PPD is classified as a mental illness. Only a non-professional would categorize it as a character flaw or weakness. PPD is real, at times to point of severe psychosis and should be treated as soon as new mother begins to feel any mental or emotional changes that could affect her ability to care for her newborn. Even though some women will refuse to believe PPD is happening to them, her family, friends and especially her husband must be alert to possibility of this condition. While you, I and most women we know might have breezed through first year after birth of our children with only occasional surges of panic or moments of near collapse, a significant percentage of women suffer more serious PPD. Only one percent succumb to actual psychosis leading to tragic harm or death of babies and sometimes themselves The greatest threat is denial of their symptoms.

Early identification and treatment of PPD are keys to successful therapy. If you or a new mother you know is suffering from even slightest feelings of depression, anxiety or inadequacy, seek immediate help. The birth doctor will be able to identify severity of symptoms and prescribe appropriate treatment.

I'm sure I'll hear plenty of differing opinions. I might even hear from an orthodontist or two. Could be I'll hear from a parent who swears their child has a deformed jaw from over-sucking something. Ya know what? I think if kids are going to have a malformed jaw or crooked teeth, they're going to have these problems whether or not they suck a thumb or pacifier. The way I see it is that both my daughters’ father and myself had teeth that needed a lot of correction. Our kids were naturally prone to crooked teeth and would need orthodontia anyway. They both do, by way and would have needed it with or without help.

I'm a softy. I give my kids way too much leeway when it comes to enforcing certain behavioral rules. I have a hard time telling my girls that I know better when, in fact, I'm not really sure on a particular issue. They are getting away with murder, I suspect! But, seriously, I have a harder time denying them something I feel is basically harmless and will go away on its own. Much same as my philosophy on potty training, or not potty training as is my belief. Let them alone. Let them cling to little things. Let them have an inch of comfort in an uncomfortable world and an ounce of power in a powerless existence. And if your child doesn't suck something from infancy on, consider yourself lucky! ;-)