Postpartum depression can affect anyone regardless of social status or wealth. The list of celebs who have had to gain control of this very real part of pregnancy and childbirth continues to grow. The latest celebrity to admit to having suffered from postpartum depression is singer Marie Osmond.

Reports published recently online revealed that in 1999 following the birth of her son Matthew she had the worst case of the baby blues ever. While admitting that she had baby blues in previous births, with Matthew it was bad and became more than just that. In an interview published online at the Daily Mail website, Osmond said, “Then one day, she snapped. I remember walking down the stairs and putting Matthew in the arms of the nanny. I can’t stay here, I told her. There is something wrong, really wrong with me. I have to leave until I figure it out.”

Thankfully, her husband and mother helped her seek treatment and she got better. Osmond said she was shocked to know her own mother had also had her own battle with the demon of postpartum depression.

Symptoms of Postpartum Depression

It is important to identify the symptoms of Postpartum depression so that help can be found before disaster strikes. Some of the most commons symptoms include:

• Thoughts of suicide

• Thoughts of harming the baby or even others

• Extreme anxiety

• Elevated levels of stress

• Change in sleep pattern

• Desire to stay in bed

• Loss of appetite

The feelings of Postpartum depression are far more elevated than those of baby blues which affects many new moms. If you or a loved one is pregnant, start learning about this potentially serious condition before the birth so as to be prepared.

Other Celebrities Who Battled Postpartum Depression

Another celebrity who has had to deal with the condition is Brooke Shields. She was lambasted by Tom Cruise for talking about using prescription medication to deal with postpartum depression. Shields went on to write a book which she hoped would help other women, Down Came the Rain: My Journey Through Postpartum Depression. Others include Gwyneth Paltrow, actress Gena Lee Nolin formerly of Baywatch who had the condition with all three of her children; Angelina Jolie, Courteney Cox-Arquette, Amanda Peet and Lisa Marie Presley.

My son was born in Korea. When I had my baby shower, another expatriate friend of mine told me how after delivering three babies overseas, she went home so she could have her fourth in an American hospital. But the baby had other plans, and emerged in the parking lot of a Piggly Wiggly grocery store-on American soil.

It’s not all that uncommon for EMTs to deliver babies. And, in fact, Christine Springer had done an ambulance delivery before. But helping Dolores Guidice, 20, through her labor last Tuesday was different, and more was at stake. First, the baby was premature- nearly two months early. But Springer was able to help the terrified Guidice calm down. Guidice’s mother was also present. And it was she who first noticed the legs- the baby was breech. So Springer helped Guidice into a different position that would help the baby out. A third complication arose when the baby emerged and wasn’t breathing, because the umbilical cord was wrapped around its neck. And, again, Springer knew how to get the baby breathing.

But the most amazing part of all of this was the most important complication- Springer wasn’t actually there. Debra Guidice called 911 when her daughter went into early labor. When it was obvious the baby wouldn’t wait for an ambulance, Springer- who is also 8 months pregnant- coached the mother-daughter team though the delivery over the telephone!

Just after 3 pm, Dolores Guidice gave birth to a healthy, though tiny, baby girl at her Long Island home. The delivery took just four minutes, as baby Nevaeh weighed only 3 pounds, 9 ounces.

Baby Nevaeh’s name is the word ‘heaven’ spelled backward. “She’s a miracle, my baby,” Mom said. Grandma Debra’s voice over the 911 call is clearly terrified when she placed the call, describing the breech position, and then indicating that the baby was stuck and later, not breathing. But after Springer’s successful guidance, Debra sounds more poignant. “Oh, she opened up her eyes.”

Dolores and Debra were able to publicly thank Christine Springer this Tuesday. “I just want to say thank you very much because if it wasn’t for you my baby wouldn’t be alive right now,” said Dolores in a TV interview.

Do you know any miracle babies? Tell us!

I read every book and article I could get my hands on before going into labor, hoping to be as prepared as possible for whatever may happen. I wanted to read about every possible glitch that might happen so that there would be nothing that would take me by surprise. It was my way of trying to have some power in a potentially scary situation.

