Table of Contents
Introduction ix
1 "I Haven't Been Myself Since My Baby Was Born": Recognizing Postpartum Depression 1
2 "I'm Making Myself Crazy": Breaking Negative Thought Patterns 31
3 "I Just Want This to Go Away": Putting Feelings First and Accepting Postpartum Depression 47
4 "I'm Falling Apart": Coping Techniques 65
5 "I'm Tired, Fat, Ugly, and Still Wearing My Nightgown at Noon": Making Time to Take Care of Yourself 85
6 "Is There Anything I Can Take to Make This Go Away?": Medication and Postpartum Depression 107
7 "Where Do I Go for Help?": Getting the Most Out of Professional Therapy 145
8 "No One Understands Me": Getting the Support You Need 173
9 "What's Happening to My Marriage?": Helping Your Husband to Help You 187
10 "Will My Wife Ever Be the Same?": When Your Wife Has Postpartum Depression 203
11 "This Is Supposed to Be the Best Time in My Life": Fantasies and Expectations of Motherhood 225
12 "What Happened to That Person I Used to Be?": Exploring Your Losses and Reclaiming Your Self-Esteem 243
13 "Will I Be Just Like My Mother?": Working Through Intergenerational issues 263
14 "I'm Starting to Feel Like Myself Again": As You Begin to Recover 281
Recommended Reading 297
Resources 299
About the Authors 301
Index 303
