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Tips and Tricks for Hurricane Prep

6/7/2018

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If you look at your sale ads, you're going to see a lot of places are running specials on hurricane supplies. We are in the last day of a sales tax holiday, meaning we can buy things like duct tape, batteries, and flashlights without paying sales tax. However, be smart don't purchase items that you in no way will ever need, If finances are tight, be especially smart about how you purchase and stock up on your supplies. I admit, I typically begin restocking my hurricane supplies in February. 

When you make your weekly or bi-weekly grocery trip, grab an extra jar of peanut butter, jug of water, or a pack of batteries. Purchasing 1 or 2 items a week throughout the year, will help you to be prepared without having to endure the panic that comes the week before a storm hits. This panic is why no stores have water, canned soup, bread or ice available right before a storm comes.  I am actually quite proud to say that I did not need to go shopping for hurricane supplies last season. I did go purchase moving boxes and packing tape, and was dumbfounded by the empty aisles and people scrambling, even fighting over canned meats that they otherwise would never purchase. They were in a panic and not ideally prepared. Haven't started, START TODAY!
 
You can read the other tips we issued last year here.  They were very helpful during my own evacuation. After weathering Hurricane Irma, I want to remind you of a few other important to do's.
 
I'm glad to say that throughout the evacuation and the aftermath, my mental health was in great shape. I was tired but had been certain to refill my medications prior to evacuating, so I was not faced with suddenly going cold turkey. I continued to check in with my support team and care providers. I really cannot stress this enough: if there is any prescription or over the counter medication someone in your home takes on a daily basis as well as rescue meds, such as inhalers or anxiety medication, please be sure to get your advance refills during your storm prep. If you haven't seen your provider in a while and you need to have an office visit to get more refills, now is the time to make that appointment. Tell your provider you want to be prepared in the event of an emergency situation and ask them to put a refill on file. If a named storm is projected to hit, please go fill that prescription don't try to tough it out.  Make sure you do this for everyone in your household. Medication for inhalers and nebulizers are crucial.  I'm sure anyone with asthma or other respiratory issues will agree when you have no power and the humidity is thick, breathing can become difficult. If you have children that require inhalers please keep them with you. Do not evacuate without, and if you shelter in place be sure you have a supply or means of providing the medication should you lose power. This is not so much about during the storm itself, but in the time to follow the storm when, you may be residing in a shelter or with family or in home without electric or water for days or even weeks.
 
This includes your pets!  Again, get ready now. Make an appointment, go to your vet, keep your pets are up-to-date on which ever vaccines and registrations are required for your county.  Put these records with all the other important papers in that waterproof container.  Be sure you have enough pet medications as well. Heart worms can be very serious and with the mosquitoes they are a threat.
 
Whether you're evacuating, or sheltering in place add a good size supply of Chux pads also known as pittle mats, puppy pads or potty papers. You're likely not going to be able to walk Fido in the middle of a storm. If your dog is like mine they don't want to go out when it's raining. You don't want that mess in your house, have some backup potty mats.  Chux pads are right up there with duct tape as one of my absolute must have survival items.  Because of their multiple uses if you have pets definitely have extra.  Like your children, if your pets have favorite toys, blankets, or comfort items make sure that you have those with your pets. Animals are aware when things are different, they feel changes in weather, and they do become stressed. These items for your pets can be very helpful because if the kids are already stir crazy, and you've been cooped up inside with no power, you don't want to add an anxious pet to that mess.
 
Here are important to know websites:
Tampa Bay Hurricane Guide for 2018
NOAA 2018 Predictions
NOAA Tracking Charts (it's fun to play meteorologist!)

Additionally Hillsborough County Proclaimed May 13 through May 19, 2018 as Hillsborough County Hurricane Preparedness Week in Hillsborough County. Even though it is now Hurricane Season, we should be making sure we are prepared!  (also, Perinatal Health Week Proclamation was read shortly after the Hurricane Preparedness Week!)

Here's hoping that everybody has a safe and enjoyable summer. Storm season is long and it is my hope that we have a mild one without any major hurricanes this year. However, if we do, I hope that we are able to help you feel prepared.  If you have any tips or tricks that have helped you please feel free to share them in the comments. Learning together and leaning on each other is how we weather the storm.
 
Want to learn more about how my storm adventure was weathered?  Follow along, that story is coming soon.


Weathering Storm,
Rebecca
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Thank you for a fantastic first Raincoat Run/ Give Day/ MMH Week!

