Struggling with low mood and anxiety at seven months postpartum

[Newmummy2026]

Finding motherhood very challenging. Have a 7month old and feel low all the time. Struggling to find joy in life and wanting to stay home constantly. Constant anxiety about my baby, teething, feeding, weaning, play, wake windows, sleep routine etc. I feel extremely overwhelmed. I have no family support around only a husband who knows how I am feeling but has a very ‘can do’ attitude and this is not helpful for me. I’m questioning my life choices and now thinking of stopping breastfeeding because I’ve heard that the hormones can make you feel this way. I feel a bit desperate now as I’m always tearful, emotional and sensitive. I don’t feel resilient as I used to be and can’t seem to regulate my emotions. Often getting frustrated with my husband and child and even my dog now! This isn’t who I am and I feel like I’ve lost who I am in motherhood. Please can someone tell me it gets easier?

This was exactly me a year ago, I could have written your post word for word. I don't recognise myself now, I was getting so angry and frustrated and stressed and overwhelmed all the time. My husband's attitude was "you've just got to pull yourself together and get on with it".

Honestly, I think it was a mixture of hormones balancing out (I read they can take up to 2 years after birth to level off again so don't underestimate them!), going on a short course of very low dose antidepressants for 4 months, plus going back to work when my baby was 1. I wfh and baby went to nursery so I had some time back to myself during the day.

I would speak to your GP and see if they recommend some medication to help you navigate this bumpy patch (because it is a bumpy patch- and a HARD one at that!). I literally was on the starting dose for a few months but they changed my mood so completely the GP was happy for me to stop relatively soon.

Sounds like you could have PND? It was months before I clicked I had it. Felt much better once on meds and I think returning to work part time helped me a lot too.

I found that stage hard. Are you getting out and doing things, both on your own and with baby? Thst helped me a lot. And gradually letting go of a lot - wake windows have no science. Babies don’t need intention play. Give them what you’re eating. Give them Calpol. I’d be cautious to give up BF for the only reason of feeling better, i do think you might instead benefit from having more time to yourself, and some counselling; both of these massively helped me. At that age your baby can manage with BF for a few hours. Going back to work also really improved my mental health.

I remember feeling this way around this stage. It was so strange because I was happy and confident that I didn't have any sort of PPD or PPA, but I just felt like I'd lost myself. A bit "bleh"

The things that helped me were

1. Stopping breastfeeding - prolactin keeps you in a hypervigilant state and whilst you're breastfeeding you remain frozen in that postpartum hormonal state. I was fortunate I had lots of frozen breastmilk so we kept giving breastmilk that way. I felt immediately better within 2-3 weeks. Stop if you think it would help. There aren't any awards ifor continuing f you think it's making you feel crap.

2.Going back to work. It wasn't work itself, but the being away from my lovely baby and him touching me constantly and the drudge of it all that really helped. I felt like a normal human with a brain again.

I know it seems hollow but it genuinely does get better.

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