depression and anxiety in pregnancy- positive recovery stories

[HollyDolly15]

Hi
I'm suffering from terrible prenatal depression and anxiety. Nhs are being rubbish, been waiting two months for them to do something, ANYTHING. Considering going on antidepressants, dosulepin. I'm paying for private hypnotherapy which helps, and receiving cbt which doesn't so far help. Anyway... I'd love to hear people's positive recovery stories to inspire me please 😊 Thank you x

[HollyDolly15]

Bump 😊

[HollyDolly15]

Anybody?? 😕

[Jemimapuddleduk]

So sorry you haven't had any responses. I hope someone comes along soon. I've shared my stories of PND but don't have much experience of pre natal depression.

[Relaxing2]

Hi I'm struggling from the same thing I have about 10 panic attacks a day negative thoughts I'm pregnant too

[Maccapacca88]

I had really bad depression and anxiety in my 2nd pregnancy. Really bad. As soon as my baby was born it disappeared. I literally mean the moment he was placed in my arms. Unfortunately I have relapsed since, but this is related to other circumstances in my life than having a baby. Am now on sertraline and it is helping. Very much on the road to recovery.

[elsiemarleysellsthebarley]

Sorry it's so bad at the moment and it seems impossible to find any help. I'm glad the hypnotherapy is helpful.

Not much to add except that like Maccapacca my depression pretty much disappeared with birth. I didn't find the 'talking therapy' helpful, other than to have something to keep going for each week (was signed off sick for 3 months). I did find it eased off at 14/15 weeks when a lovely locum doctor spotted that the antisickness medication I was on was making the tiredness much worse. And the morning sickness improved at that point too.

It really sucks - I didn't find the midwives were interested until late in the pregnancy (my first pregnancy) - I did see a women's health physiologist but the first appointment was after the birth! And the GP surgery didn't take me seriously until I self referred for a termination (which I didn't go through with). I wish I'd pushed for anti depressants now.

I found the organisation 'pregnancy sickness support' really helpful, even though my sickness wasn't my main problem. A really nice lady would text me every few days to chat and made me feel like I could get through it.

It felt like an eternity at the time but now DC#2 is nearly 2 and life is so much better.

Do you have family support?

[Maccapacca88]

elsiemarley I was on anti sickness medication too! It also made me worse and when I looked into what I was on it was notorious for causing mental health problems!

[RDCMum]

I didn't take my normal dose of sertraline for SAD during the winter months when I was pregnant, and really, really crashed - pretty much suicidal. Eventually went to see my GP in the February (6 months pregnant) and he said he couldn't give me anything. I had a miserable pregnancy, traumatic birth, cried constantly for days after the baby was born. Eventually the horrid midwives got a doctor to visit me on the postnatal ward. They put me immediately back onto the sertraline and I was great again about 2-3 weeks later.
I hadn't even heard of prenatal depression until after I'd had it. I also found out since then that I could have taken the sertraline throughout my pregnancy without harming my baby if I'd had consultant-led care rather than midwife-led care.
Best of luck x