November 11, 2009 10:00 AM
Postpartum depression - beware Big Pharma drug push
Sarah, commenting on Big Pharma: 27 million US citizens on anti-depressants
Have you also considered how they're now prepping pregnant women for anti-depressants post-partum? I mean, I thought the baby blues were supposed to be normal, but now they're saying that more and more women are being put on anti depressants for a natural reaction to hormonal changes post pregnancy. I think taking anti depressants also interferes with nursing your child- I don't think you're supposed to nurse while on them. Please correct me if I'm wrong, but this is just one of the things I've been cluing into as my pregnancy progresses. Also, any got any tips for beating post-partum blues without resorting to anti-depressants?
Yes, I have seen that connection and also the connection of more Big Government intrusion into citizens lives to weaken their autonomy and sell more drugs. In my review of Generation Rx, I touched on this only briefly:
I've written of the marketing of anti-depressants on daytime TV - to appeal to wornout moms. And now there is a bill before Congress require post natal evaluations of moms with the express purpose of sending them home with anti-depressants to ward off depression. I've given birth nine times and depression was part of the aftermath which women have muddled through forever.The problem isn't that we have problems. The problem is that we somehow feel entitled not to have them - and Big Pharma has built an empire out of encouraging that feeling.
Please mothers, be aware of how you are being set up here. Our consumer culture takes an everyday unpleasant problem - postpartum depression caused by dropping hormones and a shifting of daily reality - and magnifies it, preying on our sense of entitlement: we deserve to feel happy and healthy every second of every day. Preying to our weakness rather than our strength as mothers, they promise help with just a little pill.
Now the Big Government/Big Pharma complex steps in and legislates screening for all new moms so we can get everyone possible on drugs. Big pharma reps lobby doctors and doctors begin prescribing even before birth. Celebrities come out with books about their lives falling apart after a baby. Soap operas highlight post-partum depression.
Overlooked in all this is the number of women who've cracked under medication and committed suicide or harmed their children.
Overlooked are any natural preventive measures.
Also overlooked is the concept that we grow through suffering and the natural letdown following birth - I can remember bursting into tears at the dinner table and feeling like I couldn't go on - is part of a natural life transition, that in overcoming it on our own we become stronger and more confident and more empowered to handle future difficulties.
Hoping some readers will share their ideas on this subject and that all mothers will say NO to the Big Government/Big Pharma complex which is pushing unnecessary drugs and causing unnecessary tragedies.
Please see my next post. And if this evil axis of government and drug companies is new to you, read all my Big Pharma research.
Posted in Big Pharma, Health, Mothering, Pregnancy, birth and labor | Permalink
Comments
I am sure that PPD is very real and may need to be treated, but it does not happen to everyone. I have had eight babies and have not experienced any PPD at all.
Thank you for all you do Barbara!
Posted by: Bridget Galbraith | November 11, 2009 10:50 AM
There are cases in which PPD goes far beyond the baby blues, in which the mother really does need help -- sometimes chemical, sometimes other -- to get past it, and tragic things can happen if these moms don't get the help they need. But certainly, prescribing drugs preemptively is going overboard. (And BTW, if drugs are needed, there are some that are compatible with breastfeeding! Thomas Hale's book Medications and Mother's Milk is very useful in finding these. Most drugs, however, will have warnings against taking it while pregnant or nursing on the insert for liability reasons.)
Posted by: Newt Sherwin | November 11, 2009 11:36 AM
Sorry Barbara, I have to disagree with you for once! Just because some people have had tragic reactions to certain medications doesn't mean they should never be prescribed. These same medications have helped many people, and prevented suicides. Just as not every diabetic can control their diabetes with diet and exercise, not every person with mental illness can control their condition through diet and exercise.
Posted by: Donica | November 11, 2009 12:02 PM
I am really starting to dislike pharmaceutical companies. I disagree with all the advertising on television. People now go into their doctor's office demanding an Rx for drugs, which puts an unnecessary strain on already strained primary care physicians. Plus, things that should remain private, e.g. difficulty with marital relations, are now public for all the world to see.
I do not deny that PPD is real and serious. But it is normal to have blue feelings after birth -- hormones are powerful agents after all. Like Barbara says, it is just something you have to deal with in life. Christ never promised us things would be easy on this side of heaven.
Posted by: Michele | November 11, 2009 12:09 PM
My issue is that doctors will start treating every woman with antidepressants to ward of PPD. I agree that it is a real disorder, but it is not one that every woman will have.
