jennifer mudd houghtaling postpartum depression foundation

Treatment and Support

"Women should not feel ashamed or in any way at fault, nor should they or their partners feel the need to 'power-through' such a devastating affliction without help" - Brooke Shields (3/23/2006)

Whether you or a loved one is suffering from PPD, you are not alone. From help lines, treatment programs and support groups to research and clinical trials, there are professionals who can help. In addition, please reference these helpful resources: blogs, books and Websites.

Help Lines

Evanston Northwestern Healthcare
24-hour Crisis Hotline
1-866-364-6667
For area codes 312, 773, 847, 708, 630, 815

Postpartum Depression Alliance of Illinois
PPD Illinois Helpline
1-847-205-4455

Postpartum Support International
PPD Helpline: 1.800.944.4PPD

Medical Treatment Programs and Professionals

The Jennifer Mudd Houghtaling Postpartum Depression Program
Phone: 866-364-6667
www.ENHfirst.org

Alexian Brothers Medical Center
Leslie Stoutenburg, R.N.C., M.S.
Elk Grove Village, IL
Phone: 847-981-3594
www.alexian.org

University of Chicago Hospitals
5841 S. Maryland Avenue
Chicago, IL 60637
Phone: 773-702-1000
http://www.uchospitals.edu/

Resurrection Medical Center, Chicago
Patty Hallagan, MA, LCPC
OB/Peds Case Manager
Phone: 773-792-5045
www.reshealth.org

Support Groups

Mercy Hospital - Postpartum Depression Support Group - Chicago

Mercy Hospital offers monthly postpartum depression support group session in English and Spanish. The English-speaking group meets on the first Thursday of every month from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The Spanish-speaking group meets on the third Thursday of every month from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. There is no fee to attend either group. To register for the group, please call 312-567-5420.

Postpartum Peer Support Group of NWI -- Indiana

This support group in northwestern Indiana offers support for women suffering from perinatal mood disorders. Affiliated with Postpartum Support International; Supervised by the state coordinator in Indianapolis, Birdie Meyer. The group meets twice a month. Meetings are free. For more information contact Sarah Fields at SarahRFields@yahoo.com.

National Research and Support

Society for Women's Health Research
Washington D.C.
Phone: 202-2223-8224
http://www.womens-health.org

Depression After Delivery
Seattle, WA
Phone: 800-944-4773
http://www.depressionafterdelivery.com

National Foundation for Depressive Illness
Glen Oaks, NY
Phone: 800-239-1265
http://www.depression.org

Postpartum Support International
Santa Barbara, CA 93111
Phone: 805-967-7636
http://www.postpartum.net

National Institute of Mental Health
Bethesda, MD
Phone: 800-421-4211
http://www.nimh.nih.gov

Clinical Trials

National Institute of Mental Health
The NIMH Web site lists current clinical trials for depression, including:

Effects of Interpersonal Psychotherapy on Depression During and After Pregnancy
Identification and Therapy of Postpartum Depression

Women's Behavioral HealthCARE
Dr. Katherine L. Wisner and her staff are gathering information for several research studies on:

Effects of depression during pregnancy and its effects on child development
Effectiveness of therapies for depression before and after pregnancy
Value of new treatments for bipolar illness in women.

For more information, contact the Women's Behavior HealthCARE toll free at (800) 436-2461.

Blogs

Unexpected Blessing
Read the online diary of one pregnant mom who has experienced postpartum depression with each of her other pregnancies. She is sharing her story so that other women going through this same journey may be able to feel that they are not so alone.

Postpartum Progress
Postpartum Progress promotes treatment and comfort among sufferers of postpartum mood disorders, including postpartum depression, postpartum obsessive-compulsive disorder and postpartum psychosis.

New: Katherine Stone of Postpartum Progress shares a podcast on BlogHer of her interview with former CIA agent Valerie Plame Wilson. Wilson recently wrote the book "Fair Game: My LIfe As a Spy, My Betrayal by the White House", in which she recounted her experience with PPD after the birth of her twins. Listen to the podcast.

Books

The Mother-to-Mother Postpartum Depression Support Book: Real Stories from Women Who Lived Through It and Recovered
Sandra Poulin

Women's Moods: What Every Woman Must Know About Hormones, the Brain and Emotional Health
Deborah Sichel, Jeanne Watson Driscoll

Conquering Postpartum Depression: a proven plan for recovery
Ronald Rosenberg, M.D., Deborah Greening, Ph.D., James Windell, M.A.

Down Came the Rain
Brooke Shields

This Isn't What I Expected: Recognizing and Recovering Depression and Anxiety After Childbirth
Karen R. Kleinman

When Words Are Not Enough: The Women's Prescription Depression and Anxiety
Valerie Davis Raskin

Shouldn't I Be Happy: Emotional Problems of Pregnant and Postpartum Women
Shaila Misri, M.D.

Beyond the Blues: A Guide to Understanding and Treating Prenatal and Postpartum Depression
Shoshana Bennet, PhD. And Pec Indman, Ed.D., MFT

Overcoming Postpartum Depression and Anxiety
Linda Sebastian

Evaluation and Treatment of Postpartum Emotional Disorder
Anne Dunnewold

Sleepless Days: One Women's Journey Through Postpartum Depression
Susan Kushner Resnick

How You Can Survive When They're Depressed: Living and Coping with Depression Fallout
Anne Sheffield

Rebounding From Childbirth: Toward Emotional Recovery
Lynn Madsen

Postpartum Depression: Every Woman's Guide to Diagnosis Treatment and Prevention
Sharon L. Roan

Treating Post-Natal Depression
Jeanette Milgrom

A Mother's Tear: Understanding the Mood Swings
Arlene Huysman

A Natural Guide to Pregnancy and Postpartum Health
Dean Raffelock, Virginia Hopkins, and Robert Roundtree

Out of Darkness
Sheila MacDonald

The Postpartum Husband
Karen Kleinman

What Happened to Mommy
Renee Fran and Floris Freshman

Websites

Jenny's Light is a not-for-profit organization created by the families of Jennifer and Graham Gibbs Bankston in response to their tragic, unnecessary deaths from postpartum illnesses.