In article .com, Dawn says...

Hi everyone,

A very close friend is having a rough time with what seems to be post-
partum depression/anxiety. I'm looking for ways to help long
distance.

She gave birth to her third child, a girl, in September, bringing that
baby home the same day her oldest daughter started Kindergarten. She
also has a 3 year old boy. Between these pregnancies she had several
miscarriages. She's basically been pregnant, trying to get pregnant,
or recovering from a birth or miscarriage for the last 7 years
straight. Recently, she very reluctantly chose to wean her youngest
earlier than she had hoped due to some severely clogged ducts and
infections in her breasts.


She's getting the right medical and counselling help. What she needs is the
practical day to day help with three kids five (or six or so) and under. It
would overwhelm a lot of people, especially when they're not in their 20's and
30's anymore, even without the depression. It may be a plain-vanilla clinical
depression, which may have happened under any hugely stressful situation.

Of course, long distance it's not something you can jump over and do. But it
strikes me that whatever is done would be along that line. Is there some way
you can ease her path to getting daily in-home help?

Banty