Men with Postpartum Depression...Gimme a Break!

As a mother of three children, as a woman, and as a health care provider, I am totally disgusted by all the media fuss about father's getting postpartum depression. In The New York Times article recently published, all kinds of researchers reviewed all kinds of past studies and determined that one in 10 dads had prenatal or postpartum depression. The article said, "We should do more to screen for depression in fathers." Are you kidding me? Pregnant women and postpartum women in this century are still not getting adequate depression screenings during and after pregnancy! And now the focus needs to be on the poor father...going through what hormonal change??? It is pathetic...the attempts made in the media and America to keep a male dominated society! To now try and "take over" the one thing they can never do...birthing! Women still make less money than men. Women still do the majority of raising children alone. Research is still focused on helping men achieve better health. But...maybe the tides are changing as a New York Times article reveals the "Department of Education statistics show that men, whatever their race or socioeconomic group, are less likely than women to get bachelor's degrees — and among those who do, fewer complete their degrees in four or five years. Men also get worse grades than women." Maybe men are getting scared that women are surpassing them in education...so they have to try and take over the hormonal birthing process! And here's where I have to put an awesome quote from an awesome woman... Robin Morgan said, "In the long run, Women's Liberation will of course free men-but in the short run it's going to COST men a lot of privilege, which no one gives up willingly or easily." Bottom line...men are depressed when women have babies because they are no longer the center of attention, and men are depressed when women are pregnant because it may alter their sex life, and men are depressed when women are pregnant and have babies because they will never be able to do that which only a woman can.
Laura NP