5/15/2018

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Raincoat Run, followed quickly by Give Day Tampa Bay, occurring simultaneously with Maternal Mental Health Week = chaotic but fantastic!

Raincoat Run 5k & Family Fun Run

Thank you to our sponsors, Sweet Child O Mine Birth Center, April Mohnshine, LCSW, and Sunshine Health and a HUGE thank you to the volunteers and participants.  We could not have done this without you! 

So here are some images from the Raincoat Run, and we hope you join us next year on April 28, 2019!

Give Day Tampa Bay

We quickly moved into GIVE DAY mode and thanks to the support of the Raincoat Run, Angela and Joanna's LulaRoe Fundraiser, and Give Day Tampa Bay, we not only spread the word about Maternal Mental Health, but also raised over $2794 this season! 
We landed a live spot on the WEDU broadcast and brought our friends the flamingos... 
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Maternal Mental Health Week

On Monday, April 30th, Rebecca, Elizabeth, Logan, Allison, and Haddie traveled to Citrus County. Rebecca and Elizabeth were invited as panelists as the Citrus County Health Department hosted a film screening of The Dark Side of the Full Moon. (The kiddos were just for the cuteness effect) 

Pasco, Pinellas, and Hillsborough Counties and various cities declared Perinatal Mental Health Week with official Proclamations. Click here to read The City of Tampa's Perinatal Mental Health Week Proclamation!
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The panelists after the film screening in Citrus County.
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Sh'nai and Crystal accept the Pasco Proclamation!
If you made it this far, you are likely ready for a good rest!  So are we.

But we will be ready to flock soon!

Holding the umbrella,
-Elizabeth
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The Flamingos are Coming

4/25/2018

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​Hello Tampa,

If you are following us on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter, you may have noticed that the the Flamingos are coming​ and you are probably wondering, "What's with the big pink birds?" 

While running is great for your mental and physical health, we also fully believe in the power of laughter, so for some summertime fun... the Flamingos are coming.

Come June 1st, for your amazing donation of $25 and the completion of a Flocking Order, we will be glad to say thanks by migrating our flock of pink lawn flamingos to the yard you have chosen. The dwellers will then have the opportunity to make a donation as well and send the flamingos to another place to roost. Who doesn't love a good summer prank?

Now if you're worried about getting flocked, don't worry we are also going to be offering Flamingo Insurance Policies. For a $20 donation, you can secure you very own Flamingo Insurance Policy that will prevent your lawn from getting flocked. (This is a great investment if you live in an HOA and/or do not want to be flocked repeatedly). 

So here is the scoop on Flamingo Insurance Policy. With Give Day Tampa Bay upon us. we are feeling giving ourselves. One of our #GiveDayTB18 goals is to have the most unique donations during the hours of 11 a.m. through 1 p.m. So for those hours only, Flamingo Insurance will be discounted to $15.  Anyone who makes this donation during this double lunch hour will not be able to be flocked from May 1st, 2018-April 30th 2019.  It is the ultimate protection from Flamingo Flocking. 

We will also be collecting donations and taking reservations for Flocking on May 1st. Following Give Day Tampa Bay, we will create our Flocking schedule and be sure to let you know when the Flamingo Flock you've sponsored will arrive during throughout the summer. All Flocking will be completed by July 31st.

Questions? Feel free to fly them over to our in box at 7thmomproject@gmail.com

As always, hold the umbrella, because you never know what might be raining down.

-Rebecca

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Umbrella Holder Award Nominations Wanted!

4/23/2018

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We will be honoring local Maternal Mental Health Heroes during Maternal Mental Health Week!

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 kept anonymous after submission unless the nominator requests to be mentioned.

    Maternal Mental Health Heroes: Umbrella Holder Awards

Submit
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Running Mother...

4/20/2018

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Before I became pregnant with Allison, I took up running.  I often referred to it as my therapy.  Since then, and my work with mothers struggling with perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, I try not to refer to my running hobby as "therapy" or make jokes about it being cheaper than a therapist. I did do these things once, but now I recognize how damaging that can be. However, running is a huge part of my self care strategies and in that it is immensely important to my mental health. We also know that exercise is important for every person's mental wellness, so yay running!

There are a few reasons I love running, and on a run last week I realized running has several similarities to motherhood. Which made me love it even more. 

1. It's not easy. It makes you sweat, and breath hard. Sometimes things hurt. 
2. The hardest run leaves you with the greatest level of satisfaction. 
3. It is a one person sport. Yes you can say that you are racing against the other racers, but most runners I know are aiming for a PR (personal record). 
4. You are measured by improvements, not "winning"
5. You can wear leggings all the time. 

