Hi, I've been searching for a ppp support group in US & can't find anything. I suffered from.a very serve ppp episode in 2010 after the birth of my son. Unfortunately it wasn't detected before a tragic event. To make a complex story short I ended up driving my car in the middle of the night with my 12 day old son in the car. I had such serve delusions & was so out of it, that I drove up to 100 miles an hour in a high speed chase with the police that ended in a roll over accident. Thank god some how no one was injured. I spent 14 days in a psyc hospital & 2 months on a out patient program. Since then ive been diagnoised with biopolar disorder. I almost lost my son to child protective services. was arrested & had almost 10 charges against me. Those charges have been since dismissed & i was found not guilty by reason of temporary insanity. It was a nightmare & long road but somehow we surrvived. things have been relatively stable lately & I'm under the care of some great drs.
As I've read that many others on here are trying for or have their second. I'm trying to conceive now (sometimes I think I'm just out of my mind to even consider it). i am petrified at the possibility of a reoccurrence. Wondering if Anyone knows of a support network in the US? Would love to find support locally for recommendations for care & such.
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aparliman
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Sounds like you have been to hell abnd back with PPP. So glad the outcome was good in the end and that things have settled down. Sadly PPP is often not recognised or misdiagnosed and the outcome can be tragic. Rest assured your not alone. All of us here have been through similar nightmares as a result of PPP. I'm sure some of the other lovely ladies in our network (APP) will reply to you regarding having a second baby. I only had the one (I was a late starter in my 40's), so i'm not able to comment on that - but I know many women have gone on to have more children.
There are some really good organisations in the US. I's start with Postpartum Support International, helpline: 800-944-4PPD. For support groups in your area visit postpartum.net.
Also try Centre for postpartum health in California, 20700 Ventura Blvd. Ste. 203. Woodland Hills. CA 91356. +1 8188871312 fax: +1 8188879606. website: postpartumhealth.com
email: dlbarnes@postpartumhealth.com - a treatment and assessment centre based in California but it has soem links to other resources and information applicable worldwide.
There is a great book by Teresa Twomey (Wisner & Bennett) 'Understanding Postpartum Psychosis: a temporary madness'.
I am so sorry to hear you had a terrible experience of PPP and the police force and justice system in the States dealt with it so badly. We know from other US mums who have posted on this forum how patchy services are in the US and how PPP is often not diagnosed or recognised early enough.
I'm not sure where in the US you are based, but have a 3 links for you.
(1) University based clinic in California which offers pre-conception advice as well as longer term support
(2) Lauren Hale is a passionate peer-supporter of women with a range of postpartum mood disorders. She holds a weekly twitter chat #PPDChat and the website is
(3) Jennifer Moyer is a US-based mum who is a survivor of PPP and she regularly posts here - I hope you guys can link up. Here are her support links and she may well know what's avaiable locally to you. You can privately message her by looking her up on the members list.
Have you checked out our pre-conception guide for women with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder? The 'services' info is UK-based, but a lot of the treatment decisions will be similar and you could discuss this guide with your family doctor or psychiatrist.
We do have a number of mums on this forum who have had more children after PPP or are currently pregnant with their second - so please feel free to talk to us any time. I had my second baby in 2011 and a five year gap between my kids. I opted to wait & see whether symptoms began, and when I did begin to feel my mood going high at 7 days post-birth, I had a ready-to-go prescription of Olanzapine (the antipsychotic which worked for me last time)
I can really understand how worried you are right now about a reoccurence. However, you will be so much better prepared for this pregnancy, and PPP will not have the chance to strike 'out of the blue' like it did first time around.
Thank you for sharing some of your story. Getting support from others that have been through similar situation is very important. I, too, was eventually diagnosed with bipolar disorder, postpartum onset. I live in the USA as well.
If you would like to "connect" or talk directly with me, you can contact me through my website: jennifermoyer.com or private message me through my Facebook page: facebook.com/jenniferhmoyer
Would love to help by providing emotional and informational support.
Hi aparliman, glad that you have "found" Jennifer. Not sure if others have also mentioned the weekly Twitterchat that APP hosts - it's every other Wednesday and the APP website might have links to a list of dates and topics due, it's also on their Facebook page: facebook.com/ActionOnPP?hc_...
There are a few from the US that have joined in previous chats so this might be another resource for you. It's held between 2000-2100hrs UK time, so not sure how this would work for you. Good luck on finding more links through APP anyway and others have noted some good US-based links too.
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Hi I'm new here
Not Bipolar
Were any of u saddened byPPP risk b4 u were ever trying for baby or in a position to start a family? Wonder if my sorrow is self-indulgent.
