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In 2015 the CDC told us 1 in 7 mothers would experience postpartum depression, thus our project became The Seventh Mom Project. We wanted to provide the safety net for that 7th mother and the name stuck. We registered it and built our brand around it. However, the new data is out and as of 2017, the CDC says 1 in 5 mothers will experience postpartum depression, for a woman of color it jumps to 1 in 3.
So what does this mean? Does this mean we are not making a difference? Does it mean that were failing? No it means that what we've been doing is working. More moms are getting screened, which was one of our goals. More moms are getting actual diagnosis which has led to more moms getting help. Midwives, OBs and other professionals, such as Doulas, Case Managers, and Lactation Counselors, are encouraging mothers to speak up when something doesn't feel right. Mothers are encouraged to be honest when completing screening tools like EDPS. Home visiting agencies are providing their staff with Mental Health First Aid training and additional educational supports and more mom-to-mom support groups are happening in Tampa Bay. All of these amazing steps are in the right direction, but the storms still rolls in. The new problem is moms are getting screened and diagnosed, but connecting to appropriate care in a timely manner is another obstacle. There's help available, but we need more volunteers and umbrella holders. Over the last 3 years we've built an amazing organization, now we've got to keep up with the demand. With this I ask that you support The Seventh Mom Project, Inc. on May 1, 2018. Give Day Tampa Bay is an annual day of giving hundreds of area non-profits will be participating in. I am appealing to you now, pledge, give, and be the one to love another mother when its needed most. For more information on our pre-Give Day Awareness Event, visit www.raincoatrun.com. If you would like to learn more about corporate giving or matching gifts, please e-mail us at 7thmomproject@gmail.com. This momma wears rainsboots! -Rebecca
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 When moms contact me, questioning their emotional roller coasters during pregnancy or during their postpartum year, I always start back at the basics. The Steps to Wellness were developed by Jane Honikman, founder of PEP and later Postpartum International. More than thirty years later, they are just as relevant to all people, especially new parents. Today I am going to review steps 7-8. Jane addresses practical support and referrals to resources. I am adding treatment as step 9. This is the step that after talking with myself or another volunteer, it is up to the mother to take upon herself. Sometimes treatment is clinical, sometimes it is not. This is for the mother to decided.
 When moms contact me, questioning their emotional roller coasters during pregnancy or during their postpartum year, I always start back at the basics. The Steps to Wellness were developed by Jane Honikman, founder of PEP and later Postpartum International. More than thirty years later, they are just as relevant to all people, especially new parents. Today I am going to review steps 4-6. Here we need to look more closely at who we can build to be our support team!
If you are a new parent, build some time for your into your life. Contact us for some nonjudgmental sharing. We can serve as emotional support, or help you open up to your loved ones for support.
Next week I will review steps 7-9. -Elizabeth  When moms contact me, questioning their emotional roller coasters during pregnancy or during their postpartum year, I always start back at the basics. The Steps to Wellness were developed by Jane Honikman, founder of PEP and later Postpartum International. More than thirty years later, they are just as relevant to all people, especially new parents. Today I am going to review the first 3 steps. They are so blatantly simple, but so often overlooked by new parents as the demands of a new little one take their toll.
If you are a new parent, and you haven't been taking the time to rest or eat, please do! It will serve you and your family well to be fed and rested.
Next week I will review steps 4-6. -Elizabeth  We are asking our amazing community of moms to nominate the professional that helped you through maternal mental health issues. This can be the doula that screened and encouraged you to seek treatment, the OB that didn’t dismiss you, but offered you effective treatment, the midwife that prepared you in advance so you knew it was time to seek help, or the therapist or counselor that you received treatment from. Nominations will be accepted until April 29th, 2018.
*Nominations will be kept anonymous after submission unless the nominator requests to be mentioned. Click here to nominate your Maternal Mental Health Hero! (hint: scroll down below the Raincoat Run Info) In January, Rebecca traveled to the state capitol to support the Maternal Mental Health Advocacy Day. She could not share what legislation like SB 138 could have meant for her motherhood journey at the event, but below she is sharing her testimony..
