is there a post natal depression/anxiety thread?

[MamaLaMoo]

looking for this, will create if not, thanks.

hi snoozle welcome to our thread, we are getting more members joining us now which is great for the support we can offer each other, hopefully you will feel a bit better after sharing your experiences with us, its a shame we cant just make each other feel better but at least we are all in the same boat here and not alone. i think talking about our issues is a definate step in the right direction, just having a place to go and have a rant or cry and having somebody there who completely understands, all these things will somehow benefit us at this difficult stage in our lives, lol i hope so anyway.

i dont understand why our hormones make us suffer following having a baby, everybody expects that we would be all smiles and happiness, but its a huge shock to the system, i think it takes some time for these hormones to get back to normal too. when i first taking my fluoxetine i was so worried about making it through the next 2 weeks, my doctor said it takes about 2 weeks to start working so of course i was anxious about that, but actually each day was an improvement, i think the full benefits start at about 2 weeks but work a bit each day?? i was taking diazapan too for the anxiety, this helped me so much and its only 2mg. i take one a day now. maybe you could ask for a low dosage if you struggle.

mamalamoo, how are you? so sorry you had a bad weekend, the last you needed was to be getting upset on your own in church, im sending out big hugs to you. i was going to log on this weekend but had to go into hospital, reduced baby movement, everything is ok but i am having a scan on wednesday to check the placenta is working ok, im trying not too worry about it but its hard. really hating this anxiety stuff, i wish we could all be free from it completely :(

hello everyone - i'm just on my lunch break and reading your thread with interest. i wanted to post something positive as i know exactly what you're all going through. i had PND twice - the first time went on for longer but was more manageable in that i was able to put on a 'front'. the second time was absolute hell and involved crippling anxiety. i couldn't sleep and at one point i couldn't leave the house without someone coming with me.

fast forward two years and i am fully recovered. part of the problem with pnd is that you think that it's never going to end but i promise, it will. i know if someone had told me when i was in the thick of it that it would be over within a year, i wouldn't have believed them. but i now have a six year old and a two and half year old and life is so EASY! they sleep, they eat, the do get ill but it's not that scary to me any more (well, maybe if they've got tummy bugs i do get very anxious but that's for another thread..). i've got my life back and i work three days a week. the anxiety is still there in the background but it doesn't rule my life any more. i can tell it to back down!

i hope that helps - PND and anxiety are hideous but it will get better, i'm living proof.

countrylover thanks for you very positive post, it is always helpful to hear about people recovering and being happy again.

I have taken my first antidepressant this morning, sertraline. I think the placebo effect of taking something (anything) may well see me through to the end of next week when the GP says I should start seeing some improvement in sleep and anxiety. By the new year I should see definite improvement, a nice thought - new year, better mood.

hey all, just read the lovely post by countrylover, like mama pointed out, its really positive and gives us hope :) how is everyone this weekend? iv been in and out of hospital with reduced movement and then contractions which seemed to have stopped now :( really thought id be sharing baby news with you all today. but no joy hey. on a positive side, my mouth seems to have improved a bit, its not dry now, just very patchy and feels like its burning a bit, iv got my ap on tuesday, yay its come around fast. iv felt less anxious too so i think the fluoxetine is doing its job. i hope you are all doing ok?? x

aw Snailz I am so sorry to hear about your reduced movement, its no wonder you'd be feeling anxious.

The past couple of days have been a bit easier for me, like MamaLaMoo said, I think it might be the placebo effect of knowing that I have started my course of antidepressants and that help is at hand. But I have sudden moments where the panic just sets in all over again. My MIL (who knows nothing about my anxiety issues) insisted on telling me the other day in great detail about someone's baby dying unexpectedly and I could just see my DH silently willing her to shut up. Who on earth thinks that the mother of a six week old baby wants to hear a story like that?! It had me in pieces, I was shaking with fear afterwards.

Snailz when is your due date? I'm glad you got checked out at the hospital, better to waste their time, and reassure yourself. I was in and out during my third trimester with bleeds and contractions, it doesn't help anxiety!

Hope your appointment with ENT goes ok. Let us know what they say.

