Post Partum Depression
Mamas on Bedrest: Ask for what you really need!
May 22nd, 2013Effective communication is important in all aspects of life, but it is critical for women on bed rest and those caring for them. As so vividly illustrated by former Mama on Bedrest Rebecca Buscemi, Mamas on Bedrest often “hide” their true feelings and that can have catastrophic consequences! Mamas, ask for what you really need! You’re not being a bother and you’re not whining. It’s really okay to say that you feel completely out of control and don’t know how to handle those feelings.
Likewise, providers have to ask leading questions, questions that will require more than a “yes” or “no” answer. It’s not enough to ask, “Is everything okay?” Ask, “How are you and your partner faring?” Ask, “Who is taking care of your children and how is that going?” Ask, “Are you crying at all during the day?” These probing questions will yield much more pertinent information and enable providers to intervene and help Mamas on Bedrest should assistance be required.
Mamas on Bedrest: “I Spent $47,000 in 10 Weeks!”
May 20th, 2013In this podcast, we hear from former Mama on Bedrest, Rebecca Buscemi. Rebecca has a remarkable story of incidental injury that lead to 10 weeks of bed rest, depression, manic spending, bankruptcy and now a successful business. Rebecca shares with us her “cover ups” and how deeply she hurt while on bed rest and yet no one suspected and she never divulged the truth. She shares the pain of depression so deep that she has no recollection of the early months of her daughter’s life. Her pain and “spending to soothe” resulted in bankruptcy for her family and $47,000 in debt that extended to her parents. Rebecca pulled herself back from the brink, started a business and now, nearly 5 years later, is once again financially solvent.
Mamas on Bedrest: What is Placental Encapsulation?
April 17th, 2013Hello Mamas, Here’s a question from Mama on Bedrest Josh asking,
“Doesn’t placental encapsulation help with Post Partum Depression symptoms?”
After doing a bit of checking, I found that there is not medical evidence that Placental Encapsulation has any medical benefit. That said, ingestion of the placenta in any form has been practiced for centuries in Traditional Chinese Medicine and in other tribal customs. Because it is high in hormones, it is porported that ingesting the placenta,
- Helps balance a woman’s hormones post partum
- Helps mitigate “the baby blues” a syndrome reportedly faced by up to 80% of women in the immediate post partum
- Helps ward off post partum depression (this has not been proven)
- Enhances milk production
- May help balance hormones during perimenopause
The additional benefit touted is that because the placenta is actually an organ the woman herself produces, there is no toxicity or risk of adverse reaction. It’s is seen as similar to donating blood to oneself prior to surgery. And because the placent comes from the woman herself, it provides the ultimate “bio-identical hormones”.
While I don’t endorse or refute the practice, I recommend that women interested in placental encapsulation thoroughly research the process and find a trained, certified placental encapsulation specialist; someone trained in the proper preparation according to Traditional Chinese Medicine practices and OSHA trained so that the organ is properly handled and prepared. There are resources listed below.
If you have done placental encapsulation, know something about placental encapsulation or have an opinion, please share your comments in the comments section below. Thanks!!
If you have a question, send it to info@mamasonbedrest.com and we’ll answer it on an upcoming Wednesday Vlog.
Resources for further study:
Vivante Midwifery & Women’s Health
Loving Beginning Birth Services
