F.

Dear R.F.:

What if your husband decided the most important thing in the world was global warming, and he wanted to become a full-time volunteer at a crusading nonprofit? How would you feel about his quitting his job because he believed he was making the world a better place for Avery to grow up in, as well as, of course, a better place for mankind?

Our point is this: Neither you nor your husband has the right to unilaterally abandon the obligation you each have to the other to help with the family finances, no matter how seemingly virtuous the reason. While we appreciate how much you love your daughter, wanting to stay home to care for a baby is no exception.

More generally, as strong as your feelings are toward Avery, you can’t allow them to compromise your family’s financial future. Failing to save, living paycheck to paycheck and possibly going into debt would not be doing your new daughter any favors.

Then there’s your relationship with your husband. Aren’t you the slightest bit troubled about breaking your word? We realize you didn’t know how you were going to feel once the baby arrived. But still, how can you expect your husband to trust you in the future if you bail out on a promise as important as this one? Plus on what grounds would you object should he fail to honor a pledge he’s made to you? Good luck if your husband brings home a dog and promises he’ll walk it.

Caring beats baby blues

20 OCT 11 @ 06:00AM BY EMILY WEBB

YARRA Ranges parents may benefit from strengthening their relationships, with new research finding the quality of a couple’s relationship has a significant impact on postnatal depression.

Research by Jean Hailes for Women’s Health and Monash University released last week found that controlling partners contributed to, and prolonged, symptoms of postnatal depression in women and men.

Mooroolbark mum and author of the Happy Mum Handbook, Jackie Hall, agreed that the dynamics between a couple could affect the impact of postnatal depression.

“The events that occur within the relationship can either alleviate or intensify the feelings,” said Ms Hall, who suffered depression and anxiety when her sons were infants.

Research lead author Dr Karen Wynter said the study of 323 couples in rural and metropolitan Victoria found both men and women were affected by how they viewed the quality of their relationship with their partner.

“If they experience their partner as caring, considerate and appreciative, they are less likely to have depression symptoms six months after the birth of their baby,” Dr Wynter said.

“But if they experience their partner to be very controlling and domineering, then they are more likely to have symptoms at six months.”

Yarra Ranges maternal and child health co-ordinator Jenny Fischer said the council had lots of support for families including the pilot program, Baby Makes Three, which was run in partnership with Morrisons in Mt Evelyn and VicHealth.

Ms Fischer said the program focused on building respectful and equitable relationships during the transition to parenthood.

“The program is three sessions for new parents on how things will change when a baby arrives,” Ms Fischer said.

She said the program would soon be expanded to Mooroolbark and Yarra Junction.

Source: http://lilydale-yarra-valley-leader.whereilive.com.au/news/story/caring-beats-baby-blues/

The mothers with baby blues too scared to see their doctor

One in three fear social workers will use illness to take away their child

By JENNY HOPE

Last updated at 2:09 AM on 3rd October 2011

As many as 35,000 new mothers each year are suffering in silence from post-natal depression, with many too afraid to seek help in case their babies are taken away from them.

Half of women with the condition do not seek any professional treatment, while thousands are prescribed anti-depressants even though better treatments are available.

Around one in ten new mothers experience post-natal depression – about 70,000 a year – even if they have never had mental health problems before, a report reveals.

Without treatment the condition can last for months or years. Although most mothers have the ‘baby blues’ shortly after birth for a few days, it can start up to six months later.

The report found 49 per cent of women who had the illness did not seek professional help, equating to 35,000 new mothers a year.

Almost a third of 2,000 mothers surveyed by the charity, 4Children, did not realise they were suffering from depression and more than half did not think the symptoms were serious enough to warrant treatment.

Even more worrying, says the report, one third were too scared to tell anyone because they were afraid of what might happen to themselves or their children. Other statistics show extreme cases of post-natal depression have to be treated in hospital, and social services may become involved because of a perceived threat to the baby.

The report exposes serious shortcomings and delays in the system of screening and referral, and an over-reliance on the use of anti-depressants.

Altogether 70 per cent of women with post-natal depression were prescribed medication by their GPs, compared with 41 per cent who were offered ‘talking therapies’ that are more likely to lead to a long-term solution. Guidelines for treating post-natal depression from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence stipulate these  therapies should be offered to women with a mild or moderate diagnosis.

The report also found the illness is a low priority in the NHS, with the Department of Health and the majority of Primary Care Trusts failing to collect any information on it.

Two trusts each reported only one woman had been diagnosed with post-natal depression in the last year. There is a postcode lottery for hospital care of mothers suffering from severe depression, with low numbers of mother and baby units in Cumbria, East Anglia, Devon and Cornwall and large parts of Wales and Scotland, and none at all in Northern Ireland.

Many health care professionals  need to do more to diagnose depression early and ensure mothers are provided with treatment, says the report.

Anne Longfield of 4Children said: ‘Too many families are suffering the consequences in silence, and when they do seek help, often encounter a wall of indifference and a lack of empathy from medical professionals with an over-reliance on anti-depressants for treatment.

‘This report calls for an end to the neglect of this illness.’

n A quarter of women who have IVF are running up thousands of pounds worth of debts to pay for the treatment. Some are spending as much as £30,000 to become pregnant.

