According to Postpartum Support International, one in eight women suffer from a postpartum mood disorder. New dads (and veteran dads) should know the difference between the Baby Blues and Postpartum Depression (PPD). Oftentimes, these disorders go undiagnosed because a new mother’s support system, typically the husband/partner, does not know what to look for and where to go to get help.
Working with more than 200,000 new dads over the past 19 years, Boot Camp for New Dads (http://www.bcnd.org), a non-profit orientation program for fathers-to-be, operating in more than 260 hospitals, clinics, schools, fire stations and churches around North America and internationally, advises new fathers to watch for signs of PPD in mom and offers tips on how to recognize it.
Postpartum depression is not selective. It can affect any woman who is pregnant, has had a baby or who has miscarried. It’s important that when new mothers begin to experience such symptoms that they get help immediately. A new mother’s mental health is very important to not only herself but her baby and family. Get professional help for mom immediately. Talk to an experienced counselor or your physician.
Baby blues or postpartum? Boot Camp for New Dads advises dads of several signs that indicate the more serious PPD:
· Self-esteem issues – Mom may have very negative feelings about herself. She may think she is worthless, unattractive or a bad mother. If she does feel this way, a simple “pep talk” is not going to help.
· Constant fatigue – It’s a fact that when the baby arrives, mom probably won’t get as much sleep as she needs. One of the signs to watch for is constant fatigue, even upon waking. Fatigue is a symptom of depression.
· Weight loss or weight gain – Yes, while some moms lose a little of the pregnancy weight within the first few months after birth, other moms stay the same weight. Significant weight loss from a lack of appetite or weight gain from overeating is sign that something is wrong.
· Crying often – Mom’s occasional crying is normal as her hormones fluctuate and she has difficulty getting that extra, much needed rest. But, crying every day and/or more than once a day is a red flag.
· Disinterest — When mom is not interested in herself, her baby, family or other activities, it’s an indication that something is wrong.
· Mood swings – Similar to a roller coaster ride, mood swings are extreme changes in mood. Mom’s joyfulness immediately followed by sadness and despair are not healthy moods.
· Being afraid of hurting the baby or herself – If mom is afraid of hurting the baby or herself, get medical attention immediately.
According to Greg Bishop, founder of Boot Camp for New Dads and active Boot Camp coach, “Many new moms experience the baby blues, which can include symptoms of crying and mood swings, restlessness and fatigue that lasts for a few hours to a few weeks after delivery. PPD doesn’t always happen immediately after birth. It can take hold months after the baby is born and moms usually experience exaggerated symptoms of the baby blues. PPD is a serious condition that can affect any mom – whether she’s just given birth to her first child or fifth. PPD may be attributed to changes in hormone levels, the stress of a new baby, lack of sleep or a combination of things. It’s important to know how to recognize the signs of the condition because moms with PPD will not get well without professional help.”
Katherine Stone Alliance
In an effort to reach and educate more men about PPD and what they can do; Boot Camp for New Dads is working with Katherine Stone, a nationally-recognized, award-winning advocate for women with perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, and author of Postpartum Progress. Boot Camp will be working with Stone in the development of a new section on the bcnd.org website that is dedicated to PPD, as well as collaborating with Postpartum Support International on their website.
Fatherhood Books Serve as a “Play by Play” Guides
Greg Bishop offers strategies from more than 200,000 new dads that have gone through the Boot Camp for New Dads program in both of his books, Crash Course for New Dads: Tools, Checklists and Cheat Sheets and his first book, Hit the Ground Crawling, which covers work balance, being a dad, caring for a new mom and much more. Both books are available online at www.DadsAdventure.com.
New Dads Learn What to Expect at Boot Camp Workshops
Dads-to-be will be better equipped to face the challenges and opportunities of fatherhood after attending a Boot Camp “hands on” educational workshop. Men attend the class when they are expecting their first baby, and are joined in the workshop by “veterans” who had previously attended and have returned with their two to four-month-old baby in tow. They are able to give the dads-to-be a realistic idea of what to do and what to expect when their first baby comes. For many men attending, it’s their first time holding a baby.
Boot Camp for New Dads
Now celebrating their 19th year, Boot Camp for New Dads is nationally acclaimed as the “Best Practice” for preparing men to be fathers and has been named a U.S. Navy Model Program. Boot Camp for New Dads has prepared more than 200,000 men for fatherhood over the years.
