to ask for positive pnd outcome stories?

[CailinDana]

Have finally admitted i have pnd. I've had depression before so i know i have a slow road to recovery ahead. I would so appreciate anyone else's stories of how they overcame pnd. I need some reassurance at the moment.

I had horrible PND and was prescribed ADs. They worked, I got better within a few weeks and back to myself in a few months. It was the worst time of my life but its in the past now. I'm still on the ADs but weaning down the dose. I'm not a natural mother of babies, I can accept and acknowledge that now. But they grow, thank god. Get all the help you possibly can to make it through to the other side. Your life awaits you, it's all still there xx

God, me neither LaQueen and Morris- I've just realised that while I enjoy my dc, I don't enjoy them as babies and (or me) it's a matter of getting through the baby stage. Toddlerdom and beyond is far more enjoyable for me.

For me, the baby stage was one to get through, not enjoy.
I know that must sound awful, but with ds1 he was so ill, and I was so anxious and scared. It was an awful time.
With ds2 i did get to enjoy some if it, or at least I wasn't crippled by anxiety all the time and I did sleep.
Now they are older its so much more fulfilling and enjoyable.
This too shall pass x

My mil is the same LQ.
I just dont particularly like babies.
They are boring, smell, and leak horrid fluids uncontrollably :)
It was really helpful to me when I started doing OU courses again and when the dc started pre school/school.

Do get your thyroid checked. I had a tough time with DS's silent reflux, yet somehow coped, but at eight months postpartum, suddenly every part of my body ached, I had no energy and felt incredibly depressed. Turns out I had Hashimoto's, and all was fine again once I was given replacement thyroid. My doctor believes that many cases of pnd are actually undiagnosed thyroid conditions.

Got my thyroid checked and it's fine. Tis just the good old black dog.

Well, at least that means you're on the right meds. It really will get better. One good night's sleep won't cure it, so don't give yourself a hard time today but as your dd slowly learns to sleep more, it helps a little. An along w the ADs, the black dog will pass. Btw, I don't know what ADs you're on but it took over 3 weeks for mine to kick in so hang in there if you can't feel their effect yet.

Happy to hand hold.

Hi Cailin so sorry to hear you are feeling like this.

Like you I was fine after the birth of dc1 but I got PND after having dc2. He had awful silent reflux and we didn't get any sleep at all for the first few months. Unfortunately our lovely HV had just left and new one was not yet in post and the patchwork cover that was in place in the meantime meant the reflux was slow to be diagnosed and they missed the fact that I was struggling.

I remember just feeling totally flat and numb and unable to participate in everyday life. The day after I was diagnosed dh took a day off and we took the children out and I literally wandered around in a fog. It was like the real world couldn't reach me. I was really awful to dh too, kept telling him to leave.

Anyway, well done on getting help. That is a massive step forward I think. I think of PND as like a downward spiral - anti-ds just give you a boost to pause that and slowly start to turn it around ime. Once I felt a bit less detached I was able to do something (anything) and that in turn made me feel a little better and so on.

I remember feeling very scared that I would never feel normal again and it didn't happen overnight but now it all feels like ancient history. I was fine when I had dc3 even though the gap was really small. Dh and I have weathered some really difficult stuff since and I have really surprised myself at how resilient I have been (I have had issues with stress/depression in the past so this was by no means a given).

Hope you start to feel a little better very soon.

issimma that's shocking on the part of your GP. Please do go and talk to someone else. My HV was great when I had PND - what's yours like? Do you feel you could talk to her? Or as you say another GP?

That is so awful issimma. You deserve to get proper help.

Please do see another gp.

I had to see two gps - the first one told me to put dd on a bottle and get more exercise.

I have had two bad bouts of AND and PND with hospitalisation so I could be cared for. DS2 is now 2.8 and I am absolutely completely fine and almost off all meds.
You will get completely better and love being a mum- possibly even in about six weeks time!!!
Mine was very bad and I am happy as larry now.

That is awful.
Please complain to the practise manager/hv!
And see a different gp!

Oh, and I've always loved babies, kids etc. Still do- just a bloody awful illness that has nothing to do with your personality.
PND is evil.

How are you doing today Cailin?

One of the things I hated about PND was how lonely (and useless) I felt. So if that's the case for you, I just wanted to let you know that you're in my thoughts.

You are so kind to ask. Not great unfortunately. Bad night with dd so i'm very tired. I feel defeated.

One of the things that TOTALLY pissed me off re PND was that holding up my hand that I felt crap didn't magically make it better- it was just the start if it. But it was the start and it DID get better.

And YY to LaQ's comment above.

Sorry to hear last night was rubbish. How old is dd? Can your dh take the dc out for an hour or two so you can sleep for a bit?

I remember only too well the constant tiredness and awful, constant, nagging feeling that I was doing it all wrong and wasn't a proper mum.

One if the hardest things about PND is the recovery is s-l-o-w. You start feeling better in little increments.