Customer Reviews

Down Came the Rain: My Journey Through Postpartum Depression

5 star:		(97)
4 star:		(38)
3 star:		(15)
2 star:		(13)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

I got this at the bookstore one afternoon and finished it the next day. My husband is now reading it, because Brooke does a fantastic job of putting into words much of what I felt after the birth of my son, but was unable to explain clearly to others. She pulls no punches, and is brutally honest about her thoughts of disconnect from her baby, her anger at family and friends for not getting it, and even her thoughts of suicide. But what she does best is show the help that is available, so that no mother should ever have to feel alone and hopeless. This is a book for every parent-to-be, so they are prepared for the possiblity; for every family member or friend who will be in frequent contact with a new mother, so they might recognize the problem before it gets out of control; and for anyone who has ever wondered 'Can it really be all that bad?' Yes, it can, yes, it is, and yes, there is help and hope.

I applaude Brooke for writing this book because thousands of women suffer just as she did. They need to know they are not alone, and that they will get well with treatment.

A common misconception is postpartum depression is a "natural result" of birth. Not so! It is a deadly serious illness but is also very treatable. I lost my daughter to PPD 5 years ago and have spent my life since losing her trying to educate the public with accurate PPD facts so that others don't die unnecessarily. For the most part, Brooke's book has done a good job of giving good information.

Anyone who confuses postpartum depression with baby blues or just being a little down after childbirth is deadly wrong. And anyone who condemns a woman for symptoms over which she has no control is grossly ignorant. (...)

Helena Bradford
The Ruth Rhoden Craven Foundation for Postpartum Depression Awareness.

I borrowed this book from my sister who went through TERRIBLE post partum depression. The writing in the book wasn't the greatest (there was too much repetition), but still I think the book is about an important subject. My sister chose to use the anti-depressant Paxil, to help her through her depression. My sister says that Paxil made all the difference in her being able to think and function and not suffer so much. Now she is tapering off the medication under a docter's watchful eye and is continuing to get better. However my sister and I both know a lady who took an anti-depressant and it did terrible things to her. The bottom line is this: what works for one person isn't going to work for another. Some people really need and really benefit from medications, while others do simply need vitamins and exercise. It is not all black and white.

I think Brooke Shields did a good service by writing her book because of all the awareness she has helped to create. The comments of what an untalented actress she is are really senseless because that is not what the book is about. So what if she isn't a talented actress - her book is only about post partum depression. Even if it's helped bring her fame in her difficult career, that is also beside the point. Anybody, who shares their experience and helps bring awareness to a problem that many people suffer, help to educate society.

While reading this graphic biography of a year or more
in Brooke Shields life,I was moved with enormous compassion.
She admits she had an ideal life.A caring husband and after
a painful miscarriage,a chance for new life through I.V.F.
Innocently,Chris, her husband, and Brooke prepared to be
alone the first week to bond with their new baby girl.This
proved to be more difficult than they had anticipated.The new
born baby,Rowan,required breast feeding every 90 minutes.
Brooke's body had not fully recovered from a traumatic birth
resulting in a C-Section,and she lacked sleep.In short order
both parent's felt over their heads.Brooke was unable to feel
lovingly toward her baby and was frightened.Then,unbidden images
and frightening thoughts came rushing into her head,leaving
her afraid to be alone with her little daughter.Her husband,Chris,also worried,which made Brooke upset and apologetic for her serious postpartum condition.
She finally revealed her circumstances to her gynecologist
and gets the so necessary help.Slowly,with antidepressant medi-
cation,and a trained nurse she begins to mend.Brooke acknowledges both the physical and emotional help she needed to
overcome this awful disorder,that wrecks havoc in a woman's life and soul.
Due to Brooke's high celebrity status,I think this book
will help other mother's to have the courage to come forward
when they have these hormonal symptoms.
Perhaps,due to Brookes's unwavering honesty,she will have
saved another woman's or child's life,for telling what severe
postpartum was all about.
Thank You Brooke-You are a courageous woman.

Having suffered through PPD following the birth of my first child in 1998, it was with relief, and some measure of remembered sadness, that I read Ms. Shields' memoir.

