| Interview with Therapist Hellen McDonald |
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| Co-Facilitator of Baby Bootstrap |
Hellen G. McDonald has a Masters in Social Work (MSW) and is an Illinois Licensed
Clinical Social Worker (LCSW). She was interviewed by Penny Cole
of the Lotus Resource Guide in September 2008.
Q. Hellen, you facilitate a support group for women with postpartum
depression called Baby Bootstraps. Why did you start this group?
A. I started this group with my colleague and friend Sue Osborne (aka: Suela the
Doula) as a way to give back to the women and families of our community. We want
women to have a resource that they can go to as needed for support,
encouragement, and information. We want the group to be a safe place for women
(and on occasion their families) to share their fears and thoughts, concerns, and hope
for their babies.
Q. What is the difference between postpartum depression and the “baby
blues?”
A. The “blues” is not a disorder. It occurs in about 80% of postpartum women, and
usually can start soon after baby is born, lasting for a few short weeks. Postpartum
depression (PPD) is a disorder that can occur in 10-20% of women postpartum, can
occur at any point during the first year after the baby is born, and tends to last longer
than just the “blues.” Symptoms for either one may include weepiness, fatigue,
irritability, weight gain or weight loss, to name a few, but they differ in severity,
duration, and intensity. When a new mom reports that she is just not feeling like
herself, that can be a sign that she may need a more thorough evaluation and
assessment to rule out postpartum depression. It is important to realize, too, that the
term Postpartum Depression is actually a generic, umbrella term that encompasses 5
different mood disorders that may occur during the postpartum period (or even during
pregnancy).
Q. What happens in a typical meeting?
A. Just like any support group, we cover some basic rules about confidentiality and
offer each mom the chance to speak about how things have been for her in the last
few weeks or why she is attending the group. We recently also showed a DVD about
postpartum depression and had a discussion about it.
Q. What other types of treatment can women with postpartum depression
receive?
A. Sometimes, women may decide to take an antidepressant or another psychotropic
medication and/or choose to just participate in counseling or “talk” therapy where they
can address their concerns and have a safe place and person to talk to, regardless of
how “terrible” their thoughts might be. Sometimes, women choose to practice yoga,
relaxation, aerobic exercises, ortho-bionomy, acupuncture, or other alternative
treatment methods. Treatment options are as diverse and unique as the women with
postpartum depression. So, what works for one new mom with PPD may not
necessarily work for another. Open communication with their health care practitioners
and review of resources and information regarding PPD can be helpful when moms
and their partners need to decide what treatment options would be the best for them.
Q. Are some women more likely to get postpartum depression than others?
A. Yes, some women are more likely to get PPD due to certain risk factors such as:
financial/ relationship stressors, if they have had depression or anxiety or other mood-
related issues prior to pregnancy or during a previous pregnancy or postpartum
period, if they have family members with mood-related issues, if they feel isolated, or if
they have a history of thyroid problems. Granted, if a woman experiences a few or
most of these risk factors, it doesn’t necessarily mean that she definitely will have
PPD. It just means that she may be at higher risk for it. There have been women who
have been diagnosed with PPD with no predisposing risk factors. Again, women need
to be talking openly with their doctors and other health care practitioners, gathering as
much information as needed, and so should family members, especially partners. In
some cases, it is the family members that notice something “different” about the new
mom’s behavior or demeanor in general that could mean that the new mom should be
seeing her health care practitioner as soon as possible.
Clinical Social Worker (LCSW). She was interviewed by Penny Cole
of the Lotus Resource Guide in September 2008.
Q. Hellen, you facilitate a support group for women with postpartum
depression called Baby Bootstraps. Why did you start this group?
A. I started this group with my colleague and friend Sue Osborne (aka: Suela the
Doula) as a way to give back to the women and families of our community. We want
women to have a resource that they can go to as needed for support,
encouragement, and information. We want the group to be a safe place for women
(and on occasion their families) to share their fears and thoughts, concerns, and hope
for their babies.
Q. What is the difference between postpartum depression and the “baby
blues?”
A. The “blues” is not a disorder. It occurs in about 80% of postpartum women, and
usually can start soon after baby is born, lasting for a few short weeks. Postpartum
depression (PPD) is a disorder that can occur in 10-20% of women postpartum, can
occur at any point during the first year after the baby is born, and tends to last longer
than just the “blues.” Symptoms for either one may include weepiness, fatigue,
irritability, weight gain or weight loss, to name a few, but they differ in severity,
duration, and intensity. When a new mom reports that she is just not feeling like
herself, that can be a sign that she may need a more thorough evaluation and
assessment to rule out postpartum depression. It is important to realize, too, that the
term Postpartum Depression is actually a generic, umbrella term that encompasses 5
different mood disorders that may occur during the postpartum period (or even during
pregnancy).
Q. What happens in a typical meeting?
A. Just like any support group, we cover some basic rules about confidentiality and
offer each mom the chance to speak about how things have been for her in the last
few weeks or why she is attending the group. We recently also showed a DVD about
postpartum depression and had a discussion about it.
Q. What other types of treatment can women with postpartum depression
receive?
A. Sometimes, women may decide to take an antidepressant or another psychotropic
medication and/or choose to just participate in counseling or “talk” therapy where they
can address their concerns and have a safe place and person to talk to, regardless of
how “terrible” their thoughts might be. Sometimes, women choose to practice yoga,
relaxation, aerobic exercises, ortho-bionomy, acupuncture, or other alternative
treatment methods. Treatment options are as diverse and unique as the women with
postpartum depression. So, what works for one new mom with PPD may not
necessarily work for another. Open communication with their health care practitioners
and review of resources and information regarding PPD can be helpful when moms
and their partners need to decide what treatment options would be the best for them.
Q. Are some women more likely to get postpartum depression than others?
A. Yes, some women are more likely to get PPD due to certain risk factors such as:
financial/ relationship stressors, if they have had depression or anxiety or other mood-
related issues prior to pregnancy or during a previous pregnancy or postpartum
period, if they have family members with mood-related issues, if they feel isolated, or if
they have a history of thyroid problems. Granted, if a woman experiences a few or
most of these risk factors, it doesn’t necessarily mean that she definitely will have
PPD. It just means that she may be at higher risk for it. There have been women who
have been diagnosed with PPD with no predisposing risk factors. Again, women need
to be talking openly with their doctors and other health care practitioners, gathering as
much information as needed, and so should family members, especially partners. In
some cases, it is the family members that notice something “different” about the new
mom’s behavior or demeanor in general that could mean that the new mom should be
seeing her health care practitioner as soon as possible.