A Red National Annual  Fertility Report poll found that among those who had IVF treatment, a third had spent more than £20,000.

CASE STUDY

When new mum Emily Mann started to feel depressed, tired and alone, it took her three months to seek help.

Mrs Mann, 34, (pictured), was so scared people would think she was a failure as a mum if she talked about the effects of her depression, she was unable even to turn to close family and friends for help.

But when she burst into tears, while her six-month-old son, Alfie, was being weighed in a clinic, she knew something was wrong.

A health visitor told her to see a doctor who referred her to a support group called Home-Start. Mrs Mann, from Gloucestershire, said: ‘I wasn’t able to talk to my friends or parents about it. I didn’t think anybody would understand how I was feeling.

‘I felt like I couldn’t cope with anything. Some days, I just didn’t want to go out.’

Mrs Mann received weekly visits from a Home-Start worker for more than a year who provided counselling and encouraged her to leave the house.

She says she is now fine and looking forward to the future with Alfie.

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2044526/The-mothers-baby-blues-scared-doctor.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

Study Finds Dads Suffer Postpartum Depression

This was written by the husband of Katherine Stone over at Postpartum Progress.

“My husband Frank surprised me with this yesterday, which he wrote from his heart and asked me to share with you.  It is about our experience with postpartum depression from his perspective, and what he’d like husbands, fathers and partners to know:

I am writing this because my wife has made it her life’s mission to illuminate the pain, anguish and recovery that surround postpartum mood disorders.  I have felt compelled for some time to reach out directly to men because postpartum mood disorders are devastating for the entire family.  It requires a family effort to recover, and husbands/fathers are critical to that recovery.

First of all I need to share a little of the story.  Katherine and I waited to have children until we were older, feeling we’d be more prepared.  While she was pregnant, I sang “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” to our baby and felt that all was right.  We had our son Jackson in what ended up being a horrible delivery.  Nothing seemed to go right.  He was jaundiced, had to stay at the hospital, wouldn’t breastfeed and Katherine was wrecked physically.  We were as exhausted as any new parent is, but I expected the joy to set in naturally.  When I noticed things like my wife not taking care of herself, obsessively writing everything down, being exhausted all the time and scared to death about everything to do with Jack, I attributed it to being a new mother.  When she couldn’t seem to handle the baby, I did what all guys do — I worked to fix the issue mechanically.  I took care of all the baths and other childcare when I came home.  I came to see her at lunch.  I dove into my job.

After days stretched into 8 weeks and beyond, I noticed we were talking and spending more time on how bad she felt.  It didn’t go away.  She cried frequently and was hypervigilant about Jackson.  She would not bathe him. [Katherine's note:  That's because I was afraid I'd drown him, not because I'm against bathing!]  She and I talked and talked, but I was overwhelmed.  I wondered what had happened to the competent woman I married and wanted to have a baby with.  Eventually one night I told my wife I could not help her and that she needed to get professional help.  She did.  She got real help and recovered and is a light to other women, but it was a struggle.

In retrospect it all seems so clear to me that she was suffering postpartum depression, but I didn’t understand it at the time.  I would like to give the other fathers and husbands out there the following important advice:

1)  Be there for your wife.  Many guys dive back into work because having a baby can be scary and really get us out of our comfort zone.  But you need to pull your weight and more.  Whatever your best is, give it now.

2) If you sense something is wrong, talk about it with her.  Shame is a prevalent part of PPD.  My wife was ashamed that she wasn’t feeling joyous and happy.  You need to talk to her about how she’s feeling and let her know she is safe to share her thoughts with you, whatever they are.

3) Watch what she does, not what she says.  OK, so I told you to talk to her, but talking is not enough, because she might not tell you the whole story.  Pay attention if after a week or two she doesn’t seem to go back to the things she normally does.  My wife is a Southern belle, who takes care to do her makeup and her hair, and it should have set off alarm bells for me when she stayed in her robe for more than a month.

4) If you are worried, take action.  God gives us gut instinct for a reason.  Trust it.  Reach out to a doctor for professional help — not just your friends or mom or sister.  Sometimes family members will be so scared that they will tell you not to worry, it’s just baby blues, because they don’t want to see the truth themselves.  Talk to a doctor.  You will never find a man who has lost a wife or a marriage who will tell you he wish he’d done less — he’ll wish he’d done more.

5) Get in the boat with her.  Realize that recovery from PPD is a family project.  Go to the therapist if need be.  Talk to the doctor.  Participate with her.  As guys we don’t like talking about our feelings, but it will be the most manly thing you’ll ever do.

I’m thankful that great therapy, medication, love and selfless giving have allowed my wife, once so heartbroken, to fulfill her life’s purpose.  I wish I had known the five tips I just shared with you so I could have been more fully there for her.  I hope this will help you and your family to suffer as little as possible.

P.S.  If you are a woman and are having a hard time talking to your husband about PPD, just print this out and give it to him.”

Watch her video here:

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=2454305n

More evidence to show that counseling mothers in their homes has a huge impact on lessening symptoms of postpartum depression.

Counseling Reduces Postpartum Depression

At-Home Therapy Helps New Mothers Cope with Depressive Symptoms

by Brenda Lane

A significant number of new mothers suffer from a range of postpartum mood disorders from mild to severe. Mothers may find at-home counseling is beneficial.

