I don’t know and can’t understand why,
You chose me, the wrong guy.
I am so numb, I can not even cry,
You sucked out of me all my energy supply.

You are a monster, there is no match to you,
You accompany me wherever I go and whatever I do.
You stole my mind, and my soul too,
My nest you ripped apart through and through.

You robbed so much from all I hold so precious and dear,
Abandoned me from all whom I love and care.
You tortured me mercilessly with your terror and fear,
You left me alone with pain so impossible to bear.

You have beaten me to the core,
The little spirit from my heart you tore.
I am choking, I can not survive anymore.
This nightmare is impossible to endure.

But as powerful and strong you think you can be,
I am stronger than you regard me.
And when I say I give up it’s YOU talking PPD,
So I will show you at last I will be free.

You won the battle but I won the war,
I am stronger than you ever before.
Do not dare show up anymore
Because you will not win, I am a brave warrior!

~ By Warrior Mom, Kathy Davis (Davis, 2015)

I chose to include this poem as I think the authenticity included in the words, brings value to healthcare practitioners in working to understand what someone with PPD may be dealing with. This poem encompasses raw emotions felt by the mom with PPD while also displaying a positive attitude in fighting PPD. It is both informative and inspirational.

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Research Articles:

Alford, A. Y., Riggins, A. D., Cowan, L. T., Chopak-Foss, J., Mitchell, C. E., Nwoanumah, E. C., Oloyede, T. F., Sejoro, S. T., Azu, E. U., Kutten W. S., & Adom, D. A. (2024). The relationship between adverse childhood experiences and developmental disorders: implications for family support and child advocacy. Children’s Health Care, 53(4), 475-487. https://doi.org/10.1080/02739615.2024.2307021

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Davis, K. (2015). Dear PPD and Gang. [Poem]. https://postpartumprogress.com/dear-ppd-gang-poem-surviving-postpartum-depression

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Research Articles:

​Deng, J., Chen, J., Tan, Y., Guo, X., & Liu, F. (2025). Exploring the role of different coping styles in mediating the relationship between dyadic adjustment status and postpartum depression among postnatal women: A single-centre, cross-sectional study. BMJ Open, 15(1), e088699. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2024-088699

​Leason, J. (2021). Indigenous women's stress and postpartum depression: Discussions from the Canadian Maternity Experiences Survey and Indigenous maternity narratives. International Journal of Indigenous Health, 16(2), 225–243. https://doi.org/10.32799/ijih.v16i2.33180

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​Horsch, A., Garthus-Niegel, S., Ayers, S., Chandra, P., Hartmann, K., Vaisbuch, E., & Lalor, J. (2024). Childbirth-related posttraumatic stress disorder: Definition, risk factors, pathophysiology, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 230(3), S1116–S1127. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajog.2023.09.089

Research Articles:

​Goddard, A. (2021). Adverse childhood experiences and trauma-informed care. Journal of Pediatric Health Care, 35(2), 145–155. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pedhc.2020.09.001​

Williams, A., Parlier-Ahmad, A. B., Thompson, E., Wallace, R., Perrin, P. B., Ward, A., & Hendricks-Muñoz, K. D. (2023). Peripartum traumas and mental health outcomes in a low-income sample of NICU mothers: A call for family-centered, trauma-informed care. Children, 10(9), 1477. https://doi.org/10.3390/children10091477

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Research Articles:

Jackson, K. T., Larose, S., & Mantler, T. (2024). Accessing trauma- and violence-informed breastfeeding support from primary care providers among women with histories of intimate partner violence: An exploratory interpretive description study. Canadian Journal of Nursing Research, 56(4), 284–293. https://doi.org/10.1177/08445621241280409

Monteith, H., Checholik, C., Galloway, T., Sahak, H., Shawanda, A., Liu, C., & Hanley, A. J. G. (2024). Infant feeding experiences among Indigenous communities in Canada, the United States, Australia, and Aotearoa: A scoping review of the qualitative literature. BMC Public Health, 24(1), 1583. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-19060-1​

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Research Articles:

​Ogundiran, T. J., & Gigli, K. H. (2025). Neighborhood-level social determinants of health and hospital utilization in infants with neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome. Journal of Neonatal Nursing, 31(2), 101592. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnn.2024.11.007

Velez, M. L., Jordan, C., & Jansson, L. M. (2021). Reconceptualizing non-pharmacologic approaches to Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) and Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome (NOWS): A theoretical and evidence-based approach. Part II: The clinical application of nonpharmacologic care for NAS/NOWS. Neurotoxicology and Teratology, 88, 107032. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ntt.2021.107032