Lindsey Latiolais has spent the last decade helping women navigate motherhood.
From day one she gets to be part of the process and knows the statistics, one in seven women will be diagnosed with postpartum depression.
"Typically, women are not diagnosed for three to six months after they have a baby because we go into survival mode and do what we have to do to make it day by day," Lindsay Latiolais, perinatal mental health counselor with Latiolais Counseling Services, said.
While having something like Latiolais can help a woman struggling with this new life change, emotions that come with it, she is only one of five perinatal mental health therapists in Lafayette.
"If someone wants to book a counseling appointment, typically it takes weeks to get in, not to mention how long it'll take you to find a counselor and one that you may connect with," Latiolais said. "Once you get into that session, let's say you come to see me for instance, we're going to have those conversations and if it looks as though medication will be beneficial then we will be part of our conversation. We would then have to refer you to someone who can prescribe that medication, and like we just talked about, there aren't that many providers in the area and you will encounter a waiting list."
The process is something women have been dealing with for years. By the time they are finally able to reach out for help, they have to wait.
Recently, the Food and Drug Administration approved a pill to help women with postpartum depression.
"By the time that they get seen and prescribed medication, it could be months after they've said, "I'm really suffering." They were probably suffering long before they ever booked the appointment. In that instance, a medication like this where you can take it for 14 days and feel better is very different than waiting six months in and having a medical provider give you a typical SSRI like a Zoloft or Lexapro, which is typically proscribed, and telling you it'll take four to six weeks to take full effect."
It is the first of its kind and designed to be taken once a day for two weeks; data shows the drug improved depressive symptoms.
"I'm happy that we're finally talking about this being an issue for women, and that scientists and therapy are asking for these medications to treat women quickly," Latiolais said.
With all of that being said, Latiolais wants to remind people while medication can be a big help, combining that with therapy will lead to helping resolve those underlying issues.
"Often times, women experience any type of postpartum issues they've had risks that have not been identified during pregnancy or pre-pregnancy, that when they're in a counseling situation you can sift through that and help them create better boundaries in their lives."
While there are still many unanswered questions Latiolais has about the pill.....if it loses its affect what the protocol is, does it look like a typical medication that would be prescribed, is it safe for breast feeding moms, just to name a few....
She said this is a step in the right direction in putting women's health first.
There are more links below on Zuranolone and postpartum depression:
https://apnews.com/article/postpartum-depression-pill-fda-d6f203c3f4084033aa06424db1382f87