Postpartum depression (now referred to as Postpartum Mood Disorders) in some form plagues nearly 80% of mothers after giving birth. Signs and symptoms can range from milder mood swings that last for a few weeks, known as the “baby blues” to full-blown depression or anxiety. Some of the moderate to severe depression can take the form of anxiety or panic attacks or even obsessive-compulsive thoughts or behaviors. It is not unusual for symptoms to worsen as the postpartum period progresses.

Untreated, postpartum depression is also known to become more severe with each pregnancy. The good news is that treatment for postpartum depression is highly effective. As more and more mothers come forward to talk about postpartum depression, researchers are beginning to find more alternative forms of treatment that can help.

Treatment for Postpartum Mood Disorders

There are many forms of treatment that are effective in treating symptoms of postpartum depression. Some of those treatment options include anti-depressants, light therapy, alternative therapies such as acupuncture and herbs and dietary changes such as increasing carbohydrate intake and adding omega-3 fish oil supplements.. There is new ground-breaking evidence that mothers who receive counseling in their homes during the postpartum period may find reduced symptoms of postpartum depression.

Counseling an Effective Treatment Option for Postpartum Depression

The British Medical Journal reports a new study on the effect of at-home therapy for mothers who have been diagnosed with postpartum depression. Over 4,000 new mothers were randomly assigned to a series of therapy sessions that included one hour of therapy per week for two months. A control group of mothers did not receive at-home counseling. Therapy began at eight weeks’ postpartum.

One of the interesting facts about this particular study is that the type of at-home therapy that the mothers’ received varied among the group. Some received therapy from health care workers. Others were offered therapy from professionals trained in counseling and still others received at-home therapy from helpers who provided traditional postpartum care.

However one basic finding was that the mothers who received the at-home therapy sessions were 40% less likely to have depressive symptoms at 6 months postpartum compared to the group who did not receive counseling. What this study shows is that time, attention, good listening skills and letting the mother know that her needs are important seems to makes all the difference.

If you have suffered from any postpartum mood disorder, you are definitely not alone. Help is available so don’t be afraid to reach out and find a care provider and treatment that work for you..

Source: http://brendalane.suite101.com/counseling-reduces-postpartum-depression-a96063

Visit Dr. Holinger’s website for more Issues & Advice 

About the Author of this post:

A founder of the Center for Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy, Dr. Holinger is a leading go-to expert on child development and child behavior for both the media as well as for parents and caregivers. He is renowned as a child therapist, child psychiatrist, and child psychoanalyst.

Following his medical and psychiatric training in Chicago, Dr. Holinger did a Fellowship in Psychiatric Epidemiology in Boston, where he received a Masters of Public Health from the Harvard University School of Public Health; he then did a Fellowship in Psychosocial Public Health.  Subsequently, he obtained adult and child/adolescent psychoanalytic training at the Chicago Institute for Psychoanalysis.

Currently, Dr. Holinger is Professor of Psychiatry at the Rush University Medical Center. At the Chicago Institute for Psychoanalysis, Dr. Holinger serves on the faculty as a Training and Supervising Analyst and Child Supervising Analyst. He is Board Certified in Psychiatry by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and Certified in Psychoanalysis (adult and child/adolescent) by the American Psychoanalytic Association.

Author of the critically acclaimed What Babies Say Before They Can Talk: The Nine Signals Infants Use to Express Their Feelings, Dr. Holinger blogs at Psychology Today on child development and child behavior. He has been a guest on “Parent Talk” of WECK Radio, WLS-TV (ABC affiliate), and other radio and television shows and has been quoted in numerous publications including Parent Magazine, Parenting, and many others.

Want a Good Night’s Sleep? Then Never Do These Things Before Bed

Posted By Dr. Mercola | October 02 2010

Sleep is one of the great mysteries of life. Like gravity or the quantum field, we still don’t understand exactly why we sleep—although we are learning more about it every day.

We do know, however, that good sleep is one of the cornerstones of health.

Six to eight hours per night seems to be the optimal amount of sleep for most adults, and too much or too little can have adverse effects on your health.

Sleep deprivation is such a chronic condition these days that you might not even realize you suffer from it. Science has now established that a sleep deficit can have serious, far reaching effects on your health.

For example, interrupted or impaired sleep can:

• Dramatically weaken your immune system
• Accelerate tumor growth—tumors grow two to three times faster in laboratory animals with severe sleep dysfunctions
• Cause a pre-diabetic state, making you feel hungry even if you’ve already eaten, which can wreak havoc on your weight
• Seriously impair your memory; even a single night of poor sleep—meaning sleeping only 4 to 6 hours—can impact your ability to think clearly the next day
• Impair your performance on physical or mental tasks, and decrease your problem solving ability

When your circadian rhythms are disrupted, your body produces less melatonin (a hormone AND an antioxidant) and has less ability to fight cancer, since melatonin helps suppress free radicals that can lead to cancer. This is why tumors grow faster when you sleep poorly.

Impaired sleep can also increase stress-related disorders, including:

• Heart disease
• Stomach ulcers
• Constipation
• Mood disorders like depression

Sleep deprivation prematurely ages you by interfering with your growth hormone production, normally released by your pituitary gland during deep sleep (and during certain types of exercise, such as Peak Fitness Technique). Growth hormone helps you look and feel younger.