I remember crying over commercials after my kids were born, but that was normal. I didn't have any thoughts of hurting them or myself. I think it would be tragic to force women like me on antidepressants.
Here's how I personally feel about antidepressants in general. There is a very small percentage of the population who has a chemical imbalance that needs medication to address. However, so many doctors prescribe antidepressants to people who DO NOT have a chemical imbalance. This really worries me. The medicine should be there for people who really need it, but not abused by those who don't.
Posted by: Lauren | November 11, 2009 1:08 PM
You know, I just reread this post and I don't see anywhere that I said that no one ever needs medication for postpartum depression - just to clear up any misunderstandings.
The issue here is Big Government mandated intrusion into the personal lives of mothers who are about to or who have just given birth, coupled with the Big Pharma push to corner another potential market (4 million plus/year) just as in the early 90s they purposely targeted children and developed an epidemic of medicated children, including 1/3 of the current student population of Atlanta for example.
Our culture has pushed the idea that a pill will cure anything. But consider: Curing postpartum depression with drugs that increase the chance of suicide?
I suggest that anyone who thinks this is not a sinister development watch Generation Rx which is available from Netflix. I really don't want to argue from opinions here, but from facts.
Posted by: barbara | November 11, 2009 1:38 PM
Big Pharma is pushing their agenda, they are part of a capitalist society and they need to make money. The government however, should stay out of it.
I wonder if some of these mothers would be helped by having a faith? I remember suffering from PPD after my first, I finally got to the point I could not handle it anymore, and asked God to take away the cross. I understood it was just that, a cross. We are all given crosses in life and b/c of them we will come out stronger and healthier. I wonder though how many women have faith and support. Those that do not I am sure only have "drugs" to turn too.
On this same topic, we have rental properties and this past opening 90% of our inquiries were from YOUNG WOMEN on social security disability. Some told me they were on it for "emotional" reasons. Others tell me nothing, nor do I ask. What is going on in this country!!! Why are perfectly healthy young women being supported by the government. They look perfectly able to hold down some form of employment. This experience has been very discouraging concerning the state of America. I again wonder, if these same women would just practice a faith, put their trust in God if they would not then pull themselves up, work hard and succeed. They are being turned into a bunch of mindless zombies, courtesy of Big Pharma, and being supported by Big Government. Too sad....someone encourage me here!
On the contrary, I am a homeschooling mother of 6, with 10 rental properties that I help manage with my husband, plus my own etsy shop! And I take no drugs =)
Posted by: carolynkoepke@sbcglobal.net | November 11, 2009 2:04 PM
I'm about to give birth to my 5th (I've been pregnant 8 times though) so I totally understand the emotional upheaval after giving birth. I've seen first hand how PPD effects women yet I've noticed that the stronger the woman in her knowledge of natural remedies and also her will to drive on through the depression, the less likely she is to turn to drugs to help. Women seem to forget their natural instinct of knowing that PPD sucks, that knowing PPD isn't permanent and that there are ways to get through it.
And since my DH won't be here for the birth (he's deploying), I'm already being "watched" by the medical establishment. I've had one doc and two midwives already tell me "If you need anything, we've got stuff you can take even while pregnant." Um.. yeah... this ride is going to suck, but I'm not going to take drugs just to get through it. I can't tell you how often I walk out of the office feeling as if no one believes a woman is stronger than what they make her out to be.
Thanks for this info Barbara! I'm going to look into it more before I give birth. I want to be fully informed so I know what I can say to the docs if they try to push it. It's bad enough I have to fend off the docs that try to push contraception on me as they're stitching me up after labor/delivery, now I'll have one more thing I might have to fight.
Posted by: Dirtdartwife | November 11, 2009 2:43 PM
I believe that the recent epidemic of "severe PPD" is an outcome of the birth control culture. Hear me out, please. Depression is anger turned inward. Why the anger? Because this is what we hear in our culture: how many kids do you want, when are you going to have kids, she has enough kids, they are breeders, I'm not ready to be a mother, finish college before you get married/have kids, I can't handle another baby, I need a break from the kids, I need some time for me, when life gets back to normal..., when I get back into shape..., etc., etc., etc. The baby is seen as an impediment and obstacle to a supposed ideal, even when the baby was desired. Therefore, rather than embracing this new season of life and everything that goes with it, a new mother feels a loss of control in her life and resents this, leading to anger and depression.I did some searching online and found that studies of traditional Asian cultures, for instance, have shown a far lower incidence of PPD. Why? Because the women have embraced childbirth and developed a system where the (grand)mother cares for her daughter who has given birth. Alternatively, many cultures have or have had periods of confinement where the mother is EXPECTED to rest and remain at home.Please notice that I am blaming the women, not just the new mothers, in our culture. If you practiced confinement and didn't come to church for a month after childbirth, wouldn't other women assume something was wrong? If your mother came to care for you for a month after childbirth, wouldn't other women say you were spoiled? Women boast about how quickly they were back to normal--size, work, or whatever. Confinement/rest is somehow unacceptable, but drugs are OK. And why is that? Because drugs are easy. They don't require us to confront our pride, and they don't ask anybody else to help carry the burden. But, you don't have to wait for the culture to change--it starts with individuals who examine their own thinking.