Just in case you're not a runner, here is a little more explanation as to what I am talking about.

1. Motherhood is hard. It makes you sweat, and breath hard. Sometimes things hurt. 
2. Raising kids is not easy, but after each terrible phase, you really feel like you did it. The reward of love and kisses and silly kiddos after a long hard week of parenting is so satisfying. 
3. While it can be tempting to get caught up into Mommy Wars, and the increased focus on such differences, the truth is, I am the best mother for my children (and you are for yours). There is no need to compare against each other, but to simply to better than we did before.
4. There is not magic "Perfect Mom" line that we reach. Everything is fluid and some days we are just rocking the mom thing, and other days not so much. But every day we keep the kids alive is success.
5. Leggings.  (and if you are a LuLaRoe wearer, check out the fundraiser Angela and JoAnna are doing to support us!)


So in conclusion, I love running, as much as I love mothering. And I hope you join me for our first Raincoat Run 5K and Family Fun Run on Sunday!


This Mom Wears Rainboots (and running shoes)

-Elizabeth 

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My Mom Wears Rainboots!

4/17/2018

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We don rainboots and carry the umbrellas as we help others through the storms of early motherhood. We do it for the mothers, but the benefits for the children in having a healthier mom are immeasurable. 
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Increasing numbers indicate progress...

4/10/2018

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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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Annual Spring Newsletter

4/5/2018

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Not part of our Mailing List?

​Check out this link to read our
​ Annual Spring Newsletter!

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Steps to Wellness, Part 3.

4/3/2018

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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. 
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Once I have been listening to a mother for awhile, we usually go into what time of professional help she thinks she needs.  Here I offer her a few names and numbers to contact.

Referrals are not always for mental health counselors or psychiatrists, sometimes they are for lactation consultants, primary care providers, pediatricians, child development or parenting classes, postpartum doulas, and even great play groups or toddler friendly parks near her. 

We always invite moms to our support groups.  Our goal is to provide resources that fits the needs of the family.
In order to make sure we can enact Steps 1-6, we might have to call in the troops. Sometimes this is mustering the courage to ask our own mothers or mother-in-laws to help with housework.  Other times it is hiring professionals to do the tasks we simply can't get to 

Sometimes our partners or friends don't fully understand our feelings, but they do usually want to help in any way they can.  Accepting help is a skill many new parents aren't familiar with, but having a new baby necessitates the development of said skill. 

So next time someone asks, "What can I do/bring/make?" Give them an answer!
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Step 9 is my addition.

The first 8 steps are crucial and for many mothers alleviate most of their symptoms of postpartum distress. However, we encourage all moms to follow through with a professional evaluation.  This can be through a therapist or medical provider. 

Sometimes the resource first referred isn't a good fit for ongoing treatment, in this case, we will gladly help look for additional options.

Treatment looks different for everyone. 

If you or someone you know could benefit from the Steps of Wellness series, please share!  
To be contacted by a volunteer, please complete this form. 

Additional tools for families, including a Postpartum Plan, can be found here. 
More information about our SAMMI Support Groups can be found here. 

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Steps to Wellness: Part 2.

3/27/2018

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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 4-6.  Here we need to look more closely at who we can build to be our support team!
A new baby doesn't mean mom or dad cease to exist as an individual. It is vital that parents take the time to enjoy the things they did prior to becoming parents.

Exercise is crucial for our bodies and minds to feel well.

Sometimes the only exercise new parents can get is a walk with the baby. This is a start. However, if mom or dad can get some time away from the baby, it can make a bigger impact on their moods.  
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Sometimes, we just need to vent.  Let it all out. And if we are having thoughts or feelings not commonly associated with new babies, we may feel guilty.

It is so important for parents to be able to get their feelings out without fear of judgement. Nonjudgmental support can come from a friend, but often is easier to approach a stranger who has been there before.  Support Groups and Warmlines are resources for nonjudgmental sharing. 

To be contacted by a volunteer for The Seventh Mom Project, Inc, complete this form. 
This is why The Seventh Mom Project, Inc. offers monthly Support Groups for new moms.  We get it. 
Following nonjudgmental sharing, we need emotional support. Someone who can provide a nonjudgmental ear and  then validate that it is okay to feel that way. 

Sometimes our partners or friends don't fully understand our feelings, but their love and encouragement goes a long way.

We need someone in our lives who an say, I am here to support your emotional needs. 
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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 
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