MotherWoman News

Postpartum Depression Rx Links Mother's Day and Children's Mental Health Month

2012-05-09T22:58:14Z

Postpartum Depression Rx Links Mother's Day and Children's Mental Health Month

By Dr. Claudia Gold - Child In Mind, Boston.com, 05/09/12

On Sunday we celebrate mothers- bringing breakfast in bed, going out to dinner, buying flowers. In my personal experience, one of the greatest pleasures of Mother's Day, in addition to having the "day off," is to take joy in my beautiful children as they grow and develop and make their way out into the world.

D. W. Winnicott, pediatrician turned psychoanalyst, famously said, "There is no such thing as a baby." What he meant is that one cannot fully understand a baby without considering the relationship with the mother. Equally true is that without a child, there is no such thing as a mother. In order to understand a mother's experience, it important to consider the child and what he or she brings to the relationship.

Read the full article: Postpartum Depression Rx Links Mother's Day and Children's Mental Health Month

“Miss Representation” screened at Cape Cod Lounge

2012-05-09T22:56:40Z

“Miss Representation” screened at Cape Cod Lounge By Acacia DiCiaccio
Massachusetts Daily Collegian 04/19/12

Over 100 students and faculty swarmed into the University of Massachusetts Cape Cod Lounge on Wednesday to attend a free screening and discussion of the film “Miss Representation.” The documentary reviews the negative way that women are portrayed in the media – as sex objects, hangers-on to men or cat-fighting with other females – with little representation of them as complex human beings. While at first this notion may seem untrue or at least exaggerated, the film succeeds at convincing viewers of the media’s negative effects on women in America....

Read the full article: “Miss Representation” screened at Cape Cod Lounge By Acacia DiCiaccio

Community Profile: Marianne Bullock

2012-04-11T13:30:47Z

In MotherWoman's monthly e-newsletter we're featuring profiles of women in our communtiy - for the month of April, we are happy to introduce and share the work of Marianne Bullock.

Marianne Bullock is a champion for mothers, a well-respected activist and community organizer. She’s an inspiring leader in the areas of social, economic and reproductive justice. She’s also an Ada Comstock scholar studying the legacy of state controlled birthing at Smith College.

Marianne has worked with MotherWoman and MomsRising.org to support passage of legislation that impacts families, such as Paycheck Fairness and Earned Paid Sick Time in MA. She’s also the co-founder of the Prison Birth Project, which focuses on reproductive justice, working to provide support, education and advocacy with women and girls at the intersection of the criminal system and motherhood.

She’s personally experienced the bind hardworking mothers face without paid sick days, which is a contributing factor to the poverty of mothers and children. Earned Paid Sick Time is not a hypothetical issue for her family. After the birth of her daughter, Sora, Marianne went back to work part-time. When Sora got sick with a fever of a 105, a rash, lethargy and vomiting, Marianne took two unpaid days off from work to care for her. As Marianne was on her way to work the third night, Sora vomited all over her. Upon calling her employer to report Sora’s continued illness, Marianne was fired on the spot.

Marianne Bullock is changing the world, and MotherWoman is proud to honor her contributions to the lives of mothers throughout our region.

Working moms need paid sick-time bill

2012-04-02T17:39:13Z

Letter to the Editor by Katie Stebbins

Springfield Sunday Republican, 3/25/2011

I was troubled by a letter to the editor criticizing Springfield state Rep. Cheryl Coakley-Rivera’s Viewpoint calling for passage of a paid sick-time bill. (“Paid sick time needs to be Mass. right,” March 11).

While I sympathize with the challenges faced by small businesses, there is a complicated balance between work and life that families are expected to strike on a daily basis.

This bill will benefit employees and employers across the commonwealth. Employees will earn one hour of paid sick time for every 30 hours of work, small businesses employing fewer than six people only need to provide unpaid, job-protected sick time, and seasonal employees are exempt. This bill is about humanity. It is about protecting employees and saving the commonwealth money while respecting the rights of employers. Right now, nearly one million Massachusetts workers lack a single guaranteed paid sick day to care for themselves or a sick child or family member.

That means some workers have to choose between being a good parent or risk losing their jobs anytime they need to take a day off due to an illness. What motivation does a single mother have to be in the work force when faced with such a decision. Older children are being kept home from school to care for younger siblings. These are the choices that fuel urban poverty.

San Francisco, where this legislation has been in effect for years, was recently voted one of the best cities in the world to do business and has not seen any of the disadvantages that the opposition to this bill is predicting.

In Massachusetts, earned paid sick time will save taxpayers money by keeping low-wage workers employed and off of public assistance. Healthy workers are more productive and if employees can visit their primary doctor during the day instead of an emergency room visit after hours, the commonwealth will save big in health care cost. The recession means that working families and employers are all struggling. This bill will be part of the solution for both. Job protection should be a right, not a privilege.