Posted by: evergreen | November 11, 2009 2:45 PM
oh my, PPD sounds awful, I have know many women with depression and I know every one says take anti-depressants.. but I disagree like many of you do. I believe it is a hormone imbalance and you just need BHRT, bioidentical hormone therapy to help correct this feeling.
Posted by: Elizabeth | November 11, 2009 7:33 PM
I agree with Evergreen's comments.
Unfortunately the government and the world in general loves to make everyone a victim and a weakling. That's basically how you can overpower someone by making them believe they are weak and can't do something God has created them to do.
I have 3 children so yes, I know about hormone shifts after baby is born. But it's nothing that good nutrition, rest, emotional support, BREASTFEEDING your baby on demand, sunshine, and Jesus can't fix. It's a transitional time. It passes. Women usually sweat a lot excreting a lot of the hormones that were working during pregnancy. Breastfeeding your baby constantly helps to release "feel good" hormones into your body. A good cry and your husband's hugs or someone you trust, like a mother or a friend is very helpful. Sunshine and plenty of sleep is also helpful.
For centuries, women have known that after a baby is born they need help. Other women come and help take care of the baby and the mother. The mother has the opportunity to rest and there is NO pressure to get back to work, or to pre-pregnancy shape. It's ridiculous the amount of pressure the media and people in general put on mothers to look "good". They need to feel good and in order to do that stress needs to be kept away.
mothers need to bond with their babies and not worry about useless pressures like: losing baby weight, getting back to work, making baby sleep through the night, keeping the house clean... All those things will come with time. But the first couple of months, Mom needs to take care of herself and bond with baby. If the Mom is breastfeeding and taking care that she is eating and resting correctly to produce milk, automatically she is taking care of herself. Baby and her will benefit from breastfeeding.
America is a very impatient country. We stand before the microwave and scream "hurry up!". We take no time to chew our food, we drink our food out of cups. We take pills that promise us ultra fast results.
Everything in life takes time to produce results. if you have ever planted something you know that. We need to slow down and smell the flowers. What is the rush??? We are killing ourselves and our children.
Peace!!! the secret to good health, be it physical, emotional, spiritual is PEACE. SHALOM!!!
To DirtDartwife: get yourself a support system - friends, relatives that will be there for you for a couple of months after baby is born. Don't stress about the little things. Enjoy and breastfeed your baby. Ask God to help you. He will!! Also the link for natural preventive measures on Barbara's post is a really good one. :)
Posted by: tereza crump AKA MyTreasuredCreations | November 11, 2009 10:43 PM
I will agree with you to some extent that many mental illnesses are over diagnosed. I was put on an anti-depressant after the birth of my son, but not because of PPD. I have suffered from bi-polar mania since puberty, but after years of therapy I ended up with medication as the only option to help me control the intense highs and lows I get. I now take a low dose of Zoloft which has taken the place of my ADHD medicine and does not have as big a possibility of addiction.
I do not go around day to day in a drug induced haze, rather I am able to rationally think about my actions instead of ripping someone apart for no reason at all. I think (and have been told) that this is how normal people act.
If only the possibility of mental illness for others, especially new moms, was treated with the same patience and prudence mine was...
(sorry if this made no sense, I've had a rough day with a sick baby and it's late)
Posted by: Courageous Grace | November 12, 2009 12:10 AM
Thank you Barbara and everyone with the post-partum advice! Dirtdartwife, I seem to run into you across many blogs:). I'll be praying for you, your husband and family as he deploys and you greet your youngest child. My heart breaks for you that your husband will not be able to witness the birth of your child. I've heard that some bases have video conferencing though- not sure if that's available for your husband, but it beats a phone call or letter.
