To ask for pregnancy anxiety / mental health survival stories?!

I had horrific antenatal depression and anxiety with ds - dd was delivered prem and was in nicu for a month as she was very poorly, and following her birth I had 2 miscarriages and a chemical pregnancy. I was also treated appallingly by a diabetic clinic nurse during my pregnancy with ds which involved her telling me that the high doses of insulin I was taking (ok'd by my consultant incidentally) would basically harm or kill him. I became convinced that he would be still born and stopped attending diabetic clinic altogether. I also struggled to get my obs consultant to confirm I would have an elective c section and saw a registrar who tried to pressure me into a vbac. So by 28 weeks I was a mess and ended up having an hour appointment/debrief with a midwife which helped a little, but not masses.

By 37 weeks I had developed ore eclampsia again and was utterly convinced he needed out, to the extent that I had a complete meltdown during a routine monitoring appointment on a Saturday and after I nearly punched a registrar who told me I was being 'hysterical and silly' they ended up having to phone the lead obs consultant on the golf course to get him to agree to put me in the elective section book for the Tuesday because they couldn't get me to stop howling and hyperventilating. I saw my own consultant on the Monday and he readily agreed that things were headed south and ds needed out and agreed to the section the next day.

The day of my ELSCS I would only tell my parents (caring for ds) that he was being delivered as I couldn't face the idea of people trying to contact me when I was convinced my baby would die. Luckily my elective was a brilliant experience, ds was absolutely fine, and huge, his blood sugars however did dip to the very minimum allowed before he'd have needed to go to SCBU, so I did have some pleasure in letting the vile registrar know that the 'silly' pregnant woman might have had a point after all!

Long story short - yes, it was fucking awful and I spent most of my pregnancy terrified BUT despite complicating medical factors and a bad history, my baby was fine, he's now a strapping five year old who's as healthy as a horse. I'm sorry you're going through a similarly bad time but I wanted to reassure you that despite suffering, my outcome was really really positive and I got a lovely great 10lb bruiser of a baby out of the deal.

My 4th pregnancy was a complete shock and I was very anxious from the moment I realised I was pregnant to the day she arrived.

I was very sick with all mine and our family was complete and the thought of going through it all again was terrifying!

I managed it by taking it a day at a time and practicing cbt techniques as much as I could. I also took anti sickness medication which also made me sleepy and sort of calmed me. I took up cross stitch too (which I still do). Also I was able to remind myself that the baby days would be lovely and it would be worth it and would one day all just be a nasty memory. And that is what happened!

My dd2 is now nearly 3. She is happy and bright as a button. The nightmare pregnancy doesn't seem to have had any ill effects on her.

I have seen your earlier threads and you are doing so well. I hope you can find a way through x

Good grief farandole - that is a rough ride

Hi OP, I also had a very anxious pregnancy. It was my fourth round of ivf, I got pregnant with twins, lost one twin then had subchorionic hematoma (bleeding from placenta) throughout the pregnancy with the remaining twin. I was on bed rest from 12 weeks pregnant and at some point developed heart problems and SPD. Meanwhile my father was dying abroad. He died just weeks before I gave birth. My waters broke at 33 weeks.

My son is now 4 and perfectly healthy. We had a rocky start but bonded instantly and he has no sequels.

Hang in there OP. Your baby is fine.

Of course, if it's too much please seek help from your gp or midwife. Positive thinking and yoga can only get you so far. Sometimes we need a bit more help and that's OK

I was extremely anxious through my pregnancy. I listened to a pregnancy relaxation CD (not sure which one now but bought it through Amazon, it has excellent reviews), had acupuncture and went to a pregnancy yoga class. If nothing else these were a preoccupation that distracted me for long enough to stop being anxious and helped stop the vicious circle. My DS is coming up to 3 and probably the most laid back child I've ever come across good luck

I also had a very traumatic pregnancy and he is a happy healthy boy. I made sure to try and get as much fresh air and rest as possible.

Have you been to the GP or spoken to a midwife? Perhaps medication might help

Oh Sleepless You are doing so well, you really are.

I had a rubbish pregnancy for different reasons to you - had hyperemesis and was going through an awful time with work and family life for various miserable reasons. Lots of crying, lots of worrying, lots of lying awake for hours feeling like my baby must be suffering too, from all the stress and the sickness and the awful diet and the drugs.

Anyway she was fine, and is a huge and healthy toddler now. But I remember not long after she was born and she was sleeping on my chest, curled up like she was in the womb, and it struck me that what she wanted most in the world at that stage was to feel like she was back inside me. All the slings and white noise and skin-to-skin, it's all done to mimic the feeling of being in the womb for them. So all the time I felt like being inside me must be awful for her - to her, it was the best and happiest place in the world.

Before I met DH and had my kids I had an extended period of extreme anxiety, really as serious as it can be without being forcibly sectioned kind of level. I beat it (with help of course) and it went. It did return when I was pregnant the first time a few years later. Mine was very much panic and obsessive thoughts, so obviously being pregnant was a nightmare the first time, ruminating constantly, intrusive thoughts, that kind of thing. I went back into treatment and when he was born and my hormones leveled it mostly vanished and then got tidied up with therapy, that was 19 years ago and it hasn't been back since.

DS was 100% happy and healthy, despite me having multiple daily panic attacks and all the rest of it. Oddly enough I wasn't worried at all once he was out, I felt very confident once he was with me on the outside, I was just freaking about him being in me and doing something to hurt him and there were other issues too non relating to him and my pregnancy. All very strange and I look back at that time with utter bewilderment now.

Had 5 more kids after him with very balanced and healthy happy pregnancies.

I've read some of your threads I really hope you're ok, big hug and from me