This bill aims to even the playing field so even the lower wage workers have a chance to earn paid sick days to care for themselves and their families.

– KATIE STEBBINS, Springfield

Retrieved from MassLive.com

Professional PMD Training in April @ Mercy Medical

2012-03-27T14:47:42Z

Our professional training on the Comprehensive Understanding of Perinatal Mood Disorders will be offered at Mercy Medical Center on April 18th, 2012. CEUs are available.

A Comprehensive Understanding of Perinatal Mood Disorders: Identification, Assessment and Treatment:
Level I (3 hours)

This is a training for medical and mental health providers - Physicians, nurses, social workers, midwives, doulas, case workers, home visitors, early intervention specialists and administrators. Participants learn about the prevalence and symptoms of, and risk factors for Perinatal Mood Disorders (PMD), including Postpartum Depression/Anxiety, PTSD and psychosis. At the core of this curriculum are the impact of maternal depression on infants, children and the family, the role of cultural expectations and the impact of poverty on maternal perinatal depression and strategies for providers to help mothers overcome barriers to care. We provide the latest research on the etiology of PMDs as well as effective screening tools, protocols for intakes, crisis intervention, and treatment options.

Training participants will: Gain a comprehensive perspective on postpartum emotional complications, such as postpartum depression, anxiety and psychosis.

Understand the risk factors and spectrum of symptoms associated with perinatal mood disorders.
Learn about impact of poverty on perinatal mood disorders.
Learn about research and screening tools for assessing postpartum depression.
Learn about the success of comprehensive, community-based care for mothers at risk for, or experiencing, perinatal mood disorders.

CEUs are available for MSWs. CEU’s pending for nurses & LMFTs
Offered next: April 18, 2012
Flier & Registration Form: PDF

All MotherWoman Training Institute trainings are highly interactive and provide relevant handouts and resources, as well as opportunities to network with allied professionals.

These are approved trainings of the Perinatal Support Coalitions of Western MA.

Our trainings are designed for a wide range of medical and social service providers, including physicians, nurses, midwives, social service employees, mental health providers, and all others working with women and families in the perinatal period. We offer regional trainings, as well as private trainings to meet the needs of individual offices, hospitals, agencies and staff.

Cycon on MassAppeal: What to do after the baby comes

2012-03-15T15:14:02Z

March 14, 2012 - Annette Cycon, Director of Training at MotherWoman, speaks with new mother and MassAppeal host Ashley Kohl about "What to do after the baby comes".

What to do after the baby comes: wwlp.com

From the MassAppeal page:

What to do after the baby comes

Updated: Wednesday, 14 Mar 2012, 3:34 PM EDT
Published : Wednesday, 14 Mar 2012, 3:34 PM EDT

Ashley Kohl

AMHERST Mass. (Mass Appeal) - There is both a fantasy and reality to motherhood that many new parents don't understand until a baby arrives. Motherwoman offers support groups for moms and one of their programs focuses on pregnancy and postpartum support for mothers. Annette Cycon, founder of MotherWoman and director of training, came on Mass Appeal to talk more about it.

MotherWoman supports and empowers mothers to create positive personal and social change for themselves, their families, their communities and the world through: powerful mothers groups, innovative professional and facilitator trainings, and effective political action.

To find out more about support after childbirth, visit MotherWoman .

MotherWoman co-hosts book signing with Ivy Shih Leung

2012-03-15T15:06:40Z

On April 26th MotherWoman will co-host a book signing at the Odyssey Bookshop in South Hadley featuring Ivy Shih Leung's new book One Mom's Journey to Motherhood.

One Mom's Journey to Motherhood: Infertility, Childbirth Complications, and Postpartum Depression, "Oh My!" (Paperback)
By Ivy Shih Leung

EVENT INFORMATION:

Date: April 26th, 2012, 7:00pm

Location: Odyssey Bookshhop, South Hadley MA

Odyssey Event Page

Friedman presenting at Conference on Child Psychiatry in Primary Care

2012-03-08T16:32:33Z

Liz Friedman, Program Director of MotherWoman, will be presenting at the Baystate Health 7th Annual Confernce on Child Psychiatry in Primary Care: Children's Mental Health is Family Mental Health: Recognizing and Addressing the Mental Health Needs of Families in the Primary Care Setting with Dr. Kristina Deligiannidis and Dr. Nancy Byatt on perinatal emotional complications and the impact on the family in the pediatric setting.

Click for full PDF

Friedman presenting at RiverBend Clinical Conference

2012-03-08T16:17:41Z

Click flier for full PDFSpring Clinical Conference: “A Woman’s Journey”

Kittredge Center, Holyoke Community College, 303 Homestead Ave, Holyoke, MA 01040

Saturday, Mar 31^st, 2012

8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Check In starts at 7:15am / Welcome @ 7:45 a.m.

