Stop Big Brother From Forcing Drugs Onto Pregnant Women

A Letter to My Representative - Please use this as an example and email yours as quickly as possible. A lot of groups support this bill, including MomsRising, which I normally support. However, as a mentally ill mother myelf, this bill scares the hell out of me. I had to resort to medication, but many women do not, and I believe all women should have the right to alternative therapies before taking medications.

"THE MOTHER'S ACT" (HR 20) IS OPEN TO ABUSE

I am writing to oppose "The Mother's Act" (HR 20) as with the current provisions and lack of safeguards, it could place pregnant women and their babies at serious risk. The bill lacks forethought and my concerns include:

- Mothers being forced to either take drugs or lose their children, even though some women with legitimate depression do not respond do drugs and do better simply taking supplements and going through talk therapy.

- Depression and anxiety do not always require medication and are often a normal part of pregnancy due to hormones.

- Very few antidepressants, or any medications, are proven safe for pregnant woman. Many medications endanger the healthy development of fetuses.

- The way in which the bill is currently worded could likely lead to thousands of suits as hundreds have already been filed concerning antidepressant use during pregnancy that has resulted in infants being born with a life-threatening lung disorder, PPHN and that between 10% and 20% of infants born with PPHN end up dying, even when they receive treatment.

- The provisions for research exclude studies on the safety of medications on unborn fetuses.

This bill simply has too much potential to erroneously find serious mental illness where none exists and force mothers to take medications that can harm their babies. This is a bad idea and I pray you will see that and vote against it.

Thank you, Alisa Terry

Here is the text of the bill:

http://www.theorator.com/bills110/text/hr20.html

Many mothers with post-partum depression, including Brooke Shields, have come out in support of this bill. It seems very important and inocuous because many women suffer from depression during pregnancy and birth in silence. However, Section 101 on expanded research excludes research on the safety of medications on fetuses. I also worry that mothers will be told by their doctors that they have to take medications or lose custody of their children. I like the idea but more changes are needed to the language of the bill to protect fetuses and support mothers with devising their own course oftherapy.