So what did none of these books or articles cover that totally took me by surprise? Although I had never thrown up from morning sickness throughout my entire first pregnancy, to my surprise I spent a good portion of my labor alternating between throwing up into a little bucket and dry heaving. The doctor and staff kept saying, “Oh, don’t worry, this happens all the time,” but what I didn’t understand is that I had never read about this phenomenon anywhere. How frustrating.

The good news was that all the throwing up actually helps push the baby through the birth canal faster. It was like forced pushing, but I had no choice. I guess that’s one way to do it.

You can add this to another possible labor issue, my pregnant friends. Apparently it’s pretty common. I will tell you that there’s nothing quite like giving birth to a baby while throwing up at the same time. It’s almost as if the inside of my body declared, “Okay, everybody out!”

The whole process of conception, pregnancy, childbirth is an overwhelmingly incredible thing. But evolution has shortchanged us women somewhat, and while our bodies can do miraculous things, having children can take a toll on our physical selves.

One of the hardest working, and most neglected parts of a woman’s body is the pelvic floor. Your pelvic floor muscles are like a sling that holds up your internal organs. Part of the pelvic floor’s job is to help support the uterus and baby during pregnancy, and especially during late pregnancy, the pelvic floor muscles are under a lot of pressure.

Pelvic floor muscles are also responsible for bladder control and that’s often why many pregnant women, or women who have recently given birth, occasionally pee a little when they sneeze or try to lift something heavy. It’s called stress incontinence. Don’t feel bad if it’s happened to you – it happens to almost every mom at least once.

But, do take it as a sign that your pelvic floor needs a little attention. Doing pelvic floor muscle exercises, commonly known as Kegles, will strengthen your pelvic floor muscles and help reduce the likelihood of stress incontinence.

Here’s how you do kegle exercises.

First, you need to isolate your pelvic floor muscles. You can do this by trying to stop the flow of urine when you go to the bathroom. That’s your pelvic floor muscles working.

So now you know where it is, practice contracting the muscles. Try to relax the rest of your body, and not hold your breath.

Squeeze the pelvic floor muscles for a count of 2, then relax for 2. Repeat 10 times.

That was easy!

As you get more experienced, try to hold the squeeze for longer, try 3, 4, 5, or more seconds.

Try to do a couple of sets of Kegels every day if you are pregnant, if you have a baby, and even if you are trying to conceive. You can do them as you wait for your computer to boot up, or waiting at traffic signals, or as the coffee percolates, or as your toddler tries to make the important decision of frog shirt or truck shirt. Get into the habit, and you’ll be at much less risk of peeing when you sneeze.

Researchers are discovering powerful mind-body connections in health and wellness. With that in mind, not only am I making all the necessary physical preparations to have a successful, drug-free natural childbirth, but I am preparing mentally, as well.

This mental preparation leaves no room for hearing horror stories of labor that went on for hours with intense pain that even drugs couldn’t quell. Unless these stories serve a medical purpose, such as what measures may help avoid this situation, they don’t benefit anyone.

I know there are others like me out there. How do you politely muzzle well-meaning friends and relatives when they begin playing a game of ‘top this,’ as they describe their worst labor experiences? It takes a bit of nerve, but it can be done politely, with a smile, and no one’s feeling should be hurt.

I simply acknowledge their difficulty. ‘I’m sorry you had that experience,’ I say. Then I explain why these tales will not help my frame of mind or enhance my own experience. ‘I’m trying to keep positive thoughts in my mind. There’s no guarantee that will help me avoid complications or difficulties, but combined with good childbirth instruction, a midwife I trust, and my husband’s support, a positive frame of mind certainly can’t hurt!‘ I explain that we are open to, and prepared for, any possibly, but negative stories will only serve to make me more nervous, and anxiety, as it has been shown, leads to higher blood pressure, which can lead to pregnancy and childbirth complications.

Beyond that, going into labor more relaxed will just lead to a more pleasant experience. A friend of mine likes to talk about her 36 hours of labor which led to an emergency c-section. ‘It really wasn’t bad,‘ she said, because she had entered the delivery room with a positive outlook and maintained this disposition throughout. I could listen to these kinds of stories forever!

In most cases, when I politely explain why I don’t want to hear about what a horrible ordeal childbirth is, the women in question hastily assure me that everything will be fine and, in the end, it’s all worth it? Something I knew all along, but you can’t hear positive reinforcement too often!

