My fellow blogger, Katherine Stone, at Postpartum Progress writes a powerful plea of action to us–yes, you and me, even those of you who haven’t experienced depression or any mood disorder–to help prevent our world from more child abuse, suicide, preterm births, and to promote healthy families, in general. We can petition and vote to pass the Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act, to support increased funding, education and research for postpartum depression. She writes:

Wake up, Warrior Moms. Wake up people who work to prevent child abuse, people who work to prevent suicide, people who work to prevent preterm births, people who care about healthy families. Wake up, people who care about motherhood. Wake up, women of America. Wake up psychiatric professionals, nurses, OB/GYNS, pediatricians.

Here are some specific steps of actions you can take:

Go to the DBSA and sign the petition. http://capwiz.com/ndmda/issues/alert/?alertid=12832296

AND, email Susan Stone at susanstonelcsw@aol.com and put your name on the state-by-state list of people who endorse this bill.

AND, call AND write your Senator or Congressperson:

US Senate http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

AND write about the Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act in your blog.

AND call or email every one of your organization’s members today and tell them to get up and get to work for goodness sake.

AND join Postpartum Support International as it works to create more and better services and education for the women who suffer. http://postpartum.net/become-member/

Please visit Katherine’s blog to read more about the Act and more about postpartum depression and recovery, in general.

To read more Beyond Blue, go to http://blog.beliefnet.com/beyondblue, and to get to Group Beyond Blue, a support group at Beliefnet Community, click here.

To subscribe to “Beyond Blue” click here.