Both DDs have snotty colds, LO is not feeding well at all, keeps shrieking and writhing when I try feeding her, maybe ear ache? DD1 still having nightly nightmares about her stay in hospital, woke us all (baby included) at 4am and 6.30am today so been up a while and knackered.

snoozledoozle- what a horrible story to share with you, some people just dont think do they! i dont think she means any harm but common sense would have been a bit useful there. glad to hear you have had a few better days, each day will get a tiny bit better now, the panic/anxiety will most likely stick around a little bit longer but that gets a lot better too. iv stopped taking my anxiety meds now, i think im feeling the full affect of the fluoxetine.

mamalamoo- how is the lo doing? has she done any better with her feeds today? i hope so, stay positive you are doing so well, its upsetting to see them like that but keep strong. feel sorry for DD1 it must be scary for her, i think it will pass over time, maybe when she starts to get excited over christmas she might sleep better? went to the ent today, he says i have Stomatitis brought on by a vitamin deficiency due to being sick throughout the pregnancy, mainly b12 & iron which can take a few weeks to correct itself, he thinks it should clear up a few weeks after birth (due 22nd). its calmed down a lot the past few days, iv been in hospital with reduced movement again and not really thought about my mouth, i think it was the anxiety adding to the problem. going back 2m for a second sweep and internal (the joys hey) xx

Snailz sounds like the docs are trying to move things along if you're having a second sweep. Will they induce you? How are you feeling about it all? Is someone looking after you DD?

Did a whole day of skin to skin with the baby yesterday after DD1 went to childminder, turned up heating in bedroom and did lots of cuddling. Seems to have worked, feeding slowly getting better today. It was really nice to spend a whole day all cuddly with her like that. I feel more bonded with her.

hi all, i ended up going into labour during the night wednesday, she was born yesterday morning at 7.32am.weighing 5lbs 14oz. i was lucky for a quck birth, took about 3 and half hours, just so tired now as i had back ache and couldnt sleep before i went into hospital. wish i could catch up on sleep :)

Wow, congratulations! How lovely you'll be home and settled by Christmas.

Have you got a name yet? I'm very glad she arrived safe after your reduced movement scares.

thanks for that countrylover was just what I wanted to hear.

Sorry I've not been on for a couple of weeks ladies - for some reason the thread dropped off my 'I'm on' topics so I assumed the thread had gone quiet

snailz that is such good news - I'm so happy for you . Glad the birth wasn't too bad too - must be such a relief it's all over. Have you got a name for her yet?

mamma glad feeding is going a bit better. A day of skin to skin sounds lovely

Well, things here are quite bad today . It's been a few weeks since I've been in this much of a state . I don't know what to do to pick myself out of it . I just keep crying uncontrollably. I still haven't taken any ads. I still haven't returned the phone call from a woman about a depression for mums coffee group and I haven't rung the counselling group my HV gave me details for - why is it I'm incapable of helping myself? I have 3 weeks left of mat leave then I'm back at work. I'm dreading it. I don't want to go. Well, I loved my job pre preg but I can't see how it will fit in with being a mum (I'm only part time so feel a bit pathetic saying that). On top of that DH came down ill with a really nasty bug last week and has been off work and I've been looking after him, and having to do all the cooking/cleaning/looking after DD with no help/bring copious amounts of tea etc up to dh for a few days. It's just wearing me down I'm so exhausted. And it's my 30th birthday on wednesday and it's just going to be a complete non starter. I've got nothing to do and DH is working, so just another day of me and DD at home together with her getting bored. I had hoped my mum would take dd for a couple of hours so I could watch a dvd and have some peace for once but she's working :( The christmas os going to be a washout I know it. It's all going to go wrong or I'll get DHs bug and be ill. Honestly, I feel so bad today I don't know what the point with everything is anymore. I just can't stop crying. It's not like I have any RL friends to talk to about this and I just find it so hard to talk about my emotions in RL - I just cry and can't say what I really think. I'm sorry to spill all this on you all. I don't expect answers, but it's nice to know there's someone out there understanding.