One study has even shown that people with chronic insomnia have a three times greater risk of dying fromany cause.

Lost sleep is lost forever, and persistent lack of sleep has a cumulative effect when it comes to disrupting your health. Poor sleep can make your life miserable, as most of you probably know.

The good news is, there are many natural techniques you can learn to restore your “sleep health.”

Whether you have difficulty falling asleep, waking up too often, or feeling inadequately rested when you wake up in the morning—or maybe you simply want to improve the quality of your sleep—you are bound to find some relief from my tips and tricks below.

Optimizing Your Sleep Sanctuary

1. Sleep in complete darkness, or as close to it as possible. Even the tiniest bit of light in the room can disrupt your internal clock and your pineal gland’s production of melatonin and serotonin. Even the tiniest glow from your clock radio could be interfering with your sleep. This will help decrease your risk of cancer.  Close your bedroom door, and get rid of night-lights. Refrain from turning on any light at all during the night, even when getting up to go to the bathroom. Cover up your clock radio.Cover your windows—I recommend using blackout shades or drapes.All life evolved in response to predictable patterns of light and darkness, called circadian rhythms. Modern day electrical lighting has significantly betrayed your inner clock by disrupting your natural rhythms. Little bits of light pass directly through your optic nerve to your hypothalamus, which controls your biological clock.Light signals your brain that it’s time to wake up and starts preparing your body for ACTION.
2. Keep the temperature in your bedroom no higher than 70 degrees F. Many people keep their homes and particularly their upstairs bedrooms too warm. Studies show that the optimal room temperature for sleep is quite cool, between 60 to 68 degrees. Keeping your room cooler or hotter can lead to restless sleep.When you sleep, your body’s internal temperature drops to its lowest level, generally about four hours after you fall asleep. Scientists believe a cooler bedroom may therefore be most conducive to sleep, since it mimics your body’s natural temperature drop.
3. Check your bedroom for electro-magnetic fields (EMFs). These can disrupt the pineal gland and the production of melatonin and serotonin, and may have other negative effects as well.To do this, you need a gauss meter. You can find various models online, starting around $50 to $200. Some experts  even recommend pulling your circuit breaker before bed to kill all power in your house.
4. Move alarm clocks and other electrical devices away from your bed. If these devices must be used, keep them as far away from your bed as possible, preferably at least 3 feet. Remove the clock from view. It will only add to your worry when you stare at it all night… 2 a.m. …3 a.m. … 4:30 a.m.
5. Avoid using loud alarm clocks. It is very stressful on your body to be suddenly jolted awake. If you are regularly getting enough sleep, an alarm may even be unnecessary.I gave up my alarm clock years ago and now use a sun alarm clock. The Sun Alarm™ SA-2002 provides an ideal way to wake up each morning if you can’t wake up with the REAL sun. Combining the features of a traditional alarm clock (digital display, AM/FM radio, beeper, snooze button, etc) with a special built-in light that gradually increases in intensity, this amazing clock simulates a natural sunrise. It also includes a sunset feature where the light fades to darkness over time, which is ideal for anyone who has trouble falling asleep.
6. Reserve your bed for sleeping. If you are used to watching TV or doing work in bed, you may find it harder to relax and drift off to sleep, so avoid doing these activities in bed.
7. Consider separate bedrooms. Recent studies suggest, for many people, sharing a bed with a partner (or pets) can significantly impair sleep, especially if the partner is a restless sleeper or snores. If bedfellows are consistently interfering with your sleep, you may want to consider a separate bedroom.

