We are extremely excited to participate in the The Climb Out of Darkness with warrior moms from around the globe! All Crowdrise proceeds will benefit the fantastic work of Postpartum Progress.  

Due to our involvement in the SISTER Mom Program, we will be climbing a week early on June 11th.  We hope you will register to Climb with us!  For more information, please visit our Facebook event.  

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We will also be having an amazing raffle the day of the event,
please join us and support local moms.  ​

Follow the "Bringing Postpartum Depression Out of the Shadows Act of 2015" Current Status

​You’ve probably seen a few post recently regarding "Bringing Postpartum Depression Out of the Shadows Act of 2015” (H.R. 3235 and S. 2311). Maybe you’ve wondered about this #LoveAnotherMother campaign or those twibbons you see that say mothers matter. No? Well let me fill you in.  The National Coalition for Maternal Mental Health (NCMMH) has put out this call for action.
 
“Families need systems in their own individual communities to screen, treat and support Moms and families working through the challenges of maternal mental health challenges, like postpartum depression. 
 
Our “National Day of Action” last week sent an impactful message to our elected officials letting them know their own constituents want them to support “Bringing Postpartum Depression Out of the Shadows Act of 2015” (H.R. 3235 and S. 2311)!” 
 
Basically, the S.2311 Bill, and it's twin in the House, HR 3235, are seeking to amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to make grants to states to establish, expand, or maintain culturally competent programs for screening and treatment of women who are pregnant, or who have given birth within the preceding 12 months, for maternal depression.
 
Activities eligible for this funding would include providing appropriate training and relevant resources, including information on maternal depression screening, treatment, follow-up support, and linkages to community-based resources, to health care providers; and may include public awareness campaigns, funding start-up costs, and establishing linkages with and among community-based resources.
 
Hey those eligible activities sure sound familiar don’t they? Imagine grants to develop and enhance the tools we need to help more moms...
 
Here at The Seventh Mom Project, Inc. we would never tell you how to vote or who to vote for. What we will tell you, is this: as a citizen of the United States, not only is it your right to vote and participate in your government; participation is your opportunity to make a difference. This opportunity takes a little more effort than casting votes on Election Day. This opportunity continues throughout the year through actions and campaigns such as this one. Tell your representatives (those folks you voted for) how you, the people who voted for them feel about various bills and initiatives.  Make your voice heard!

Until this bill is signed, we will continue to advocate via Social Media.  We will Tweet and post on Facebook, Instagram & Tumblr. Here’s what I am planning to use, thanks to NCMMH for coming up with the hashtags.
 
For the HOUSE:  #LoveAnotherMother:  @Rep'sTwitterHandleHere Support Moms and families! Cosponsor #HR3235! Bring #PPD Out of the Shadows b/c #MomsMatter
 
For the SENATE:  #LoveAnotherMother:  @Rep'sTwitterHandleHere Support Moms and families! Cosponsor S2311! Bring #PPD Out of the Shadows  b/c #MomsMatter
 
Since I am in Tampa Bay, I’m focusing on my local representatives. You can find yours here;
 
House of Representatives
 
The Senate
 
So whether you support or oppose, you have an opportunity to use your voice.
So use it to let your representatives know how you feel about H.R. 3235 and S. 2311 and remember your voice matters.
 
Still standing with moms – Rebecca

There’s no doubt celebrities influence our daily lives. From the first royal families to the first movie stars, we’ve had a fascination with what they are doing and how they are living. This influence carries over into the products we buy, places we go and causes we support.
Celebrities also wield a lot of power when it comes to reducing stigma and changing public opinion. Think, how did our view of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS change when Magic Johnson stepped forward and spoke about his status or when Michael J Fox first announced he was battling Parkinson’s disease? Lately more and more celebrity moms have come forward to speak about maternal mental illness and I’m grateful. I’m glad not because I want postpartum depression to become trendy or anxiety to be in vogue, but because in coming out with their own struggles, these famous mothers are helping to reduce stigma.

So today, I offer you this list I’ve compiled of famous mothers and their statements on perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. Some are known for TV and film, others for writing careers or athletic accomplishments, but what they all have in common is the awesome title of Mom and the badge of the survivor of maternal mental illness. So here in no particular order:

Lashinda Demus
A four-time USA Outdoor 400-meter hurdles champion, Lashinda battled fatigue and postpartum depression after giving birth to her twin boys in 2007. Regarding the lies her depression told her "I was only 24, 25 at the time and I felt like I couldn't be pretty anymore. No need to put makeup on, no need to dress up because you're a mom. And moms stay home." Lashinda went on to claim the Olympic Silver Medal for Team USA in 2012 looking like a Warrior Queen. Take that depression.

Alanis Morrisette
You ought to know…this rock star mom has been pretty vocal about her views on birth, parenting AND her battle against postpartum depression. “I just thought it was a swampy chapter, if I soldiered it out, that it would go away,” the singer, told ET Canada. “I came to realize that the longer I waited, the more intense it would become.” In sharing her struggle, Alanis hopes to inspire other moms to reach out,
“I think if there is any goal in me talking about it, it would be to eradicate the shame around it,” she explains. “It’s just what happens sometimes and, for me, I just waited way too long to reach out for help.”

Amanda Peet
In an interview with Gotham Magazine, the actress spoke about her struggle with a serious case of postpartum depression by saying that the feelings of euphoria she enjoyed while pregnant "all came crashing down the second [Frankie] was born; "expecting to feel fulfilled," Amanda said she instead felt "sleep-deprived beyond belief" and ambivalent about motherhood. She added, "I want to be honest about it because I think there’s still so much shame when you have mixed feelings about being a mom instead of feeling this sort of 'bliss.' I think a lot of people still really struggle with that, but it’s hard to find other people who are willing to talk about it."

Bryce Dallas Howard
Wrote a real honest, raw account of her struggle with postpartum depression for her pal Gwyneth Paltrow’s GOOP. Bryce opened up about the dark secrets many who are struggling keep and the turmoil of weathering the storm. Definitely worth the read.

Angie Harmon
The actress and mom shared that no one told her about postpartum depression until after she got it. Angie fought through it after all three of her daughters were born. In an interview with Pop Sugar she said She considers the disorder to be “the dirty little secret your friends forget to tell you about motherhood. “ Way to go Angie, thanks for bringing up the topic no one seems to want to talk about (well except for those of us in the know).

Gina Lee Nolan
Yes, Gina, the Baywatch bombshell herself endured postpartum depression after three of her four children. We hope Gina makes good on her idea to write a book about her experience one day.

Brook Shields and Marie Osmond both wrote books about their journeys that have been repeatedly hailed by readers. The very real message of hope both ladies offer is worth the price of picking up a copy.

Dear Husband,
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I want to thank you for your support over the last two years.  I KNOW I was not easy to live with.  Thank you for all the times you took care of the dishes and dinner making, and let's face it, everything else while I binge watched "House" on Netflix, curled in a ball of pregnant mess. 

Thank you for not making me feel more terrible when I admitted that I wasn't sure I loved our daughter.  You assured me that I did and would and it would be okay.  You were right.

Thank you for tell me it was time to get help.  That it wasn't dumb to go on meds, and that if it made me feel better, it would be worth it.

Thank you for every time you said, don't be silly, she loves you and I love you. Even now, when I need the reassurance less and less.

Thank you for encouraging me to follow this dream.  For moving your schedule when I need, for tolerating the time it takes for me to help other moms.

Thank you for staying by me.  For having the tough conversations.  For being my rock.

I love you.  

Thank you for holding my umbrella when I couldn't,

Elizabeth