to wonder what other people's GPs did about their PND?

[PicaK]

I keep reading advice that people should go to their Doctor if they havePND. Just wondering how useful other people's doctors were? Mine just asked if I was going to "do anything silly" and prescribed antidepressants. As I was going out the door she said as an afterthought that they'd make me nauseous for two weeks and when I got the prescription it said not suitable for breastfeeding - so I didn't take them and stayed low for about another 8 months. I think I ought to broach it with the surgery but rather than just complain would like to make some constructive suggestions about what help works.

It's interesting how many people are linking to traumatic births and bad experiences on the postnatal ward. I had both - and the weight only lifted when i went to see the head midwife at the hospital at 15 months (self organised) and she looked me in the eye and said what I'd gone thru was horrendous. My GP never did any follow up. I filled out an edinburgh form for the hv which she took away without looking at. They rang two days later in a panic to see if I would manage over the weekend and they'd call me Monday. No call ever.

My depression was not picked up on at all. A few weeks after giving birth I was given one if those questionnaires to fill in but as did not know I was depressed and thought that it was just that I was not coping, I lied on the questionnaire so that I would give a good impression to the health visitor.

Every time I went to the doctor to say how terrible I felt they just sent me away. This was the days before mn so had had no idea that I had pnd. After 2 years I went to my gp and broke down crying in her room and told her how I felt. She said that I was prob not depressed enought for antidepressants and sent me away. I almost felt like it would have been better to had been more depressed !!

I also had a traumatic birth too.

I never went to my GP even though I was very depressed after DS and DD were born. I didn't want my kids taken off me and put into care so I never said anything and lied on the HV's form. I have had AD's for back pain, but they all sent my mood spiralling, so I stopped taking them and will not EVER take them again. I would have to be admitted to a psychiatric unit, pinned down and sedated before I would take them, and even then the Dr's would be lucky (unless they injected them).

I take enough pills as it is and because I dragged myself up out of that PND, I know I can do it again, although, I know it will take a long time before I'll feel better. I am prepared to take that long time to recover naturally rather than a quick 6 weeks of AD's and find I'm depending on them to keep my mood stable.