Mother's Day, uninterrupted

Just after Mother's Day, we get another day to celebrate motherhood, the most underpaid job in the world.

Leaders in the fight against postpartum depression are now celebrating the passage of the The Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act – a long-overdue move piece of health-care legislation that was on life-support just two years ago.

The law, sponsored by U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez, was signed into law as part of landmark health insurance reform that passed Congress in March.

The legislation will establish a comprehensive federal commitment to combating postpartum depression through new research, education initiatives and voluntarily support service programs.

Menendez joined actress Brooke Shields and former New Jersey First Lady Mary Jo Codey Monday to celebrate the groundbreaking legislation.

“Today we celebrate a victory for women everywhere – a gift for Mother’s Day for all new mothers who suffer the agony of postpartum depression," he said.

Postpartum depression is serious and disabling, and the support structure has been woefully insufficient," Menendez said.

"We will attack postpartum depression on multiple fronts – with education, support, and research – so that new moms can feel supported and safe rather than scared and alone. I applaud the incredible group of advocates and inspirational women who helped this become a reality – I am absolutely thrilled that this is the law of the land."

“There’s a lot of shame and there’s a lot of guilt associated with postpartum depression, it is so prevalent and yet nobody discusses it,” said Brooke Shields, actress and author of Down Came the Rain, a book on postpartum depression. “I am happy that mothers in America will now be able to benefit from support services that will not only serve as comfort for her and her family, it will help to create awareness and lead the way out of this potentially devastating condition.”

“Finally, women all over the county are going to have access to the kinds of support services and information that women in New Jersey have had for a number of years,” said Mary Jo Codey, former First Lady of New Jersey and leading advocate in the fight against postpartum depression. And we're going to get more research into these insidious illnesses. This is what I'd worked and hoped for over a long period of time. I almost can't believe it finally happened!"