I remember sitting in my prenatal class almost 17 years ago. The atmosphere in the room was filled with joyful anticipation, but a palpable feeling of anxiety as well. We only wanted to hear the positive things about the childbirth experience, not the "what ifs" about things that go wrong.

We were all due for September babies, and had been a very close class. Before it ended, we picked a date near Christmas and decided to have a reunion to see each other again, and of course, to introduce our offspring.

About a week before the reunion, there was one couple no one had heard from. We had been unable to reach them by phone. The answer to their absence came the next day, on the front page of the newspaper. Louise, the mother we were waiting for, had walked in front of a speeding train and killed herself. When someone from the class was finally able to speak with her husband, he relayed how unhappy she had been and how unusual her behavior had been since she'd had the baby. He said her doctor thought she probably had postpartum depression.

At the time, we sadly went ahead with the reunion. At that time, no one knew or really understood what postpartum depression was. All we felt was, "How could a loving mother kill herself at this happy time in her life?" I tried to imagine this family's future Christmases, so close to the anniversary of the mother's suicide, with the child still alive. I hoped this would be the last time I heard about such a tragedy. It was too painful to think about.

Content on this site is not a substitute for professional medical or healthcare advice, diagnosis or treatment, and may not be used for such purposes. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical question or condition. Reliance on information presented on this site is at your own risk. This site contains the opinions and views of other users. Given the interactive nature of this site, we cannot endorse, guarantee, or be responsible for the accuracy, efficacy, or veracity of any content generated by our users.