Melanie Stokes' is one of the world's best known names on the issue of Postpartum Psychosis. Since Melanie's tragic death, her mother Carol Blocker has taken on the responsibility of raising her granddaughter Sommer Skyy.
Get an update on the life of Melanie's baby Sommer Skyy, how she's handling the loss of her mom, where she's living and how old she is.
Click the play button to hear the audio.
Visit Carol Blocker at Her Site: MelaniesBattle.org
Postpartum Psychosis affects between 1-3 of every one thousand new mothers. This mood disorder affects new mothers indiscriminately. In some cases, the woman that develops postpartum psychosis has no history of depression or other mood disorders. In other cases, a woman may have a latent condition that surfaces as she experiences the hormonal intensity of the postpartum months.
Postpartum Psychosis is a devastating mood disorder that can develop two to four weeks postpartum or immediately after a woman gives birth. Postpartum psychosis causes paranoia, hallucinations (hearing voices urging a new mother to kill herself or her child), severe insomnia, loss of appetite, anxiety and depression. A woman suffering from postpartum psychosis often suffers alone because of the shame associated with this illness.
In this interview Melanie's mom, Carol Blocker recommends a supportive book and provides an update on Melanie's Bill, legislation named after her daughter.
Melanie's Battle is a website devoted to raising awareness of postpartum psychosis and depression. Their hope is those who are suffering from these afflictions
will be able to find the understanding and help they need to win their own battles.
Melanie's battle has become Carol's Crusade. After Melanie's Death, Carol contacted every newspaper and magazine she could think of. She has appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show and in the pages of Jet and Ebony. Carol believes that ignorance is our worst enemy in the battle against postpartum mood disorders. She has organazined marches, initiated legislation, distributed flyers in hospital maternity wards, and she has become an advocate for a silent section of our population: women who in the throes of postpartum psychosis killed their own children. Carol has become a pen pal to many of them, and has appeared in court on numerous occasions to testify on their behalf.