Reastie hon, I'm listening and feeling terrible for you. Are you and Alice getting out everyday? Evn if just to the shops? When I'm home with th boys on my own were always out, we even walked to the post office in th freezing cold at Friday at 9am! Being at home depresses me rotten.
You must pick yourself up and call the people who can help you. The best thing I ever did was call the CBT people, I was desperate and that phone call turned everything around for me. You also must start taking the ad's, they will help you so much.
Why don't you take Alice out for lunch with you for your birthday and celebrate just the two of you.
I assume dh is better now and can get his arse out of bed now?! If not I think it's timer did!
Big hugs to you. We're all here for you.

Snailz, huge congratulations.

Mamma,skin to skin with my baby helped me so much when I first had PND.

thanks ems . off to bed now so won't post much. We do get out every day even if it;s just a walk to the local shops but when you have a whole empty day then a little trip out doesn't always excite alice enough IYKWIM. It does help alot though. Usually I have lots of things planned with her but I;'ve been trying to hibernate from people a bit in the run up to christmas to try and avoid all the bugs that are about so we are healthy for christmas and having NO break from her since wednesday morning while dh is ill is emotionally tiring - I haven't managed to sit on the loo without her pulling herself up on me and trying to play with my trouser buttons and have had to bath with her as it's the only way I can get a wash! I'm hoping to ring the lady about this mums group tomorrow, but tbh it's too late to go anyway - she took 3 weeks to return my call and those were the 3 weeks I wanted to go as it clashes with work once I'm back . Hopefully tomorrow will be better...

Just checking back in to see how everyone is? I had my first session of CBT this week, and was at the Dr again yesterday, just to see how the antidepressants are working, and came away from both feeling quite positive and that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Chestnuts how are you doing this past few days?

Snailz congratulations.

hi all, how is everyone doing? sorry iv not been on here, im just getting used to having a newborn again, we called her maisie and she is doing well (touch wood lol) im having my anxiety again over her health, i kinda expected i would but its too not bad, i naturally worry (a tad too much i think). i got a cold sore a few days after she was born, im terrified iv passed it on to her, iv read some horror stories about the dangers of the herpes virus, im trying not to worry about it too much and just trying to be happy with my little family, things have been good, iv not been feeling depressed, in fact quite perky despite the lack of sleep and my mouth condition has improved so much that i only have the odd bad days. hope you are all doing ok? and had a nice christmas? xx

Hey everyone just found this thread and wondered could I say hello. So many topics here resonate with me. I've just received anti dep today from gp and DS 2 is 13 months. I just wouldn't admit it at first then I had a good summer which ended with both sons getting terrible tummy bugs so anxiety attacks ensued giving menterrible insomnia, panic symptoms palpitations weight loss etc. Again I tried to ignore it but now Christmas has been completely ruined by another terrible bouts of sickness by me and two boys. So I took myself off to the Gp enough is enough can't cope any longer going to start the pills when kids are fully recovered but I'm scared of side effects.... They're sertraline ?? Thanks for any words of wisdom hope you're all coping over Christmas ?? X

Hey loopy sorry to hear your Christmas was bad ours too non starter to be honest kick up the a** I needed to admit I needed help thinking about starting pills soon how long did you find they took to work last time? Hope you get relief soon, sleeplessness is my current problem so hope they don't prolong that ? X

I'm reading this thread with a heavy heart as it reminds me of where I was nearly 2 years ago. I had PND after DS with reflux, BF problems etc... everything improved when I was prescribed ADs & I just wanted to add to the voices saying that it does get better. PND does go away, but unfortunately most often not by itself.

Thanks black swan that lifts my spirits just wish I had realised earlier and done something sooner hoping the meds start to clear my head a bit

Loopy hopefully the next few days will turn a corner for you into the new year. You have 4 to look after I've only the 2 and that is plenty especially when they're sick. Lo still got tummy bug so think DH holidays are well and truly ruined now can't see this lifting til new year. At least your kids enjoyed it all next Christmas will be different for us both

Yes I'm going to start on Sunday new year etc hopefully boys will be better by then have to go back to work nx wk though but my mother is undergoing tests ATM thought so figure I need to get myself sorted ASAP. I really feel for you loopy how old is the LO ? Do you have family support other than DH ? X