Blog Hers Act - Post Partum Depression (cross posted)

I didn't know about this until this morning when I was reading my friends Cooper & Emily at Been There.

If BlogHer emailed me, I didn't see it and I hadn't checked the site lately. I admit, I'm not their most active member.

I left a comment for Emily telling her I was going to cheat and copy her post because time was so short.

It's also probably too late to ask others to post today but we still have time to contact our Senators and ask them to support S. 1735.

Here is Emily's post (I updated to show today's date).

Katherine Stone appeared this morning yesterday? on The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet to talk about Blog Day for MOTHERS Act -- happening this Wednesday -- and did a wonderful job. Go to the Mike and Juliet site to watch Katherine talking in the Green Room after her interview and see what a natural she is on camera.

We're getting behind Blog Day for MOTHERS Act tomorrow because as Katherine says,

Postpartum depression is a serious and disabling condition that affects up to 20 percent of new mothers -- as much as 800,000 American women each year. Yet only 15 percent of these women will receive any assessment or treatment. Let me repeat. With all we know and as smart as we are, only 15% of 800,000 women will get diagnosed and treated. That is so wrong on so many levels. Women are not being diagnosed because they're not being educated and they're not being screened. Untreated, the consequences of maternal mood disorders range from chronic, disabling depression to death. The impact of untreated maternal depression on infants/children ranges from behavioral and learning disabilities to depression and, in the worst case scenarios, death from infanticide."

Here's what Blog Day for MOTHERS Act is all about (thank you again, Katherine):

On Wednesday October 24th, BlogHer, Postpartum Support International and Postpartum Progress are joining together to host Blog Day for the MOTHERS Act. We're asking bloggers from around the country to write about the MOTHERS Act for postpartum depression on the 24th and to encourage their readers to pick up the phone that day, call their Senators and urge them to endorse this critical legislation. I hope you will join us in this effort, which is part of the overall BlogHers Act 2007-2008 initiative to improve maternal health.

What is the MOTHERS Act? The Moms Opportunity to Access Help, Education, Research and Support for Postpartum Depression Act, or MOTHERS Act (S. 1375), will ensure that new mothers and their families are educated about postpartum depression, screened for symptoms and provided with essential services. In addition, it will increase research into the causes, diagnoses and treatments for postpartum depression. The bill is sponsored by Senators Menendez and Durbin.

So,

1. Blog it on Blog Day for The MOTHERS Act tomorrow today, October 24, 2007.

2. Share your link at BlogHer.

3. Proudly display the badge in this post stating you're going to do the above.

(I can't display the badge - Blogger is being contrary about images again.)

4. CALL YOUR SENATORS AND ASK THEM TO SPONSOR AND SUPPORT THIS LEGISLATION!!!

5. Go to Postpartum Support International to get all the contact info you need.

We're hoping a LOT of bloggers will get in on the act on Thursday Wednesday?. Your post doesn't have to be long. Just let everyone know you support the bill, and you hope they'll agree with you, and call their Senators.

And every one of us, let's pick up the phones tomorrow. Even if you've never ever called your Senator before, give it a try. It takes a couple of seconds, and all you need to do is say to the person who answers the phone that you're calling because you want the Senator to vote for the MOTHERS Act, Senate Bill 1375. Telling him or her that you vote and you live in the Senator's state. That's it. They'll make a note of it, and you're done. And you'll feel great because you've been heard and because you could make the difference in getting this bill passed into law.