Arizona Postpartum Wellness Coalition Makes Big Strides in Improving the Postpartum Experience for Arizona's Families

One of my favorite non-profit organizations dedicated to postpartum wellness is the Arizona Postpartum Wellness Coalition (APWC). The APWC is comprised of a group of amazing volunteers around the state of Arizona who focus primarily on providing education opportunities on perinatal mood disorders as well as much-needed community resources. APWC volunteers put on workshops, facilitate postpartum depression support groups, and provide a toll-free warmline.

The APWC was recently awarded a significant grant from Jenny's Light that will enable the organization to provide free educational presentations on postpartum mood disorders (in English and in Spanish) throughout Arizona, in addition to covering the cost for thousands of new brochures. This is endeavor is called "Operation Education," and the APWC is currently looking for volunteers as well as locations in Arizona to host the educational presentations.

The APWC also has a need for volunteer or low-cost web design help. If there are any web designers out there who have been touched in some way by postpartum depression and would like to volunteer their services for this truly worthwhile organization, please contact chibbert@postpartumcouples.com.

PPD support on Twitter!

For all of you tweeters out there, Twitter Moms has a PPD support group going that's pretty interesting. It doesn't seem super active, but there are about 30 great moms in the group who are hitting some important PPD topics.

While there, you can listen to a podcast by Dr. Heather, who calls herself the "babyshrink." You can also enter a discussion forum and contribute to topics such as "When did you realize it was PPD?" There is venting going on as well as sharing. But, most importantly, moms can easily connect to other moms who are dealing with a postpartum mood disorder by simply clicking on their photo.

What to do if you're suffering from PPD but don't have health insurance ... here's one idea

Ever since I've started blogging about my own postpartum depression experience and also about the amazing resources that are out there for women and their families who are suffering, I often hear from new moms who are looking for help but don't have health insurance. This is such a huge issue, but after doing a little digging, I've been able to find some free resources that are out there.

For one, a wonderful organization called Postpartum Support International offers free phone sessions on an 800 line. These free sessions happen every Wednesday and are hosted by a PPD expert. This is an awesome, free resource that I think would be helpful to so many new mothers out there, as well as to their spouses, family and friends. Please check it out.

Postpartum Support International is now offering free Perinatal Mood Disorder Informational sessions via 800 teleconference line. The sessions are open to women who feel they may be suffering from a pregnancy related mood disorder, as well as to concerned family and friends. Callers will have the opportunity to ask questions and obtain information from PSI healthcare professionals. This new program started Wednesday, May 2, 2007, at 3pm eastern standard time and will continue weekly on Wednesdays, alternating between 3pm and 9pm eastern standard time. The sessions are limited to the first 15 callers.Participants must call 1-800-944-8766 five minutes before the call begins. After the 15th caller joins the call, no other callers may join.This is a tremendous resource!! Check www.postpartum.net for dates, times and facilitators.