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Postpartum depression is a serious illness and we need to talk about it. In fact research shows nearly 20% of women suffer some form of PPD in the US alone. Now a new documentary aims to bring this diagnosis out of the darkness, and into the light to let women know they are not alone.

In this episode I talked with Lindsay Gerszt, one of the producers of When The Bough Breaks: A Documentary About Postpartum Depression. It’s narrated by Brooke Sheilds who had a very public battle with PPD herself. The film follows Lindsay’s experience with postpartum and we meet several women who have experience PPD in varying degrees.

I say this in the podcast and I’ll write it here: This is a powerful movie for new moms. I can’t tell you how many women I know who say they experienced some form of postpartum depression after the birth of their child.  It’s a very real mental health issue that needs to be taken as seriously as a cancer diagnosis.  And Lindsay says that’s the goal of this film.

I was very moved by this film. The women sharing their stories are so raw, and unfiltered. I never experienced PPD but after seeing this my heart goes out to women who have. And you can bet I will be more vigilant in watching for signs of it with my friends.  This movie explores everything from the “baby blues” to infanticide, where a parent takes their own child’s life within the first year. Several women give their accounts of taking their own child’s life, or wanting to, while experiencing postpartum depression. This illness is that serious and needs attention.

Lindsay is so courageous for telling her story. She opens up in the film about her struggle to find help through numerous treatments and medications. We follow along as she explores western, holistic, and eastern medical treatments. I’ll let you watch to see how it all turns out for her. But I can tell you that some of the women in the film like celebrity moms Carnie Wilson and Aarti Sequeira talk about what happened when the “fog” lifts, and they are able to recover from their PPD.

When The Bough Breaks is available now on iTunes. Please watch it and share with anyone you know who might be suffering from postpartum depression.  Also the film’s producers have put together a helpful list of resources where moms can read about the signs of PPD and contact someone for help. Find out more at whentheboughbreakdsfilm.com.