Continental breakfast, snacks and lunch included

The Impact of Perinatal Mood Disorders (PMD) on Mothers and Families

and the Critical Role of Providers

Liz Freidman, MFA

Pre-registration required, deadline is March 15th, 2012

2012-03-06T15:19:58Z

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Liz Friedman
Office: (413) 253-8990
Liz@motherwoman.org

The #1 complication of childbirth is depression and anxiety, affecting up to 1 in 8 mothers. Yet, mothers struggling with postpartum emotional complications often go unidentified and untreated. The Western Mass Perinatal Support Coalitions throughout the region are changing that.

The Maternal and Child Health Commission of Springfield will be hosting a FREE PRESENTATION on Monday March 12th on “The Community-Based Perinatal Support Model® –how regional coalitions are changing outcomes for mothers and babies.” The presentation will highlight the success of regional coalitions in addressing the critical issues of perinatal mood disorders.

Western Mass Perinatal Support Coalitions in Berkshire, Hampshire and Franklin are moving forward in providing access to care for mothers in significant ways. Through a focused approach and with strategic implementation, all three counties are making important steps in caring for new mothers when they experience postpartum depression, anxiety or other emotional complications during pregnancy or in the first year of their baby’s life. Hampden County is also making progress with the leadership of the Baystate Medical Center Task Force chaired by Cheryl Bonica.

The Franklin, Hampshire and Berkshire Coalitions are establishing resource and referral mechanisms so that mothers can find care, triage protocols and so that professionals know how to help mothers in crisis. They are also piloting perinatal emotional health screening projects so that all mothers can receive the education and additional treatment that they may require. Additionally, Coalitions provide education, information and integration of de-stigmatization around the issues of perinatal mood disorders for mothers. The Coalitions are committed to FREE support groups in each of these communities for mothers who are struggling with perinatal emotional complications, like depression and anxiety.

Clinical and Support Options is a key partner in all three counties. Karin Jeffers, CEO of CSO said, “Any woman struggling with depression or anxiety during pregnancy or their child's early years needs and deserves the right help quickly, without having to search,
and from those who understand and can make a difference.

“As a coalition, we are working together to be sure we see the signs early and offer help in a way that feels right, whether that is through a support group at the Family Center, or through individual support or treatment. As a coalition, we depend on one another to each hold a piece of the safety net for pregnant women and new parents.”

The success of the Coalitions in addressing mother’s mental health issues has been gathering state-wide and national attention. In early spring, Linda Jablonski, Assistant Nurse Manager at the BirthPlace, Franklin Baystate Medical Center, will be speaking to the Governor’s Commission on Postpartum Depression about the Franklin County Coalition’s success with promoting screening for perinatal emotional complications in the region.

Jablonski, Liz Friedman, Program Director of MotherWoman and Dr. Nancy Byatt, psychiatrist from UMass Worcester’s Women’s Mental Health Clinic, presented the Community-Based Perinatal Support Model© to the Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs in Washington, D.C. in February.

One participant said, “Thank you for bringing us this model. Thank you for speaking about the work you are doing and your own experiences with perinatal emotional complications. You have empowered me to go home and change the way my community is looking at this issue.”
Regional partners include: ServiceNet, Clinical and Support Options, Franklin Baystate Medical Center, Cooley Dickinson Hospital, The Brien Center, Berkshire Medical Center, Hampshire OB/GYN, Northampton Area Pediatrics, Community Action, Community Health Partners, and many others.

FREE PRESENTATION

"The Community-Based Perinatal Support Model® – how regional coalitions are changing outcomes for mothers and babies"

Maternal and Child Health Commission of Springfield
Monday, March 12th,1pm – 2:30pm
Shriners Hospital, Carew Street, Springfield, MA

ABOUT MOTHERWOMAN

MotherWoman’s mission is to support and empower mothers to create positive personal and social change for themselves, their families, their communities and the world. MotherWoman also addresses the socio-economic issues facing American mothers by advocating for family-friendly policy.

Beth Spong, MotherWoman’s Executive Director, says “Through our support groups, training programs and political action, we’re working to ensure that every mother has access to the support she needs in her community.”

MotherWoman programs include:

Mothers Groups - Led by trained facilitators, these support groups offer places to talk openly about the challenges of parenting, gain support and build community.
Postpartum Support Initiative – Creates a comprehensive safety net for mothers by building Pregnancy and Postpartum Support Coalitions of providers of service to mothers and families in the four counties of Western MA.
Facilitator Training – A 25-hour training which provides diverse community leaders and professionals with the skills needed to offer new MotherWoman Support Groups.
Professional Training – Teaches medical and social service providers about the complex mental health and socio-political factors involved in the crisis of postpartum anxiety and depression.
Policy and Advocacy – Nonpartisan advocacy program organizes mothers, fathers and caregivers to take action on policy issues impacting families.