I’m not advocating that a pregnant woman should live with her head in the clouds. I am using every resource available to educate myself on complications that may arise during delivery, and then promptly replacing those thoughts with images of a positive childbirth experience.

This also means surrounding myself with people who want to share inspiring, beautiful childbirth stories. I understand labor is hard work. Labor hurts. But the happy ending that results from these tales makes it all worth it.

When you’re sharing your labor stories with expectant moms, don’t sugarcoat it, but please do try to accentuate the positive. Have an uplifting childbirth experience to share? Please post it here.

Childbirth is not a competitive sport.

We live in a society that is permeated by competition. We compete on the jobsite, in school, and with our next door neighbors(keeping up with the Joneses). Our television shows involve people competing over more serious things like dating prospects and marriage partners to seemingly more benign competitions over things such as dancing, cooking, and singing.

After talking with women during my 16 year career as a mom, I realize that this sense of competition extends even into the birthing room. Yes, women actually compete over childbirth experiences.

When I was pregnant with my first, I remember a college friend who had birthed her child before me relaying to me that ?real women didn?t use pain medication during childbirth.? Another friend, on a different occasion proudly reveled in the fact that she had birthed her first child in 8 hours, when the average amount of time for a first labor was 12 hours. She had beaten the average!

I remember the emotional pain I felt when others were judgmental about the fact that it had taken me almost 24 hours to birth my 5 pound child and that I had to push for almost 2 hours. I remember being shocked that others were shocked because I hadn?t firmly decided against pain medication prior to the birth of our child. I had after all, they pointed out, attended Lamaze classes. What else did I need?

At this point, dear reader, I have either angered you immensely, or you are nodding along in agreement.

I want to tell you that it is ok if you birth your child in several hours, or if it takes you a longer time. It does not mean you are less of a woman if you only have to push once and your child arrives, or if you push for several hours until that child is delivered. Talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of pain medication during childbirth and educate yourself about your options. If your doctor tells you that medication during labor is safe(and I have had labor situations where the doctor advised against pain medications), then it is ok to take that option. If you choose during the labor to get pain relief, this does not mean that you are a bad person and that you have failed somehow. It does not mean you are weak or wimpy either. If anyone tries to tell you otherwise, or judge you over a birthing experience, it is ok to walk away or change the subject.

Remember, childbirth is not a competitive sport; neither is parenting or housecleaning.

Michelle Duggar is expecting her 18^th child.

You may have heard of the Duggar family before: they live in Arkansas and have done several specials for the Discovery Channel on their family. Jim Bob Duggar was a car salesman, a politician and a realtor. Michelle is a full time mother and currently homeschools all of the children who range in age from 20 years to 9 months old. There are 10 boys and 7 girls. There are also two sets of twins. Baby number 18 will join the family around New Year?s Day.

All of the children have names beginning with the letter J. Josh is 20; Jana, 18; John-David, 18; Jill, 16; jessa, 15; Jinger, 14; Joseph, 13; Josiah, 11; Joy-Anna, 10; Jeremiah, 9; Jedidiah, 9; Jason, 7; James, 6; Justin, 5; Jackson, 3; Johannah, 2; and Jennifer is 9 months old.

Currently, the family lives in a 7000 square foot home they built themselves, which took them over 39,000 hours to complete. Michelle says that she does over 200 loads of laundry per month and that it costs slightly under $2000 per month to feed her growing brood. She also estimates that she?s been pregnant around 135 months?more than 11 years– of her 41 years of life.

Mrs. Duggar relays that she is currently 6 weeks along in her pregnancy and that she and her husband have said that they will keep having children as long as God wills it for their lives.

I had epidurals during both of my labors. The first labor I planned on doing everything completely natural – or as natural as you can get in a hospital surrounded by medical staff – but when the time came for my second baby to be born I had no qualms about it. If I could have, I would have marched into the hospital to give birth the second time with a sign hanging above me that said, “This lady wants an epidural.”

I lasted a decent amount of time in the first labor before I gave in to the epidural. I was dilated to 5 cm, and I was being pumped with Petocin because it was an induced labor. I didn’t realize it at the time, but contractions hurt REALLY bad while contractions on Petocin hurt REALLY RIDICULOUSLY ABSURDLY bad. So making it as far as I did was a real testament to my threshold for pain.

