missi Zack is breath taking, lovely to see you're getting skin to skin. Hope it's the start of lots of lovely cuddles for you all.
ginger So sorry to see you struggling so much, have been thinking of you all evening. Although I've been lucky enough to not struggle with anxsity lots of people in my family have, dh, my dad and sister in recent years and my grandpa when I was growing up.
Not sure if it's the same for you but the first time my dad went to see our gp he was given a 'helpline' number to call. It was actually the number to start the self referal process to the mental health team in our area, which we only discovered when my mum went back to see the gp with him the following day. Once he'd spoken to them help was put into place very quickly.
Dh has had socail anxisity for a very long time, exentually diagnoised in his late teens, and usually well managed since he turned 20. But it suddenly became over powering in the first few weeks of dd's life, as her birth brought up memories of lots of childhood trauma. Our health visitor was amazing and managed to get him a rapid referal to someone in their team. I can't remember at what stage health visitors usually introuduce themselves but know in our area babies are usually placed under one by the time mum's hit the third trimester. Might be another person to seek help from.
My sister really struggled to seek help for her anxsity, in the end she called 111 one evening when she was at her worst and was told to go straight to a and e or they'd send an ambulance.
My grandpa was sadly of the generation that believed there was no such thing as anxsity/depression/etc. But the thing that helped him cope best was always having something to do with his hands. His normal activity was crochet, I learnt a little from him and picked it up again a couple of years ago. It's one of the best ways I have to relax when I'm stressed and I find I'm dealing better with pregancy related sleep issues this time by getting up and doing some when I can't drop back off in the middle of the night.
With regards to the sickness meds you're taking, I took the same to begin with, luckily sickness eased to manageable level to stop. But my surgery limmit the amount of time you're allowed to take them. It's their practice to change at 24 weeks if meds are still needed as it's meant to be less sutiable for women later in pregnancy. Also I can't remember if it was in the medication leaflet, in the info the surgery gave me on sickness meds in pregnancy or something the gp said. But I'm sure I was told or read that it should only be used as a short term seditive as it can actually cause hyperactivity with long term use. Certainly when precribed to children for seditive perpouses it's meant to be limmited to a few weeks use. I certainly found it more difficult to sleep the couple of weeks before I stopped taking them, after around 8 weeks on them, where as before I was almost litterally knocked out after taking them. My sleep improved with in a week of stopping them.
Are you still struggling with heartburn? That caused a lot of sickness for me when I was pregnant with dd. This time I went to the gp as soon as it was making me sick and have been precribed as acid regulator that's safe for use in pregnancy. I take it a couple of times a week and it makes a world of difference.
I get restless legs/cramps at night. Thanks to dd being ill over the weekend I seem to have found walking up and down the stairs a dozen or so times seems to settle down the wosrt of it if that's what wakes me at night.
I don't think there's going to be a magic fix for you. Although truely wish there was a magic wand that could be waved to make it all better for you. But it sounds like you're in of need a lot of support to get through the next few months.
indom wishing you a better night's sleep tonight.
Personally have really annoying shoulder and occationally rib pain on the left hand side. Had it towards to end with dd, so hoping it doesn't mean bump has wedged himself in the breech position like she did! Will be asking the midwife on thursday if there's anything I can do about. Might book myself in for a pregnancy massarge if I can find a place locally as I can't face 12+ weeks with such an uncomfortable shoulder.