Preparing for Bed

8. Get to bed as early as possible. Your body (particularly your adrenal system) does a majority of its recharging between the hours of 11 p.m. and 1 a.m. In addition, your gallbladder dumps toxins during this same period. If you are awake, the toxins back up into your liver, which can further disrupt your health.Prior to the widespread use of electricity, people would go to bed shortly after sundown, as most animals do, and which nature intended for humans as well.
9. Don’t change your bedtime. You should go to bed and wake up at the same times each day, even on the weekends. This will help your body to get into a sleep rhythm and make it easier to fall asleep and get up in the morning.
10. Establish a bedtime routine. This could include meditation, deep breathing, using aromatherapy or essential oils or indulging in a massage from your partner. The key is to find something that makes you feel relaxed, then repeat it each night to help you release the tensions of the day.
11. Don’t drink any fluids within 2 hours of going to bed. This will reduce the likelihood of needing to get up and go to the bathroom, or at least minimize the frequency.
12. Go to the bathroom right before bed. This will reduce the chances that you’ll wake up to go in the middle of the night.
13. Eat a high-protein snack several hours before bed. This can provide the L-tryptophan needed for your melatonin and serotonin production.
14. Also eat a small piece of fruit. This can help the tryptophan cross your blood-brain barrier.
15. Avoid before-bed snacks, particularly grains and sugars. These will raise your blood sugar and delay sleep. Later, when blood sugar drops too low (hypoglycemia), you may wake up and be unable to fall back asleep.
16. Take a hot bath, shower or sauna before bed. When your body temperature is raised in the late evening, it will fall at bedtime, facilitating slumber. The temperature drop from getting out of the bath signals your body it’s time for bed.
17. Wear socks to bed. Feet often feel cold before the rest of the body because they have the poorest circulation. A study has shown that wearing socks reduces night wakings. As an alternative, you could place a hot water bottle near your feet at night.
18. Wear an eye mask to block out light. As discussed earlier, it is very important to sleep in as close to complete darkness as possible. That said, it’s not always easy to block out every stream of light using curtains, blinds or drapes, particularly if you live in an urban area (or if your spouse has a different schedule than you do). In these cases, an eye mask can be helpful.
19. Put your work away at least one hour before bed (preferably two hours or more). This will give your mind a chance to unwind so you can go to sleep feeling calm, not hyped up or anxious about tomorrow’s deadlines.
20. No TV right before bed. Even better, get the TV out of the bedroom or even completely out of the house. It’s too stimulating to the brain, preventing you from falling asleep quickly. TV disrupts your pineal gland function.
21. Listen to relaxation CDs. Some people find the sound of white noise or nature sounds, such as the ocean or forest, to be soothing for sleep. An excellent relaxation/meditation option to listen to before bed is the Insight audio CD. Another favorite is the Sleep Harmony CD, which uses a combination of advanced vibrational technology and guided meditation to help you effortlessly fall into deep delta sleep within minutes. The CD works on the principle of “sleep wave entrainment” to assist your brain in gearing down for sleep.  
22. Read something spiritual or uplifting. This may help you relax. Don’t read anything stimulating, such as a mystery or suspense novel, which has the opposite effect. In addition, if you are really enjoying a suspenseful book, you might be tempted to go on reading for hours, instead of going to sleep!
23. Journaling. If you often lay in bed with your mind racing, it might be helpful keep a journal and write down your thoughts before bed. Personally, I have been doing this for 15 years, but prefer to do it in the morning when my brain is functioning at its peak and my cortisol levels are high.

Lifestyle Suggestions That Enhance Sleep

24. Reduce or avoid as many drugs as possible. Many drugs, both prescription and over-the-counter, may adversely effect sleep. In most cases, the condition causing the drugs to be taken in the first place can be addressed by following guidelines elsewhere on my web site.
25. Avoid caffeine. At least one study has shown that, in some people, caffeine is not metabolized efficiently, leaving you feeling its effects long after consumption. So, an afternoon cup of coffee or tea will keep some people from falling asleep at night. Be aware that some medications contain caffeine (for example, diet pills).
26. Avoid alcohol. Although alcohol will make you drowsy, the effect is short lived and you will often wake up several hours later, unable to fall back asleep. Alcohol will also keep you from entering the deeper stages of sleep, where your body does most of its healing.
27. Make certain you are exercising regularly. Exercising for at least 30 minutes per day can improve your sleep. However, don’t exercise too close to bedtime or it may keep you awake. Studies show exercising in the morning is the best if you can manage it.
28. Lose excess weight. Being overweight can increase your risk of sleep apnea, which can seriously impair your sleep. (CLICK HEREfor my nutritional recommendations.)
29. Avoid foods you may be sensitive to. This is particularly true for sugar, grains, and pasteurized dairy. Sensitivity reactions can cause excess congestion, gastrointestinal upset, bloating and gas, and other problems.
30. Have your adrenals checked by a good natural medicine clinician. Scientists have found that insomnia may be caused by adrenal stress.
31. If you are menopausal or perimenopausal, get checked out by a good natural medicine physician. The hormonal changes at this time may cause sleep problems if not properly addressed.

If All Else Fails

32. My current favorite fix for insomnia is Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT). Most people can learn the basics of this gentle tapping technique in a few minutes. EFT can help balance your body’s bioenergy system and resolve some of the emotional stresses that are contributing to your insomnia at a very deep level. The results are typically long lasting and improvement is remarkably rapid.
33. Increase your melatonin. Ideally it is best to increase levels naturally with exposure to bright sunlight in the daytime (along with full spectrum fluorescent bulbs in the winter) and absolute complete darkness at night.If that isn’t possible, you may want to consider a melatonin supplement. In scientific studies, melatonin has been shown to increase sleepiness, help you fall asleep more quickly and stay asleep, decrease restlessness, and reverse daytime fatigue.Melatonin is a completely natural substance, made by your body, and has many health benefits in addition to sleep.I prefer to use a sublingual melatonin product because it is absorbed much faster and therefore works more quickly. I offer a melatonin spray on my website that I believe is one of the very best on the market.
    
    

• Source: Dr. Mercola is the founder of the world’s most visited natural health web site,Mercola.com. You can learn the hazardous side effects of OTC Remedies by getting a FREE copy of his latest special report The Dangers of Over the Counter Remedies by going to his Report Page.

What do Postpartum Depression, Anxiety and Psychosis really feel like to moms?

Katherine Stone from Postpartum Progress has written a number of useful posts describing the symptoms of Postpartum Depression, Anxiety and Psychosis in everyday language.