To learn more about SB 138 click here. "My name is Rebecca Hartley-Woods and I am a grateful believer in Jesus Christ, lifetime Floridian and mother to 5 amazing children. With regards to Senate Bill 138 and the desire for public health information regarding perinatal mood disorders, I would like to share that I was a public health worker while pregnant with my eldest son and even though I networked with multiple community and governmental agencies serving women of childbearing age, no one warned me about or screened me for perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. I know "what if" is often a pointless exercise and yet I wonder if this bill had been inplace perhaps my life would've been very different. During my pregnancy in 2007 and 2008 I lived with what I now know was prenatal anxiety. At the time I didn't know what was wrong with me and I feared reaching out. By the time my son was two weeks old I had recurring visions of terrifying things such as my baby drowning in the bathtub or dropping him down the stairs. I found traffic horrifying as I often envisioned a terrible crash when my son was in the car. Working 40 plus hours a weak providing education and services in a public health setting, all the childbirth and newborn classes, not even community programs I participated in prepared me for the maternal mental health crisis I would endure. I did not speak up about the scary thoughts that I now know where intrusive thoughts, a symptom of my postpartum anxiety because I feared seeking help. I was afraid of my son being taken away. I dropped the coursework I had been enrolled in, isolated from friends, busied myself in work and spent as little time as possible with my baby thinking he was safer with others and what a terrible mother I was for thinking these terrible things. I was afraid to speak up because I feared loosing my son. This is important to note because the bill in its current form is lacking language regarding DCF. While pregnant with my 4th child in 2014 I sought help. I was visited by child protective investigators not once but twice after seeking professional help. Sadly, the investigators had no resources or help to offer other than apologies for erroneous reports and the waste of my time and theirs. Moving forward to 2017, for the first time in 7 pregnancies over 11 years I was screened at a postpartum check up following the birth of my 5th living child. I cannot recall the number of obstetricians, community agency workers, out of hospital midwives and other maternal health professionals who I have seen over the years. But I can tell you about the 1 time I was screened for a postpartum mood disorder at a postpartum appointment. Had this bill been in place many years ago, I might have completed school on time, not left my job causing financial strain that ultimately led to filing bankruptcy. Had I found appropriate treatment in a timely manner I might have not missed my only sister's wedding because I couldn't get in a car with my baby without having a panic attack. Had this bill been in place, I might have happy memories of what was supposed to be the happiest time in my life. Thanks for letting me share."  Early motherhood is somewhat like the weather. Semi-predictable, but every now and then a storm rolls in. When the rain pours, The Seventh Mom Project, Inc. holds the umbrella. To build awareness and community we are hosting our first 5K and Family Fun Run event on April 22nd at Al Lopez Park. All proceeds will benefit The Seventh Mom Project, Inc.'s work in the Tampa Bay area.
Visit www.raincoatrun.com for details!  Join Us at the Tampa Bay Birth and Baby Expo on Saturday March 10, 2018! Elizabeth will be speaking about Perinatal Mood Disorders. Click here to register! and Support the Raincoat Run! Step 1. Go to Razoo at www.razoo.com/story/Raincoatrun Step 2: Click the menu in the top left and select +Fundraise
Step 3. Click "Fundraising Team" Step 4. Click "Start a Team"
Step 5. It will ask if team members can support multiple organizations, you can select yes or no (because we can't tell you how to give your charitable donations!) Step 6. If you select that all members will be donating to the same organization, it will ask you to choose one. Type in Seventh Mom Project (no The).
Step 7. Continue by creating a log in. (I used Facebook because it was easy) Step 8. Customize your fundraiser page. (feel free to use any of the Raincoat Run photos at the end of these instructions!)
Step 9. Launch you Fundraiser! Step 10. Share with all your friends and family! Get them to join, share, and most importantly donate. Note: Donations impact our GIVEDAY Tampa Bay 2018 campaign the most from April 17th to May 1st, 2018, so planned giving is welcome and awesome! However, we appreciate any and all support any time of the year! Also: If it's easier to share our fundraiser page and ask others to donate-- feel free to share this link: https://www.razoo.com/story/Raincoatrun
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