Prenatal depression and midwife

[Sarog03]

I’m looking for other people’s experience and advice.
I’m only 11 weeks into my pregnancy and this baby will be my 3rd.
Me and my husband had always wanted 3 but after having my daughter we decided we were going to wait a couple of years before thinking about having a 3rd. Anyway, here we are 11 weeks with baby no3.
It’s still sinking in and I am really suffering with my hormones. My last pregnancy I had Cholestasis (itching liver disorder) and the thought of having that again makes me really emotional.
Anyway, I went for my booking my appointment today and I got really tearful about my last pregnancy. Then the midwife said I should go and see the GP because this isn’t ‘normal’.
I have never suffered with any mental illness but have always been very hormonal. My husband was there too and now he is convinced I have pre-natal depression.
It’s making my increasingly frustrated because I know my own body and I don’t feel depressed.
I feel the midwife has massively blown it out of proportion and it seams like a waste of GP time but my husband really thinks I should go based on what the midwife said.
Has anyone had any experience of pre-natal depression, what are signs? How was it diagnosed? What was the treatment?? Likewise has anyone had experience with the midwifes looking for something that isn’t there? I know it is their job to look for signs but it still seams a little extreme.
The midwifes where I live are pretty amazing and I can’t fault them which is why I’m here questioning and asking for others experience.
Thanks for everyone’s help! Xx

Hi there, @Sarog03 - we're just bumping this for you and hope that someone will be along soon with advice to help you. Best of luck with your pregnancy.

Hi OP
It does sound frustrating to be told how you feel. But if people around you are worried is there any harm in looking for extra support?

Were you the sort of person to get emotional around your period? You could be right it's a hormonal issue.

I think the midwife could have been more tactful, of course it is a form of trauma to have serious illness and should be treated with care.

Google the PHQ-9 it's a depression 'score chart' that could help explain some symptoms for you.

Take care x

I did, it was triggered by relentless nausea. It wasn't taken seriously by the hv, the mental health team, or any of the midwives. I wasn't well enough to find a source of support.
There are two charities that I know about now, Pandas and the Perinatal Maternal Mental Health Alliance. Google should throw up some other ones.
It doesn't have to be depression, but you have obviously been effected or traumatised by your previous experience, I hope you can find support x

Thank you so much for the advise.
I've been chatting to my mum and sister about everything and not feeling anywhere near as emotional as I was feeling a couple of days ago!
I will definitely google the depression 'score' form you've suggested.
Thank you again, it is really refreshing to get some impartial advice. Xx

I have for all my pgs. Mine manifests as total utter zombie-I-feel-dead-inside. Flatlining emotionally. Mine is brought on by constant headaches and nausea and just the overwhelming anxiety that this shitty awfulness is as good as I'll ever feel and it is just one long trudge to oblivion from here until I'm ancient and my kids will hate me because I'm an awful exhausted mum. Cue very detailed suicide plans and constant weeping.

But the baby arrives and poof, I'm back to my extremely cheerful positive normal self. Very weird.

(But I partly feel annoyed that it is even a 'thing'. Of COURSE any normal human facing the myriad of pregnancy symptoms would feel overwhelmed/emotional/etc! But sometimes it goes further or deeper than 'normal response' and moves toward 'needs help')

I struggled with antenatal depression. I got extra support from a different, specially trained midwife. I saw them regularly and could call at any time.

Wishing you the best of luck

Hi OP depression is a consistent period of low mood. It doesn't have to be all the time but if you are feeling consistently low for periods almost every day then seek help from GP then. In fact seek help if the periods of low mood happen often enough to seriously effect your daily living.

The midwife was right in that feeling very low, anxious and very hormonal is not normal for a pregnant woman but that's because there is no normal. However, it sounds like you're confident that this feeling has passed and was a temporary hormonal issue. I would speak to husband and explain that you're not feeling like this all the time after all the midwife only saw you briefly on one day so she does not know what you are like the rest of the week.

If sounds like you are confident in yourself that you were feeling anxious about a possible difficult pregnancy and hormones. If you're feeling ok now then I personally wouldn't bother speaking to the GP. But do keep an eye on how you are feeling and let yourself get plenty of rest and eat as healthily as you can to help with the hormones, you mood and also because the pregnant body needs lots of nutrients.

I hope you're feeling ok now, congratulations on your pregnancy and wish you all the luck in your pregnancy.