Here are two of my favorites:

The Symptoms of Postpartum Depression & Anxiety (In Plain Mama English) By Katherine Stone

The Symptoms of Postpartum Psychosis (In Plain Mama English) By Katherine Stone

About Katherine Stone (from her blog):

“Katherine Stone is a nationally-recognized, award-winning advocate for women with postpartum depression.  In 2001 she suffered a devastating bout of postpartum obsessive-compulsive disorder after the birth of her first child.  The feelings of fear, isolation and shame she experienced inspired her to take action to help others, and in 2004 she created the blog Postpartum Progress, now the most widely-read blog on postpartum depression (PPD), postpartum anxiety, postpartum psychosis and other mental illnesses related to pregnancy and childbirth.”

If you are experiencing or have experienced PPD in any form, I encourage to visit her blog often!

says psychologist, Kiara Timpano who has created a new prevention program for moms at risk of developing OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder). The program includes information on the warning signs of anxiety and OCD, as well as specific techniques for how to deal with the symptoms (based on cognitive-behavioral therapy techniques).

Read more below:

UM researcher develops successful prevention program for postpartum OCD

University of Miami psychologist creates an effective prevention program for new mothers at risk of developing obsessive compulsive disorder

CORAL GABLES, FL (August 18, 2011) — The birth of a baby can elicit many emotions, from joy and excitement to fear and uncertainty. But it can also trigger unexpected difficulties with anxiety, in particular with postpartum Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Psychologist Kiara Timpano from the University of Miami (UM) and her collaborators developed an effective program for the prevention of postpartum obsessive compulsive symptoms. The findings are reported online ahead of print by the Journal of Psychiatric Research.

“Postpartum depression has received much attention, but anxiety related issues, especially obsessive compulsive symptoms, can also be devastating to mothers and their families,” says Timpano, Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at UM College of Arts and Sciences and principal investigator of the study. “Many women experiencing these difficulties are not getting the services they need because they don’t even know that what they are experiencing has a label and can be helped.”

Most new mothers have some thoughts of concern about their babies. But according to the study, some mothers experience a more severe form of anxiety known as postpartum OCD. The condition includes intrusive thoughts about bad things happening to the baby. In order to control these unpleasant thoughts, the mothers develop rituals or other behaviors in response, like checking the baby excessively or washing a baby bottle many more times than is necessary.

“The problem with OCD is that it is like a radio that’s turned up too high,” Timpano says. “Part of our work is trying to figure out how it got turned up so high and how we can help individuals turn it back down. For example, while it’s okay to wash the baby bottle once, it is problematic if a mother ends up washing it for hours at a time.”

The new study, titled “Efficacy of a prevention program for postpartum obsessive-compulsive symptoms.” The investigation was conducted in collaboration with Jonathan S. Abramowitz, professor of psychology, and Brittain L. Mahaffey, doctoral student in psychology, both in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Norman B. Schmidt, psychology professor and director of the Anxiety and Behavioral Health Clinic, and Melissa A. Mitchell, doctoral student in psychology, both at Florida State University.

“We wanted to provide mothers with the necessary tools, which would hopefully keep them from going on to develop substantial symptoms that would interfere in their lives,” Timpano says.

To develop and test the efficacy of an intervention that would not only treat mothers once their difficulties emerged, but could also prevent symptoms from developing, the team designed a prevention program based on cognitive behavioral therapy principle – a treatment technique that has been found to be highly effective for anxiety disorders. The program was incorporated it into a traditional childbirth educational class.

Participants were a group of 71 expecting mothers at risk for developing postpartum obsessive compulsive symptoms. Half of the group was in a class that included the prevention program, the other half was in a regular childbirth education class (control group). The mothers were followed for six months after the birth of their babies. The program included information on the warning signs of anxiety and OCD, as well as specific techniques for how to deal with the symptoms.

The prevention program was successful in reducing both the incidence of obsessive compulsive symptoms and how distressing they were. Compared to the control group, the mothers in the prevention program experienced less anxiety after the babies were born and they maintained this effect for at least six months postpartum. The team also found that the intervention reduced those thinking styles that put a mom at risk to begin with.

Moving forward, the researchers would like to build on the program they created and make the treatment even more feasible and effective. “Further down the road, you can imagine some sort of scenario where mothers would get screened for postpartum anxiety, as is frequently done now for postpartum depression,” said Timpano.

Public release date: 18-Aug-2011

Contact: Catharine Skipp
c.skipp@miami.edu
305-284-3667
University of Miami

Source for this article http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-08/uom-urd081811.php

Here are some useful online rating scales that will help you understand depression better and also get an idea if you are clinically depressed.

How much do you know about depression?

“..many people still are in the dark when it comes to understanding depression. How much do you really know? Take this depression quiz, which includes information from Lawson Wulsin’s, M.D., book, Treating The Aching Heart, and see how well you know fact from fiction.”

http://www.lifescript.com/Quizzes/Health/How_Much_Do_You_Know_About_Depression.aspx

Could you be depressed?

“Depression affects 20 million people in any given year and is a serious enough disorder to compromise one’s ability to function normally day to day. Find out if you’re just blue or if you might be clinically depressed.”

http://www.lifescript.com/Quizzes/Health/Could_You_be_Depressed.aspx

A recent study published this week shows that the amygdala brain structure of children of significantly depressed moms is enlarged. Conclusions are that the amygdala is  highly sensitive to maternal care and perceives depression and  maternal absence in the same way. Both lead to greater scanning of the environment for threats. “A larger amygdala might be the equivalent of having not one fire alarm but many go off at the slightest whiff of smoke.”

