dban asked this question on 5/9/2000:

Does anyone know of any support groups for post-partum depression in the Madison, WI area? Any other support groups for parenting would also be helpful. I am a mother of two that is suffering from post-partum depression for the second time. I have a 10-week old daughter and a 3-year old son. This time around, the depression is 100% worse and I'm scaring myself and others as to how horrible I feel and what I might do or at least think about doing. Medication is just not enough. Any advice would be extremely grateful.

ScreenMentor gave this response on 5/10/2000:

Start drinking soy milk or using soy protein drinks. It will help your body get stable again.

Get other people involved in caring for your children while you recuperate.

Call your local hospitals and ask to speak to a social worker. Ask the worker if there are any Post Partum support groups.

If your doctor is an obstetrician, he may have enough patients to start a group himself, so ask him. If he isn't interested then start calling other OB-GYN doctors until you find one or more who is willing to help.

Maybe it's not the right medication. Tell your doctor it isn't working! Sometimes hormones work better than antidepressants.

This page has links to lots of resources, including information on medications. http://www.psycom.net/depression.central.post-partum.html

And more links: http://home.columbus.rr.com/ppd/ppdsites.html

This is an online support group http://forums.sympatico.ca/WebX/WebX.cgi?14@@.ee94160

The Pacific Post Partum Support Society offers telephone support and support groups in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, and trainings and written information world-wide. http://www.postpartum.org/

Try to remember that this does pass. Don't think that you have to hold your feelings in. Cry and scream if you need to. It can help release your body's natural endorphins.

ScreenMentor gave this follow-up answer on 5/10/2000:

And B-complex vitamins helped me too.