Foreword

The following letter describes the type of postpartum emotional support I have been offering since I co-founded Postpartum Education for Parents in Santa Barbara, California in 1977 and founded Postpartum Support International in 1987.

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Hello Jane,

In going through my old notes from the period after my daughter was born in March 1998, I came across your name and the great advice you gave me over the phone regarding postpartum depression. Thank you very much for your time then! You gave me the motto, the mantra, and the Steps to Wellness, which I faithfully scribbled down.

It was the first time I’d talked to someone in those overwhelming months who understood what I was feeling and helped me to accept that I wasn’t to blame. Mine must have been a mild depression, because I began to have better days after a couple of months. I even nursed my daughter until she was 22 months old and I was four months pregnant with my son. I avoided all the risk factors I could control when he was born in May 2000, and I never even had the “baby blues.”

I still have the books you urged me to buy, and I will pass them on when a friend needs them, but until then I’ve put that period behind me as best I can. You may never realize how much you helped me in that one phone call, but I will always remember your kindness.

Thank you again.

P.C.
March 2002

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The purpose of this website is to provide visitors with immediate:

comfort

guidance

encouragement

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At this website, you'll learn that:

you are not alone

you are not to blame

you will feel like yourself again

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You will read about "The Steps to Wellness" and create your own plan of action. You will feel empowered and supported.