Thanks everyone for the advice about humbling myself and accepting help and being patient with the process of healing and bonding and recuperating after the birth. I'm a pretty driven and self-reliant (read: stubborn) person when it comes to doing things on my own, and hearing that after birth it's ok to allow myself some time and extra help really encourage me to reach out and not feel bad for needing the extra everything. This is my first child, so I've got a lot of learning to do!
Thanks Barbara for posting my comment!
Posted by: Sarah | November 12, 2009 9:16 AM
After experiencing untreated depression for over 17 years, I can safely say that the medication I take has made a huge difference in how I am able to cope with things.
I stopped taking the meds during my last pregnancy. Four months after stopping them, I was back to having thoughts of harming myself. After prayer and discussion with my doctors, we agreed that continuing the medication was the right choice for me. I was very concerned about the effects on my baby, but I had to trust that God would protect her.
I have been monitored very closely since I gave birth and I believe that in my case, the medication is the right thing.
However, I do not believe that the government should be involved with something that should be between a woman, her husband, God and her doctor.
Posted by: j dan | November 12, 2009 9:54 AM
I was put on anti depressants 9 months after the birth of my first child. And I really did need them at the time. But I fought for months to push through and not go on medication. Looking back I know now that isolation and lack of female support (grandmothers/sisters/friends) played a huge role in my depression. I've had 4 more children and have had that normal transitional time with all of them, but have not sucumbed to a deep depression since my first child because I made sure to surround myself with friends who would lift my spirits and lend a hand.
With my last child, I was concerned about that time of adjustment as I had a 10yr old and 6yr old I was homeschooling, and my two little ones were 3 and not quite 2. My mother was in the process of moving to live with me but was not going to make it in time for the birth. So I looked into placenta encapsulation. I had a homebirth so it was a simple thing to save the placenta for the lady that encapsulated it for me, but you can request to have it saved at a hospital too. It definitely helped me a lot through those first few weeks. And btw, I am NOT your typical crunchy granola mom. ; )
Posted by: Paula | November 12, 2009 11:50 AM
I suffered from PPD after the birth of my first baby. Depression is not necessarily anger turned inward. I quickly became exhausted, couldn't eat, sleep or rest. I had horrible advice from many medical "professionals" including lacation consultants. They ran me ragged coming and going to the hospital DAILY with a completely perfect baby. In the small town in MT where this happened to me, it is the norm. I haven't met any new mothers who don't share my same story including the PPD. I have talked to Moms who are just going to go on the RX to prevent the PPD!! It is so sick.
My second time around, I was very proactive. I made a post partum birth plan for the hospital staff detailing how I expected to be treated (POSITIVE!!). I met with the head nurse of the Birth Center where my second baby was to be born and explained my history and what I wanted the second time around. I took my omega 3s, and stayed in bed to actually rest for about 1 week following the birth. It was incredible to be saved from that nightmare. I am still so thankful to God.
The very nature of a true depression is the inablility to "pull yourself out of it". Mine lasted 3 months, and I hope that I never go through that again. The most painful aspect was why God didn't end it when I begged Him, sobbing on my knees, quoting scriptures about fears and depression.
Posted by: Greta | November 13, 2009 12:46 AM
I have four children with number five on the way. With the first three births, the doctors insisted on inducing me because things weren't progressing quickly enough for them (the baby and I were fine and the inductions were not necessary, but I wasn't smart enough to go home ;) I experienced extreme periods of sadness after these births. Prior to my fourth labor, I watched "The Business of Being Born" by Ricki Lake. Through that, I learned that 90-some percent of women are induced to speed up the process. I chose to hire a doula who would help me decide when it was the right time to go to the hospital. When we got to the hospital, I was nine centimeters! No chance of needing to be induced. I noticed a big difference following that labor than the other labors. I did not have the periods of intense sadness. I really think that my body didn't deal well with having the synthetic hormones that are used during induction (in my case it was pitocin). I would guard women against allowing doctors to induce unless there is an extreme emergency (and sometimes doctors aren't very honest about this). Please, be informed before going to the hospital. I recommend Ricki Lake's documentary to all women...not necessarily something to watch with your spouse as there are some birth scenes. But the information is much needed among women today! I think staying away from any drugs during labor and delivery is going to help a lot of women have fewer postpartum "blues" symptoms.