And yet, the author has confronted a subject that many of us find uncomfortable (and -- dare I say -- disdainful?) to talk about openly in today's "supermom" society.

What is important to take away from this story is that husbands/in-laws/relations and friends of *any* sort need to be aware that as tragic (and unexpected, in most cases) as PPD is, it is treatable. And that as difficult as it seems to believe at the time, with appropriate help, mom WILL get better.

I know I did.

Two and a half years ago, I could have written this book. From my emergency c-section to infected incision and spinal headaches, the physical pain I felt following the birth of my daughter was nothing compared to the six months of emotional hell that followed. What Brooke Shields has done has offered an outlet, and a sense of camaraderie and sisterhood to women in similar situations. Not only did she have to endure it, but her friends and family as well. Despite her beauty, poise and celebrity, anguish and pain lies behind closed doors and nothing ever really is as it seems.

This is a well-written, insightful look at postpartum depression and its lasting consequences and effects on both women and their families. I applaud Brooke for putting into words -- and ultimately, the spotlight --?such a private journey.

This is a great book. Brooke talks about going through fertility treatments (including IVF) and the postpartum depression she felt after her baby was born. One of my friends went through postpartum depression after her son was born last year and it was a very painful thing for her. I had no understanding of PPD and did not know how to help her or what to say when she would tell me "I feel like my life is over" or "I made a huge mistake by having a baby." I wish I this book had been out then, because I would have had a better idea of how to help my friend.

The book is very no-holds-barred and presents a warts-and-all picture of what it's like to bring home a new baby and not know what to do. She was in the hospital with the baby for 5 days and was fully into PPD by the time she got home. Brooke and her husband elected to have no help in the house the first week the baby was home and she was basically incapacitated, so her husband had to do everything. It's a very compelling read and it gave me a lot of things to think about. Even though Brooke wanted her baby very much and went through IVF twice to get her, the PPD was so overwhelming she felt no connection with her baby and felt like killing herself many times in the baby's first few weeks.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is pregnant, TTC or has a close friend or family member who is pregnant. If I had read this book last year, my friend who had PPD would not have had to suffer so long before she got help for her problem.

I am half way through and am getting a little bored actually. The writing is ok I guess, but I just feel like the same thing is being said over and over. I really do sympathize with Brooke, I really do. It's just that I'm not sure I can get through this book. I have a one yr old and after she was born I felt that I made a huge mistake and was feeling more irritated with her birth than happy. I had visions that I didn't even think I wanted her at all and thoughts of giving her up. I was clearly sleep deprived and depressed and after a short while, those feelings lifted and she became the love of my life. I could not imagine my life without her! So I guess I was expecting more from this book and for me, it just didn't deliver. But this topic is clearly a serious one and if a mom has it, it doesn't mean she's awful, just human!

Far from being a book just for women this is a book which I believe all people can relate.
I am always wary of books by celebrities as they are more often than not just another venue of self promotion.
However sometimes a celebrity will use the currency of their fame to write a book to raise awareness of a problem: this is one such book. The author writes extremely eloquently and frankly about postpartum depression.
It is not only her experience of postpartum depression that she relates so well but also the experience of depression in general. The book reveals not only a gifted writer but a generous soul.
This book is full of insight and I would recommend it to anyone who suffers from depression or has a loved one who does.

I've never been a huge fan of Brooke Shields. I've always thought she was drop-dead gorgeous escpecially when she was young but her lack of talent was distracting. I saw her in movies years ago and a couple years ago I saw her in a Broadway play in New York and her acting, or rather lack of, is terrible.
But then I heard about this book and decided to read it because I had a friend whose personality practically changed after having a baby. She said she had PPD but I never really understood it so I was interested in Brooke's book.
All I can say is Brooke may be an awful actress, but after reading her book I see that she is a very intelligent and sincere woman. The first few chapters of the book were especially interesting. Her account of what she was going through during her e-section was riveting. The second half of the book was a bit wordy and redundant - it wasn't nearly as interesting as the first half. However this book helped me to understand what PPD is. This book has really helped to create awareness.