 For too many new mothers, what should be a time of joy is instead one of darkness visible: between 5 and 25 percent experience depression, and the rate may exceed 40 percent among low-income and teenage moms. A depressed mother tends to withdraw from her children, becoming disengaged and nonresponsive—a less extreme version of the emotional and social deprivation that young children suffered in the notorious Romanian orphanages.

In those orphans, twin brain structures called theamygdala tended to be larger than in children reared by engaged, loving parents. Now a new study finds that the brains of children who grow up with a mother who suffers from depression show the same change. Their amygdalas, whose job it is to scan the environment for threats and learn what to be afraid of, as well as to assign emotional significance to experiences and information, are also “significantly larger” than those of children whose mothers do not suffer from depression.

The study, published this week in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and led by Sonia Lupien of the Université de Montréal, was small: it examined 17 children whose mothers had been depressed since their birth (all in 1996) and 21 whose mothers had not been depressed. On average, the children of depressed mothers had amygdalas measuring 1085 cubic centimeters, while those belonging to children of healthy mothers measured 879 cubic centimeters, a difference of 19 percent. The findings are in line with those from the orphans studies as well as from lab animal studies. The latter find that poor caregiving and being separated from one’s mother lead to accelerated growth of the amygdala.

Poor maternal care due to depression seems to trigger the same brain change as when the mother is entirely absent, as is the case with orphans raised in an institution. That suggests that “the amygdala is quite sensitive to the quality of maternal care,” says Lupien.

“If you grow up in an environment in which you don’t have all the support you would need, maybe you become a super-detector of threats.”

That the amygdala should be larger in children whose mothers have suffered depression for all 10 years of the kids’ lives makes sense, however. “If you grow up in an environment in which you don’t have all the support you would need, especially to help you evaluate the environment, maybe you become a super-detector of threats,” suggests Lupien. “We think it might lead to resilience.” That is, the brain of a child raised by a mother who is withdrawn and emotionally neglectful adapts by enlarging the amygdala, becoming better attuned to the threats in the environment that Mom might not be around to protect him from.

One way that might happen is by flooding the brain with stress hormones called glucocorticoids, whose production the amygdala triggers. Levels of these hormones in the children of depressed mothers soared when they were put in an unfamiliar situation, showing that their stress-response system goes into overdrive at the slightest provocation. Since it’s the amygdala that processes the feeling of threat, a larger amygdala might be the equivalent of having not one fire alarm but many go off at the slightest whiff of smoke.

Other studies have found that an enlarged amygdala may be related to autism. In this case, the thinking is that being ultra-sensitive to the presence of threats—something an enlarged amygdala might cause—brings about the social withdrawal and self-soothing behavior typical of children with autism. If the children in the Montreal study were at risk of autism, however, it would have shown up by age 10. More likely, the enlarged amygdalas produced subtler effects, making them warier and more alert to threats.

The Montreal scientists don’t know whether the amygdalas in the children of depressed mothers will remain forever enlarged, let alone what the consequences of that might be. But the revolution in neuroplasticity that has swept neurobiology in the last decade, showing that the brain can change in both structure and function in response to experiences, suggests that what can be enlarged by one environment can be returned to normal by another. “If the brain responds so fast to the environment [of having a mother suffering from depression for 10 years], it implies that an intervention could also change its developmental trajectory,” says Lupien. Home visits by nurses, enriched day care, relatives, and others pitching in to help a depressed mother raise her kids—any and all of these, she says, “could mitigate the effects of parental care on the developing brain.”

Here is an article from Time, based on a study that attempts to define the situations and lifestyles that give rise to higher levels of maternal depression. In summary the study agrees with previous studies that stay-at-home moms have higher rates of depression than working moms – provided that working moms accept there will be trade-offs in both home and work. If there expectations of “doing it all” are too high, they too will get depressed.

Article is below and Re-posted  from an article by Bonnie Rochman for Time

What do readers think? What are your experiences of depression?

Working Women Who Try to Be ‘Supermom’ May Be More Depressed

Are you thinking you might have postpartum depression (PPD)? Take this simple test and use the scoring system indicated below.

You should complete the test yourself. You are asked to check the answer that comes closest to how you have been feeling in the last 7 days.

In the last 7 days:

1. I have been able to laugh and see the funny side of things:

1. As much as I always could
2. Not quite so much now
3. Definitely not so much now
4. Not at all

2. I have looked forward with enjoyment to things:

1. As much as I ever did
2. Rather less than I used to
3. Definitely less than I used to
4. Hardly at all

*3. I have blamed myself unnecessarily when things went wrong:

1. Yes, most of the time
2. Yes, some of the time
3. Not very often
4. No, never

4. I have been anxious or worried for no good reason:

1. No, not at all
2. Hardly ever
3. Yes, sometimes
4. Yes, very often

*5. I have felt scared or panicky for no good reason:

1. Yes, quite a lot
2. Yes, sometimes
3. No, not much
4. No, not at all

*6. Things have been getting on top of me:

1. Yes, most of the time I haven’t been able to cope at all
2. Yes, sometimes I haven’t been coping as well as usual
3. No, most of the time I have coped quite well
4. No, I have been coping as well as ever

*7. I have been so unhappy that I have had difficulty sleeping:

1. Yes, most of the time
2. Yes, sometimes
3. Not very often
4. Not at all

*8. I have felt sad or miserable:

1. Yes, most of the time
2. Yes, quite often
3. Not very often
4. No, not at all

*9. I have been so unhappy that I have been crying:

1. Yes, most of the time
2. Yes, quite often
3. Only occasionally
4. No, never

*10. The thought is harming myself has occurred to me:

1. Yes, often
2. Sometimes
3. Hardly ever
4. Never

YOUR SCORE

1,2 and 4 without an asterisk – answer number 1 is valued at 0 points; number 2 at 1, answer 3 at 2 and answer 4 at a value of 3 points.