Posted by: Elizabeth | November 13, 2009 12:56 PM
Depression is not necessarily anger turned inward. I quickly became exhausted, couldn't eat, sleep or rest. The emotional response to the ongoing exhaustion and hunger--to one's fundamental needs not being met, is resentment. Resentment is anger-based. The most painful aspect was why God didn't end it when I begged Him, sobbing on my knees, quoting scriptures about fears and depression.When we feel that God should do something that He isn't doing, we are struggling with resentment resulting from self-pity. We might call it something else such as frustration or lack of understanding, but the emotional response is based on a sense of entitlement: I'm a child of God and He has made these promises so why isn't He helping me and answering my prayers the way I want Him to. We've all done this at some point. The point I'm making is that depression, anger, resentment and self-pity are all interconnected.
Posted by: evergreen | November 13, 2009 2:13 PM
Thanks Elizabeth for the tip on labor induction! I'm suspicious too of unnecessary inductions and read some articles on an Irish birth method for using pitocin- mostly on when they use it and how the Irish have fewer labor inductions than Americans and women's experiences with induction in Ireland are actually less stressful, painful and full of the secondary medical interventions (emergency c-section, etc) than typical American births are. The Irish use something called a Bishop's score that rates the timing and intensity of contractions, the dilation of the cervix and other factors to see when they should induce. Apparently they found that if pitocin is used before your Bishop's score is at least a 5, you'll have hard contractions that will force the baby against a cervix not ready to give way for passage of your child. This increases fetal distress syndrome and can cause premature placental abruption- leaving your baby without oxygen and causing you to have an emergency c-section. So, if you find yourself confronted with pitocin in the labor and delivery room, first ask them what your Bishop's score is and if it's not at LEAST a 5, refuse the pitocin.
Also, I read that the contractions on pitocin are more sudden and severe and less effective than the ones that come naturally when it comes to dilation of the cervix and pushing the baby out.
More and more I'm finding that all these drug interventions they give mothers during labor and delivery increase the risks and have nasty side effects that just do not sound worth it! But like anything, medical interventions have their place I guess, but from what I've read, it just helps to be educated before you go in.
Anyone have any good/ bad experiences with pitocin? One of my friends had prostaglandins used to ripen her cervix and pitocin later and found that her contractions were so horrible she had to get an epidural. The epidural only numbed one half of her body and she's still in physical therapy for her back (her daughter is now 2yrs old!) from what the birth did to it.
It's like that old song, "I know and old lady who swallowed a fly..." The medical interventions started out small for her, but got bigger and had more painful side affects than had she just waited longer before going to the hospital.
Posted by: Sarah | November 13, 2009 3:54 PM
Elizabeth...thanks for reminding me of that! I have always thought that my PPD with my first could very well have been caused by my very early c-section! I have always thought that not letting my body go through its natural process was not good. I am VERY leary of pitocin, I HATE it, actually! I have had births with and w/o pitocin. For me personally, pitocin KILLS. My theory is that yes, God made labor is not fun, but man made labor is 100x's worse! I refuse to ever have pitocin again, however, an epidural is necessary if you do, the pain is just so different. Our bodies were not equipped to handle that type of pain.
Posted by: carolyn | November 13, 2009 6:22 PM
Interesting discussion about pitocin... I was never a big fan of it, and always felt that our hospital was very quick to give it. I too, agree that there's a huge different between natural birth and being induced, or having pitocin to speed things up.
Now that I am expecting my 5th, this post only confirms my decision to go with a pro-life Christian doctor. Unfortunately, the mid wife option is not available to me unless I want a home birth...So I am taking a little leap of faith and going with a doctor that I don't know much about: except that she is Christian and very pro life.
Posted by: L | November 13, 2009 7:13 PM
I, too, loath pitocin. I've seen so many friends and family end up with c-sections after being induced w/pit. The contractions are so brutal that the baby goes into distress or the mom has to resort to an epidural, making pushing less effective/productive. Oh, failure to progress, let's cut! It's a VICIOUS, BARBARIC cycle.
There are two great alternatives to Pitocin. My midwife, if she needs to induce (and she is very conservative with inductions) uses multiple rounds of Cytotec, the pill inserted to soften your cervix. Contractions are more mild, no need to be horizontal the entire labor, no need to be on the fetal monitor the whole time. Time consuming, maybe, but are you going anywhere?
The second option and the most gentle, is accupuncture. I used it for my third and WHAT A DIFFERENCE!! I encourage anyone who is usually overdue to pursue this option, it's great. You're able to labor at home until it's time for YOU to go to the hospital, and I thought the contractions and delivery were easier.
Posted by: Bridget | November 14, 2009 7:51 AM