The epidural did not feel good going in. There was a weird stinging sensation up my back and I was smack in the middle of a contraction when the anesthesiologist was urging me to stay still so he could get everything set. After he was finished they laid me back down and I suffered through about four more contractions when all of a sudden I realized that I was having contractions (I could see them on the monitor) but I couldn’t feel them. I actually got so relaxed that I was talking, laughing, and enjoying the birthing experience. Before the epidural I was in so much pain all I could do was grip the arm bars on the bed and glare at my husband.

When the time approached for my second baby to be born I told everyone who would listen: “I’ll want an epidural. Ready an epidural. Make sure the doctor knows I want an epidural.” My water broke the night before I was scheduled to be induced so after the mad dash to the hospital I distinctly remember two things:

1. Contractions didn’t hurt so badly. It may have been a combination of no Petocin and also me having already experienced contractions before, so I wasn’t so rudely surprised by the pain.

2. I still wanted an epidural.

I had the epidural as soon as they would give it to me, and I actually slept while my cervix continued to dilate. I woke up feeling an immense amount of pressure, and a couple minutes later out popped my precious baby boy. I know many women are able (and willing) to go through labor without any medication, and I do applaud them for it. I will be one of the few women who stands as an advocate for epidurals, though, because even though a needle in the back is no fun there is something really cool about being able to enjoy labor. I don’t think that getting an epidural made me a bad mom or anything. The amount of pain I experienced in my first labor was just so intense I needed some help. My hats off to anyone who can go without an epidural, but if you wind up getting one don’t beat yourself up over it.

Childbirth is a bit of a blur for me. I do remember it hurting a lot, and I do remember how grateful I was when it was time for the epidural, but other than that I have a hard time recalling the actual schedule of events from both times I was in labor. I read somewhere that it’s common for women to forget the pain and such from labor because if we remembered we would probably never do it again. That makes sense.

I do remember one thing about my labor with my son, or at least, right after he was born. I lost a lot of blood, so when the nurses led me into the bathroom for the obligatory proof that my body was functioning well enough to pee I remember sitting on the toilet and telling the two nurses that I was feeling a little woozy.

Side-note: If you have never been in labor before, you might be cringing at the thought of peeing in front of two nurses. Trust me…by then, you won’t care in the least.

Back to my story. So there I was, woozy on the toilet when the next thing I knew there were about eight nurses huddled around me and I had the strangest feeling like I’d missed something. Yes, I had passed out right there on the toilet, and apparently the nurses had to break open two containers of smelling salts before I woke back up. They helped me back to my bed and we all had a good laugh about it, and to this day it’s one of my favorite stories to tell about going through childbirth. My husband, of course, doesn’t think the story was quite so hilarious because he was a little scared by the whole thing. He was sitting in a chair holding our son when it all happened, and he didn’t like the experience of not knowing what was going on while a bunch of nurses rushed past him and into the bathroom. I get to laugh about it though, because how else can you react to passing out on a toilet?

When I was in labor with my son I lost a lot of blood. The same thing happened with my daughter?for one reason or another my placenta got stuck and the doctors had to go in and retrieve it. Yes, I said doctors (plural) as opposed to doctor because at one point I think I had three doctors standing there taking turns, frantically trying to retrieve my placenta. This was all while my poor husband stood there, mouth agape, wondering why everyone was panicking and why there was so much blood.

Okay, everyone together: Yuck!

The same thing happened with my son, and although I was a little more prepared for it I can?t say it was really any less scary. I?m not telling you this to make you nervous about childbirth, and the odds of your placenta getting stuck are probably pretty slim. The reason why I pass this story along is because I think it?s a great illustration about how you can read every pregnancy book and spend hours watching A Baby Story, but sometimes things just happen that you may have never even heard of. I had certainly never heard of something like this, and I didn?t understand just how serious it was until I noticed that my doctor?s hands were shaking. By the way, your doctor?s hands shaking is not so comforting.

The moral of the story is this: Expect the unexpected. I?m not saying that you should be utterly paranoid and lose sleep worrying about what might happen (you need as much sleep as you can get right now, trust me). Instead, what I?m hoping is that you can do your best to just roll with the punches when it comes to childbirth and later with caring for your baby. The less panicked you are, the better you can focus on the task at hand?getting that baby out of you and into your loving arms.