The expert resource for women, families and healthcare providers offering the information you need to combat the effects of pregnancy related mood disorders
Support The MOTHERS Act Today!
Three things you can do RIGHT NOW
1. Add your name to the state by state constituent petition by emailing us your permission to be included on the national petition, by sending your name, state and any affiliation.
2. Call your U.S. Senator and ask for his/her support of The MOTHERS Act in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
3. Watch the video of the Capitol Hill Press Conference with Brooke Shields, U.S. Senator Robert Menendez, Congressman Bobby L. Rush, Mary Jo Codey, Carol Blocker, Sylvia Lasalandra and Susan Dowd Stone and learn about the legislation's critical history and initiatives!
New!
Click here to listen to an audio segment on The MOTHERS Act with Dr. Michael Petriella, OB/GYN Hackensack University Medical Center, Susan Dowd Stone, MSW, LCSW and Celeste Andriot Wood, Assistant Commissioner, NJ Family Health Services
This story originally aired on the nationally syndicated program Radio Health Journal in December 2009, and was produced by MediaTracks Communications. For further information please call 847-299-9500 or e-mail info@mediatracks.com
UPDATE: Mikulski Amendment now also now included in the passed senate version of The Patient Protection and Affordable Healthcare Act. This amendment encourages screening for postpartum depression and other women's medical issues. While not a part of The MOTHERS Act, we welcome and support this critical mandate which was the FIRST amendment introduced and passed in the healthcare reform bill! As negotiations continue between House and Senate, we still need your voice! Legislators regularly visit our petition page to survey support!
Important Disclosure
Perinatal Pro, Blue Skye Consulting LLC and Susan Dowd Stone, MSW, LCSW have no relationships or associations with pharmaceutical corporations or lobbyists including speaker bureaus or consulting relationships. This website is not supported by advertising of any kind from any entity. Any royalties generated from book sales on this website are donated to the non profit Postpartum Support International.
The mission of the website Perinatal Pro and its facility Blue Skye Consulting is to provide each woman/family with information which will support her unique recovery plan. Our perspective is holistic and based on personal empowerment through facilitation of choices and respect for each client's individual needs. There is no one size fits all to recover from postpartum mood disorders. The support of this legislation is a result of ongoing clinical work with thousands of women, education, research, careful review/consultation of proposed initiatives and discussion with the world's leading experts on the issue. The legislative initiatives proposed will help clarify the etiology and best clinical response to pregnancy related mood disorders. We need to pass this legislation as soon as possible! Thank you!
Regardless of your political stance on Healthcare Reform, we need to ensure that whatever passes, our nation's mothers, infants and families are prominent beneficiaries of healthcare dollars.
Meet our Advocacy Team
Sylvia Lasalandra, Legislative Director, Perinatal Pro
Mary Jo Codey, Former NJ First Lady
Katherine Stone, legislative consultant
Sylvia Lasalandra Frodella is a survivor of PPD and a passionate advocate for The Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act. She has lent her voice to efforts in DC and across the country to raise awareness of these issues and promote this critical legislation.
She is the author of A Daughter's Touch a riveting story of her postpartum experiences which has been made into an award winning film and may soon become a feature length presentation. She is a current member and past chair of Postpartum Support International's President's Advisory Council.
Sylvia's role with Perinatal Pro is coordination of legislative efforts among agencies, organizations, the blogosphere and regional communities and working directly with key sponsoring legislators. In addition, Sylvia co-presents at Perinatal Pro's community lectures on PPD, helping to raise awareness among family members whose loved one may be experiencing a perinatal mood disorder.
But most importantly, Sylvia is the mother of Melina who inspires her daily to keep spreading the message of hope!
Mary Jo Codey is the Fomer First Lady of New Jersey and a PPD Survivor. With her husband's support, NJ State Senate President Richard Codey, she spearheaded efforts in New Jersey and across the country to raise awareness about postpartum depression, resulting in a nationally known campaign "Speak Up When You're Down".
On April 13, 2006, her efforts were rewarded as New Jersey became the first - and still the only - state in the union to pass postpartum depression legislation. The bill encourages the screening of new mothers by health care providers, calls for public awareness campaigns, and offers an educational website, 800 HELP number and other educational and consumer resources.
Mrs. Codey has appeared in many public service announcements proclaiming her struggle and belief in the need of additional attention and support to this critical public health crisis. Mary Jo Codey is beloved around the state and the country for her tireless efforts to advocate for mothers, infants and families on this issue. She encourages you to join the state by state listings at www.perinatalpro.com and let your name be among those your legislators see when the The Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act comes up for vote in the U.S. Senate.
Katherine Stone is the author/originator of Postpartum Progress, the most widely-read blog in the United States on perinatal mood disorders. In 2001, Stone suffered postpartum obsessive compulsive disorder after the birth of her first child.The feeling of isolation and shame she suffered inspired her to speak out through her blog to try and help others.Because of this work, she was chosen by WebMD as one of its four 2008 Health Heroes. The Health Heroes Awards is an annual, national program to recognize individuals who overcome challenges and help transform healthcare Stone has served as guest editor on the topic of postpartum depression at BlogHer, the Chair of Public Relations for Postpartum Support International and serves on the advisory board of the Georgia Postpartum Support Network.
Her media appearances have included Time Inc.'s Health.com in the PPD area of its Depression section, a featured voice on "BORN", a documentary about the postpartum experience in America, Newsweek magazine, WebMD the Magazine, and on www.womenshealth.gov, a U.S. Department of Health & Human Services website. Stone also speaks widely on the topic of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. Prior to becoming a full time advocate and stay-at-home mom, Stone spent 7 years in corporate marketing at The Coca-Cola Company.
Watch a video clip of Mary Jo Codey and Sylvia Lasalandra advocating for support of The Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act on NJN News
