34 weeks pregnant and really down

[rollerskates]

Hallo all
I feel absolutely desperate this morning - have got to work and just don't know how I'm going to make it throught hte next two weeks when I leave. I have been depressed for quite a lot of my pregnancy, and am now on fluoxetine, which I started three weeks ago - it made a big difference at first, but now I feel really down again. My main worry though is that I feel incredibly anxious the WHOLE time, sick to the pit of my stomach and I am really worried about the effect this will have on my babgy, I'm worried that he/she will deveop mental health problems, or be a very unhappy and difficult baby, that I won't be able to cope with.

I'm giving up my job (redundancy) and am worried about how I will ever get back into the job market after the baby. I feel like a useless failure and that my boss thinks I'm a waste of space.

DP is very lovely and supportive, but I feel that he doesn't really understand and so I feel more and more isolated and am having massive doubts about our relationship long term. But I'm terrified of ending up a single parent (was brought up by one)

Just really needed to download! Can't pretend everything's fine anymore, just feel absolutely desperate

Any words of wisdom? Especially about any link between antenatal depression/anxiety and mental health of babies?

I was depressed during my pegnancy but didn't let anyone know until after when I'd developed post natal depression so you've done the right thing by getting help now.

When I first started on the anti depressants they worked wonders for about 2 weeks then I began to feel the same so I went back to Dr's and the dose was increased and it really helped. Maybe you ought to let your Dr know that your feeling like this again.

I know it's hard asking for help when you're feeling this way but I think you've done the hardest thing which is to ask for help when you're pregnant because everyone expects you to be happy and elated at the forthcoming arrival of your baby, but I know this is not always the case and I just wish I'd had your courage when i was pregnant.

Hope this helps.....

My mum died when I was 28 weeks pregnant. It was fairly awful, but what I am about to say should help you.

I became absolutely paralyzed with anxiety, have never ever known anything like it, it was unbearable, terrifying. I was under the care of a maternal phsyciatrist who dealt purely with pregnant and breastfeeding mums. She assured me repeatedly that the anxiety was caused by biochemical changes in the brain as a result of pregnancy....I didn't believe her....but she was totally right.

DD was born by elective section, as was in too much of a state to cope with a normal childbirth. I was terrified as I felt something dreadful was going to happen to me after she was born......

Guess what? As soon as dd came out, anxiety completely and utterly disappeared....Looking back that pregnancy was really terrible, but I am fine.

I was very worried about the effect of all this anxiety on dd, but she is absolutely fine. Now 5 months old, grinning all the time, very sociable, and very good sleeper.

I was also on ADs throughout pregnancy, and the dose was upped at end of pregnancy to help with anxiety, but dd doesn't seem to have suffered.

Prozac will cause some anxiety at first, but it should settle down after 4 weeks or so (I am an expert on ADs).It can take 6 weeks to get full effect. I was put on amitriptiline which is an older antidepressant which is quite sedating and good for anxiety.

I absolutely promise you, you and lo will be fine. I have been where you are now, and dd is absolute light of my life.

[[[[[hugs]]]]]

I was depressed during all of my 3 pregnancies, worst during the last, felt soooo much better after the birth but am starting to slide again now, she's 5 months old. I agree to get your meds reviewed. As regards the link, I thought my baby was going to be so difficult and restless and sullen and you know what? She's the easiest, she's always smiling, she's really content (everyone comments on this) and she makes me really happy just looking at her! Good luck with everything, keep in touch with your GP. Thinking of you, also, if you're finding work so hard, can't you leave now, I only lasted to 34 weeks with the first two and 12 weeks with the third!

Yeah, everyone comments on how placid and easy my dd is.

Also if you think back to cavemen times when we evolved, it would be quite normal that during pregnancy, depression and anxiety heightened.

Anxiety would be there to help you protect unborn baby and to watch out for and beware of danger.

Depression would be there to keep you close to the fire and unmotivated so you couldn't go off and put unborn baby in danger.

This is what I was told anyway and I think there is something in it. I'm not an anthropologist of course!

Thank you - your messages have really helped me get through the morning - it makes a real difference to hear from people who have been where I am. I feel like I just want to take this sick feeling from inside me and rip it out somehow! I am so pleased to hear that your babies are all fine - my big fear is that he/she will be damaged, and so so good to hear that that's not the case.

I've made an appointment to see the doctor tomorrow morning - want to talk to her about the anxiety - as opposed to depression. Also, I want to be sure that whatever I am prescribed is safe for breastfeeding - any advice on that? is it okay to change prescription now, or will that cause probs? Obviously I'll ask her but good to know a bit beforehand. I really really want to be able to breastfeed
x

The pyschiatrist who looked after me, told me these were the safest drugs because they had the most data (she was dealing with this daily)
Prozac, amitriptiline, imipramine, and nortriptiline.

The last 3 are tca's which are very calming and good for anxiety, but I know prozac is just as good once you get through the first 4 weeks