Prenatal Mental Health

[BoosterBoots]

Hi all,

I am looking for some thoughts on what I should do and grateful for any views.

I am currently 27 weeks pregnant and struggling with my mental health. I fell pregnant at a bit of a tricky time - a month after returning to work following 2 months signed off for burnout and a few weeks after finding out about my mum's diagnosis of aggressive, incurable stage 4 cancer. I don't have much family and have lost my dad so support is limited. I returned to work to a team of 0, having previously managed a team of 3 and had to work alone for a month before someone was hired to my team. My manager is kind but unsupportive and I didn't receive any support following my return (it took 2 months to have a 1-1 meeting, which I arranged). I'm finding work very hard at the moment, it's causing a lot of stress but I'm not sure if it's becoming the scapegoat for how I'm feeling in general.

I've had a bit of a hard time in pregnancy, and feel very much like the hormones don't quite agree with me. I was anxious in the first trimester but the second trimester has been pretty full on - feelings of intense homesickness, mood swings, crying most days, feeling very overwhelmed and overstimulated easily. I have struggled with my changing body had some self loathing that I've not experienced since puberty. I don't like myself.

I've had complex feelings about the pregnancy at times but overwhelming am happy, excited and looking forward to my baby arriving.

I am nervous about developing PPD and am so hoping that my low mood is pregnancy hormone related and lifts. I've told my midwife how I'm feeling but haven't heard anything yet. I get private therapy too.

My question is: what would you / should I do to prevent PPD or this spilling into my life post arrival?

Sorry to hear you are having a tough time. I didn’t have low mood in anxiety during pregnancy but have postnatal.
Ask your MW if you can be referred to the perinatal team and they can support you during this time and postnatal x

I struggled terribly with my mental health while pregnant, I was under the care of the perinatal team, but it lifted almost immediately after I gave birth.

It’s wise to be self-aware and ask for support, but it’s not a given that you will develop PND x

Thanks Amy. Hope you're on the road to recovery x

This is really reassuring, thank you x

Perinatal mental health teams will usually work from 26 weeks gestational to 1 year postnatal. In some areas it's two. If you still need/want help after that, more places offer parent-infant psychotherapy either in CAMHS or dedicated perinatal/infant mental health teams

I would speak to your GP and midwife. I have life long mental illness and got very unwell after having my daughter. This time around I have the contact details for two midwives who specialise in maternal mental health and am under a obstetrician who specialise in mental health. I'm being referred to the perinatal mental health team. I'll get extra midwife care after my son is born plus more HV input.

You should be prioritising for therapy too and I wouldn't underestimate the strain your mum's diagnosis is having on you too. My PIL was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer when my daughter was 4 months and my partner found it challenging.

There are safe medications that can help and be taken in pregnancy. As you have already approached your midwife I'd possibly go through you GP too and bring it up again at your next midwife appointment

Thank you so much for this. Sending you all the best wishes for your pregnancy