3, 5-10 with an asterisk – answer number 1 is valued at 3 points, answer 2 is 2, answer 3 is 1 and answer number 4 is valued at 0 points.

Maximum Score – 30 points

Possible Depression = score of 10 or higher

If you have a score of 10 or higher, be sure to contact your medical provider as soon as possible.

If you circled no.1 or 2 on question 10, please seek help immediately.

****Suicidal ideas, thoughts feelings need to be taken very seriously and can rapidly become suicidal actions in a mother with a postpartum disorder. Call 911. Get HELP.

You’re worried that you (or a loved one) may have postpartum depression? 

Before you research any further, please read the following 3 points until they really make sense to you. If you are looking for info for a loved one, read this to her as many times as she needs to hear it.

1. You are most definitely not alone. Nearly 20 mothers out of every 100, will experience some form of postpartum problem.  PPD also affects mothers who adopt babies, moms who lose babies as well as partners and fathers. So you are not alone. Please don’t isolate yourself or feel too ashamed to speak up and reach out.

2. This is most definitely not your fault. You did not cause this to happen and you do not need to feel guilty about it.This is a real illness and blaming yourself will only make you feel worse and prolong your recovery. So please don’t beat yourself up.

3. You will get well. Yes! It is treatable with the right help. So please feel proud of yourself for taking the time to research this. Know that a diagnosis is the first step in treating any kind of perinatal mood disorder.  And that finding an expert who is trained in this field and has specialized in it and has experience with it, is essential.  IDEALLY treatment will include face-to-face counseling or psychotherapy, medication from a psychiatrist, and a support group of other moms who are dealing with this too.

Okay, now that you know all this, you can view an outline of perinatal disorders (quoted from postpartum support internationals website).

And /or take a screening test for PPD.

GET THE FACTS

• Are you feeling sad or depressed?
• Do you feel more irritable or angry with those around you?
• Are you having difficulty bonding with your baby?
• Do you feel anxious or panicky?
• Are you having problems with eating or sleeping?
• Are you having upsetting thoughts that you can’t get out
  of your mind?
• Do you feel as if you are “out of control” or “going crazy”?
• Do you feel like you never should have become a mother?
• Are you worried that you might hurt your baby or yourself?

Any of these symptoms, and many more, could indicate that you have a form of perinatal mood or anxiety disorder, such as postpartum depression. While many women experience some mild mood changes during or after the birth of a child, 15 to 20% of women experience more significant symptoms of depression or anxiety. Please know that with informed care you can prevent a worsening of these symptoms and can fully recover. There is no reason to continue to suffer.

Women of every culture, age, income level and race can develop perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. Symptoms can appear any time during pregnancy and the first 12 months after childbirth. There are effective and well-researched treatment options to help you recover. Although the term “postpartum depression” is most often used, there are actually several forms of illness that women may experience, including:

Pregnancy (also called antepartum) or Postpartum Depression. A woman with PPD might experience feelings of anger, sadness, irritability, guilt, lack of interest in the baby, changes in eating and sleeping habits, trouble concentrating, thoughts of hopelessness and sometimes even thoughts of harming the baby or herself. Learn more about PPD, including risk factors, symptoms and treatment options.

Pregnancy (also called antepartum) or Postpartum Anxiety. A woman with PPA may experience extreme worries and fears, often over the health and safety of the baby. Some women have panic attacks and might feel shortness of breath, chest pain, dizziness, a feeling of losing control, and numbness and tingling. Learn more about PPA, including risk factors, symptoms and treatment options.

Pregnancy or Postpartum Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Women with PPOCD can have repetitive, upsetting and unwanted thoughts or mental images (obsessions), and sometimes they need to do certain things over and over (compulsions) to reduce the anxiety caused by those thoughts. These moms find these thoughts very scary and unusual and are very unlikely to ever act on them. Learn more about PPOCD, including risk factors, symptoms and treatment options.

Postpartum Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. PPTSD is often caused by a traumatic or frightening childbirth, and symptoms may include flashbacks of the trauma with feelings of anxiety and the need to avoid things related to that event. Learn more about PPTSD, including risk factors, symptoms and treatment options.

Postpartum Psychosis. PPP sufferers sometimes see and hear voices or images that others can’t, called hallucinations. They may believe things that aren’t true and distrust those around them. They may also have periods of confusion and memory loss, and seem manic. This severe condition is dangerous so it is important to seek help immediately. Learn more about PPP, including risk factors, symptoms and treatment options.”

Source: http://www.postpartum.net/Get-the-Facts.aspx