Provided by Glamour
Postpartum depression drove Becky Lavelle's twin sister to kill herself
and her baby. Now the professional triathlete is fighting to save other
new moms.
Read her story below.
Battling the Baby Blues
Jenny and Graham's Story
courtesy of Jennyslight.org
The girls were fun (and quite a bit of work) from the start, but it was when they reached about two years old that they realized they had a constant playmate," says Bob Gibbs, father of twins Jenny (right) and Becky (pictured with Graham, Jenny's son, born November 1, 2007). "They became so close that they even had a little language of their own." But no words can express the devastation when, "out of the blue, on Dec. 19, 2007, Jenny purchased a gun at a sporting goods store in Birmingham and at about 7 pm, she went to the backyard and took Graham's life and then her own."
Sandy Gibbs
"Jenny was a real champ during delivery, but she struggled a bit with nursing and was reluctant to take Graham from the house for the first few weeks," says Gibbs. "She was also adjusting to not working, not getting much sleep, and having to care for her newborn. Other than that, things seemed normal and Graham got easier to care for as the weeks went by."
Sandy Gibbs
Though devastated and shocked by this tragedy, Becky Lavelle and her family hope that somehow it might inspire new mothers to seek help and treatment before something like this happens to them.
Click through for a photo gallery of celebrities who have suffered and spoke out about their own postpartum depression.
Sandy Gibbs
By Gabrielle Linzer
Brooke Shields
The classic beauty admitted to a miserable period following the 2003 birth of her daughter Rowan in her book, "Down Came the Rain." In one disturbing scenario she pictured "her baby flying through the air and hitting the wall in front of [her]; the wall morphed into a video game, and in it her little body smacked the surface and slid down onto the floor." Shields sought treatment and prescription medication for postpartum depression -- famously criticized by Tom Cruise -- and recovered in full.
MWD / X17online.com
Courteney Cox-Arquette
Six months after giving birth to Coco in 2004, Courteney Cox-Arquette battled with a delayed bout of postpartum depression. Cox-Arquette not only dealt with insomnia and depression, she also experienced "vulnerable feelings of what she terms 'smallness' -- and dealt with such strange suicidal urges as driving off a cliff," according to People magazine.
Jeff Vespa Archive/WireImage.
Gwyneth Paltrow
Despite 70 hours of labor, the Oscar winner emerged psychologically unscathed from her first pregnancy, but after she gave birth to Moses in 2006, she said she felt disconnected and pessimistic. Paltrow credits her high spirits after Apple's 2002 birth to "morning massages and acupuncture treatments," and claims that a lapse in personal care was partially to blame for the postpartum depression, according to the New York Daily News. Paltrow says she got back "on track" with daily workouts, a healthy diet and new acting projects.
X17online.com
Amanda Peet
Peet attributes her postpartum depression to the fact that "[she] had a really euphoric pregnancy" that came to a screeching halt when Frances Pen arrived in 2007, according to an interview with Gotham Magazine. "I was like a princess and I was just euphoric and productive and I felt really sexy. But it all came crashing down the second she was born. And I was sleep-deprived beyond belief."
Getty Images
Princess Diana
Known for her charitable works and connection with the suffering, Diana Spencer was also tyrannized with postpartum depression following the births of sons Charles and William, according to Time Europe. The "people's princess" suffered from bulimia and depression during her rocky marriage with Prince Charles, but after the birth of her sons, her symptoms worsened. Princess Diana attempted suicide, and cut and threw herself down stairs. Instead of keeping her emotional state hush-hush, Princess Di chose to speak out in an effort to let other women know that they are not alone.
WireImage
Katie "Jordan" Price
This British glamour model, author and television personality embarked on a dangerous road while suffering with postpartum depression. After giving birth to her son Junior in 2005, Price turned to hard drugs to escape the reality of her despair. Fortunately, Price chose to seek treatment. "I was on medication for eight months," she told E! Online. Price has evolved into a spokesperson for postpartum depression, as she feels she may be able to help others avoid the tumultuous battle she fought. "There are so many women out there who suffer, and if you have someone in the public eye talking about it, it'll probably make them feel better."
Getty Images
Britney Spears
Though the notorious pop princess has never admitted to struggling with postpartum depression, rumors abounded that Spears' erratic behavior could have been attributed to depression following the 2006 birth of son Jayden James. During her stay at the Promises rehab facility, TMZ reported that Spears read Brooke Shields's "Down Came the Rain" and that her doctors felt "Spears' problem [was] complicated by an intense feeling on her part that she has lost control of her life."
X17online.com
