Studies like this GeneralEndocrinology confirm that there has never been any research done to determine the effect of SSRI’s during pregnancy and while breast-feeding until recent years. Millions of women have been and continue to be mislead by psychiatrist and psychologist and bloggers that somehow being depressed during pregnancy, which I am certain is nothing less than a nightmare, is somehow more damaging to the fetus than taking psychiatric drugs.

I spoke at a hearing here in Boston on Wednesday on a bill that has come up to screen women for Postpartum Depression for one year following the birth of a baby. It is always interesting to me that men on hearing boards related to postpartum always ask the billion dollar question about whether Postpartum Depression has something to do with hormones. Of course, there are those psychiatrist and psychologist that must be living on some other planet who continue to say it has nothing to do with it. I informed them about the book Karen Miller co authored “The Estrogen Depression Connection The Hidden Link To Hormones and Women’s Depression.” I will also be sending a follow-up letter to provide further information about Dr. Eric Schwartz drerika who is an outspoken advocate of the use of Bioidentical Hormones for Depression and Postpartum Depression.

If you are a women who is depressed, insist on having your hormone levels check by your physician. Two of the primary causes of depression in women and is hormone imbalances and trauma. Dr. Robert Scaer traumasoma documents in his book entitled The Trauma Spectrum that one of the most significant trauma’s that exists comes from a background in sexual abuse, incest and inappropriate sexual touching. This does not mean that because you have been sexual abuse you will become depressed but it does put women at a much greater risk. There are many life traumas that lead to depression, being a child of divorce, witnessing a shocking event, being bullied, being rejected as just a few.

Though it’s not easy to get off psychiatric drugs, there are ways you can accomplish this under the care of a medical professional. You might want to read the book “Coming off Psychiatric Drugs” by Peter Lechman to educate yourself before consider the option of working with a medical professional to help you come off these drugs.

As you all know by now I am advocating for baseline hormone levels to be used as a first line diagnostic tool for Postpartum Depression and Psychosis and the retraining of psychologist in the most current models for treating trauma.

I currently working with a psychologist who is trained in the practice of EMDR to help me process the extreme trauma I experienced as a result of my experience with psychiatric during my childbearing years. I will keep you updated on the progress as I have been told this is one of the most effective forms in changing the brain pattern which is essential in overcoming trauma.

I have begun college so that I can present my medical conclusion on what causes Postpartum Depression and Psychosis which I hope will finally lead to young women getting the real help they need to make going through a pregnancy and giving birth the most incredible life experience you can have.

There is nothing more important than your health and well-being during and following pregnancy.

Original article by Sheila Sullivan at http://postpartumawareness.com