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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think PMS gets worse after having babies

49 replies

professorsnape · 22/09/2011 21:05

Period due tomorrow - OMG! Have very bad PMS the last few days - psycho personality change, full of rage/anger, back pain today, feels like sciatica (am now walking like John Wayne:)

Have 3 year old DD and twin DSs, 14 months.

PMS getting worse.

Is it after having children? My family definitely done, am wondering if I got the coil would make a difference to PMS?

Sorry, post lacking in wit/excitement. Far too PMSee to sound interesting

Off to have take-away, wine and a warm bath shortly

OP posts:
redexpat · 22/09/2011 21:21

I hope not - am 38.3 pregnant with DC1!

I found that the patch definitely reduced my PMS to almost nil, but if I am tired, I can still get particularly cranky. Perhaps its the lack of sleep that makes it that much worse? Wit h3 under 3s it's not out of the realm of possibilty, and frankly I think you deserve a medal.

AuntiePickleBottom · 22/09/2011 21:23

it's not PMS...it's the stress of family life :)

Birdsnotbees · 22/09/2011 21:24

Hmmm, I agree with you, OP. Have 2 kids, incl a 7 month old baby, and since my periods returned this time the depression, paranoia, anger, and mental eating a week prior have got so much worse. Am hoping it evens out a bit as my hormones settle down but if your twins are 14 mo then maybe not...

Can't do the whole hormonal pill/coil thing so not sure what else to do. Oh it's a joy being a woman, it really is.

BoastingByStealth · 22/09/2011 21:26

Most definitely with you on this one, OP. I never had PMS 'til after DC3. I'm shocking now, at least one day of crying followed by one day of wanting to rip peoples' heads off, but now I've started tracking it, and can identify my outbursts for what they are - hormonal and out of my control - I relax a bit and know it's not me going crazy, the whole world isn't out to piss me off and drive me f'king crackers, and this feeling of bloody murder will pass overnight.

Knowledge is power :o

HowlingBitch · 22/09/2011 21:27

I completely agree with you, though I think it probably just seems worse because of having someone else (or in your case two!) rely on you for everything when your feeling so crap.

BoastingByStealth · 22/09/2011 21:27

ooh, the eating!birds
I forgot about the eating! :o

BoastingByStealth · 22/09/2011 21:28

Exercise helps, it really does.

Promise.

AuntiePickleBottom · 22/09/2011 21:28

when i am due on i eat and eat and eat, i am always hungry.

Original poster
professorsnape · 22/09/2011 21:36

Ok, back after calorie filled take-away and sugary coke :)

birdsnotbees PMS definitely worse at 7 months after twins. Have been getting worse in last few months - maybe stress as back to work after year long maternity leave? Have been eating badly these weeks (comforting eating/odd glass of vino when kids go to bed) so maybe that too?

boastingby must re-join my tennis club - had to give up when heard was expecting twins!

Sex is definitely another cure for PMS (not during menstruation of course)

Or maybe as my twins are identical/egg splitting I have a weird oversupply of hormones or something?

Anyway, back to the cookies :)

OP posts:
Sillyoldelf · 22/09/2011 21:38

Yes my pms definetly worse post babies- particularly after my last one. I get awful hormone migraines, and ovulating is truly awful !

rogersmellyonthetelly · 22/09/2011 21:42

I think mine is actually better, my concentration is worse certainly so I don't tend to focus a lot on stuff that annoys me Grin

itisnearlysummer · 22/09/2011 21:47

It definitely got worse for me. The whole package.

I know when I'm ovulating and I didn't before. It hurts. I get bloated and huge and swollen. I am incredibly tearful and short tempered and could take to my bed for a couple of days with the cramps. It really does feel like labour.

Before children I barely knew I was having them.

It's crap.

Fortunately, DH is very lovely and looks after me Smile

naturalbaby · 22/09/2011 21:50

not too bad after ds1, felt a bit different after ds2, horrendous after dc3 Sad

Birdsnotbees · 22/09/2011 21:53

Glad it's just not me with the food thing. Smile

It's always the week before. It's always the WHOLE week. It's always 'oh my god I'm such a fucking fat pig look at my ginormous belly pass me more cheese' and then a week later my period arrives and it all suddenly makes sense. And I realise I am not, actually, a ginormous cheese-eating fat pig.

I never remember. Or at least I kind of remember that I'm due on but it's like my brain (or more likely my hormones) tunes out the rational voice that says, 'hmmm, this happens every month. Are you due on perchance?'

But that said I think I might have to do something. Like you say, howling, it's worse cos you have LOs to look after and it ain't their fault you feel like crap.

