Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorder affects over 23-thousand Michigan women and their families each year. To help increase understanding the disorder, Governor Rick Snyder has named May as PMAD Awareness Month.
You might know PMAD better as postpartum depression.
Moms may feel depressed, anxious, guilty, and disconnected from their baby.
Lynn Sutfin is with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. She said the state offers resources to assist with the disorder.
“If you go to the michigan.gov/mdhhs and put in maternal infant health program you’ll find some information and some resources. In addition, the Michigan statewide perinatal mood disorder coalition also has a website with a lot of information on it. Those are resources and providers that can help you if you are feeling you might be suffering from this anxiety or these symptoms. Also, if you are concerned about this, you should definitely talk to your healthcare provider.”
Sutfin said symptoms can begin during pregnancy, or within two years of giving birth.