With more than 4.1 million births (National Center for Health Statistics), and approximately 1.5 million men becoming new dads every year, it’s more important than ever for fathers to realize that being a “good provider” is only part of the very central role they have in their children’s lives.
For more information about Boot Camp for New Dads, visit www.bcnd.org, or to visit Dads Adventure, go to www.Dadsadventure.com. To arrange an interview with Greg Bishop, please contact sdubin@prworkzone.com, (781) 582-1061.
National and International Locations
Boot Camp For New Dads locations include ALASKA (Anchorage); ARIZONA (Chandler, Flagstaff, Gilbert, Mesa, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Sun City); ARKANSAS (Jonesboro, Paragould, Springdale); CALIFORNIA (Apple Valley, Bakersfield, , Fresno, Garden Grove, Irvine, Laguna Hills, Madera, Merced, Mission Hills, , Oakland, Orange, Pomona, Port Hueneme, San Diego, Santa Ana, Santa Barbara, , S. Lake Tahoe, Travis, Valley Springs); COLORADO (Aurora, Boulder, Colorado Springs, Denver, Durango, Fort Collins, Fort Carson, Greeley, Longmont, Thornton, Wheat Ridge); CONNECTICUT (Bristol, Danbury, New London); FLORIDA (Brandon, Clearwater, Hollywood, Jacksonville, North Palm Beach, Orlando, St. Petersburg, West Palm Beach, Sarasota, Tampa); GEORGIA (Atlanta, Elberton, Gainesville, Marietta, Savannah); HAWAII (Pearl Harbor, Schofield); ILLINOIS (Aurora, Carbondale, Champaign, Chicago, East St. Louis, Evanston, Freeport, Geneva, Great Lakes, Highland Park, Libertyville, Moline, Oak Park, Rockford, Springfield, Urbana, Winfield); INDIANA (Anderson, Bluffton, Hammond, Indianapolis, Jeffersonville, Kokomo); IOWA (Cedar Rapids, Des Moines, Jefferson, Sioux City); KANSAS (Junction City, Topeka); KENTUCKY (Paducah); LOUISIANA (Covington); MAINE (Auburn, Augusta, Bangor, Brunswick, Ellsworth, Waterville); MARYLAND (Annapolis) MASSACHUSETTS (Beverly, Ipswich, Lowell, Nantucket, Plymouth, Weymouth, Springfield); MICHIGAN (, Ann Arbor, Bay City, Centreville, Iron Mountain, Ithaca, Kalamazoo, Niles, St Joseph, Ypsilanti); MINNESOTA (Brainerd, Duluth, Robbinsdale); MISSISSIPPI (Tupelo); MISSOURI (Jefferson City) MONTANA (Billings, Helena, Miles City); NEBRASKA (Kearney, Lincoln, Omaha); NEVADA (Las Vegas) NEW HAMPSHIRE (Manchester, Portsmouth); NEW JERSEY (Princeton) NEW YORK (Glens Falls, Little Falls, Mineola, Rome, Utica); NORTH CAROLINA (Burlington, Chapel Hill, Charlotte, Concord, Ft. Bragg, Greensboro, Monroe, Raleigh, Shelby); NORTH DAKOTA (Grand Forks); OHIO (Akron, Cleveland, Columbus, East Cleveland, East Liverpool, Garfield Heights, Lima, Lorain, Mayfield Heights, Middleburg Heights, Orange Village, Portsmouth, Toledo, Warren, Westlake, Youngstown); OKLAHOMA (Claremore, Oklahoma City, Tulsa); OREGON (Corvalis, McMinnville, Salem, Silverton); SOUTH CAROLINA (Columbia, Pickens, Walhalla); TENNESSEE (Chattanooga, Knoxville, Memphis); TEXAS (Amarillo, Dallas, Fort Hood, Longview, Lubbock, Plano, San Antonio, Texarkana, Waco, Webster); VERMONT (Barre, Brattleboro, Middlebury); VIRGINIA (Charlottesville, Chesapeake, Hampton, Richmond) WASHINGTON (Everett, Fairchild AFB, Longview, Olympia, Puyallup, Yakima); WEST VIRGINIA (Wheeling); WISCONSIN (Florence, Green Bay, Madison, Oshkosh, Watertown, Wausau); JAPAN (Atsugi, Yokosuka), ITALY (Sicily); UNITED KINGDOM [a.k.a. Hit the Ground Crawling] (Birmingham, Liverpool)
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