Right, where are my running shoes?!

BupcakesandCunting · 22/09/2011 22:01

I would agree with you (in my case, obviously can't speak for all women!)

Mine is so bad that I can't think straight. I am vile to DH and I know that I am being vile, yet it's almost like I have no control over my mouth, almost like I am drunk. This is usually the day before my period turns up. When it does arrive, it all gets better. It's fucking horrific and I'm ashamed of how I act when I am like this. Blush Sad

PuspornInBoots · 22/09/2011 23:18

Mine has got worse as I've got older, but I couldn't say whether the DCs have any affect. I have a 16 year gap between pfb and The Baby but it's only over the last few years (since no5 was born I think) that my pms has been really BAD. I am so moody now, and I get RAGE that is almost uncontrollable, I scream, I rant, I hurl abuse at DH, I have been known to smash things, I come out with the vilest language, it really is pretty extreme sometimes :( Mine is three and four days before my period actually arrives, then I just feel groggy and vaguely ill and TIRED for a week. resists going into intimate technicolour unnecessary period detail

ShutchaBoat · 22/09/2011 23:22

Mine has got worse since my second baby was born. It feels like I am mentally ill for a week every month. Seriously. I also suffer from very heavy bleeding. Its a nightmare. Have been to the docs about t and am going back next week to try to get a gynae referral.

flyingspaghettimonster · 23/09/2011 13:21

Sorry other people are feeling like this too, but I am glad I am not alone. I posted about this just the other day elsewhere - and everybody seemed to agree it was normal after kids. Before kids, periods were something that happened and were a bit messy, but nothing to moan about. Now I have symptoms all month long! I get so angry, axe wielding murderer angry, and that can be at my husband, at my kids, at some random stranger... (let's face it, usually my husband). I'll rant and rave for a while, then burst into tears. About nothing! I am getting migraines several times a week now which is also something I didn't often have pre-kids, and most weird of all, I get nauseous for several days pre-period. I have been taking pregnancy tests every month since I quit breast feeding no. 3, Often it is the same time I test that I see the tell-tale sign of period immediately after. So annoying!

Is there a hormone treatment that stop this craziness? Sick of back ache too... honestly, before I asked about PMS the other day I was starting to wonder if I had a brain tumour or something... it's like the hormones' first trick is to fool us into not knowing what is going on!

deliakate · 23/09/2011 13:26

God, its really awful. The pill can be helpful for hormone induced mood swings etc. I used to take Dianette, and it managed to stop me getting arrested/sectioned/worse.

Since having DS I visited a chap on Wardour St who specialises in treating women's depression/pms with hormonal treatments - creams that were kind of like HRT. It worked great for me, but I then stopped to conceive DD and am still BF so not ready to restart treatment yet.

But can recommend.

strandednomore · 23/09/2011 13:26

I wonder how many of you are in your late 30's/early 40's and actually what we are experiencing is peri-menopause? That's what I think might be causing my PMS to be worse than it used to be. For me, it's just an anger thing and I can't control what I say, like others usually to dh. I'm even on the pill but it doesn't seem to help PMS.

RamblingRosa · 23/09/2011 13:27

Mine is definitely much much worse. On all levels: breast tenderness and swelling, crazy moods, need to eat chocolate round the clock, bloating, etc.

I recently found out about something called Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder and I wonder if I've got that. Honestly, my mental health takes a major nosedive for the week or even fortnight before I'm due on.

hobnobsaremyfavourite · 23/09/2011 13:34

My PMS and periods have become hellish after DC4 . GP heplfully told me it was my age Hmm I'm 37. OP you SOOOOOOOOOOOO have my sympathy. TBH it's starting to make life unbearable. Sad

tigercametotea · 23/09/2011 13:36

I have quite noticeable PMS symptoms after having DC3. Just a noticeable downturn in mood generally, a craving for sweet things esp. chocolates, bloatedness (could be caused by eating the chocolates and sweets really!)... And I noticed a change in periods too - more irregular, heavier.

NellieForbush · 23/09/2011 13:37

I think it gets worse with age. Reducing sugar intake (all the time) helped me.

LittleJennyRobyn · 23/09/2011 13:40

Mine was definitly worse, after i had last baby 8 years ago.
But in the last 9 months or so it's been fucking awful
Also suffer terrible mood swings, god awful headaches, hot flushes, feel sick, sore swollen boobs, eat like a fecking pig and get loads of water retention.
(i can hardly move in my jeans today they feel so tight!!!)

i am 36 (37 in january) so am thinking peri-menopause for me as periods are all over the place.