Just been diagnosed with PND, any natural ways of helping myself?

[Monkeyandbooba]

Had a tough six months post birth, husband got a new job miles away and we couldn't sell house he is now in lodgings whilst we wait for our sale to go through (finally!). However I have been finally diagnosed with PND and have been referred for counselling and CBT for an associated health phobia (came to a head this week with all the flu stuff) as well as sorting out some medication (breastfeeding and don't want to stop so GP wanted to get advice about what to prescribe).

So as well as the above is there anything else people do/have done that helps i.e. changing diet, exercise etc?

definitely exercise - and not necessarily going to the gym! Getting out with theoushchair every day for a good walk or two did me the world of good.

Is this your first? I would also suggest some Mummy friends who can do wonders for your self esteem

DS is my second and problem is DH works away during the week so hard to get out, I do have dogs though so maybe should take them for longer with baby in a back carrier and DD in the pushchair! Also got some exercise DVDs gathering dust somewhere...

I have a great support network but crazily feel a bit embarrassed at admitting I have PND Not that they'd get all judgey but come from a background where mental health issues are 'all in the mind'

Well done for getting to your GP and getting help. What a six months you have had! No wonder you have wobbled a bit!

Seconding exercise - just a 20 minute/half an hour walk can help. (It's sooo much easier with your second child, as twice a day you have the school run to do!)

Sleep made a huge difference to me. Try to go down at the same as your dd when you can to catch up. If she goes to bed early, treat yourself to a (very) early night once a week - 8pm if possible.

Structuring my day helped too, so that I wasn't faced with a 12 hour void to fill. Planning half an hour of this, half an hour of that, in advance, and writing it down was the best - making cakes, sleep times, trips to the library, swimming, daily walk etc. You don't have to stick to it, if something better comes along, but it is there for you, if you want it.

Posting on MN was my final natural way of helping. It reached parts other remedies didn't touch!

HTH a little. Best of luck with the move and your fresh start.

Yes I should focus on sleep, problem is once both kids are in bed I catch up with all my chores I couldn't do in the day. I do find my mood improves tremendously with more sleep, hasn't helped that DS - gorgeous as he is - has never been the best sleeper (and there was me thinking sleep habits are fostered by parents, DS soon taught me otherwise - hah!).

I found This bookincredibly helpful when dealing with my horrible PND. It's got sections on nutrition, exercise and all sorts.

As much exercise as possible - I know that is hard when you feel in a hole, but it really does help. I still walk for a full hour after the school run, through the nice streets, rain or shine.

And happy music, lots of it. I hope you start to feel better soon. Once I felt a little better I joined a choir and my life is better now than it was before the depression. It's like I was living a half life before and it had to get really bad before I could force myself to start living again.

Good luck, x

understand about getting out - do you go to any toddler groups or anything? If you find a good one, they can be valuable sources of support IME

'Coping with birth trauma and postnatal depression' by Lucy Jolin - brilliant book written by someone who has suffered with both.

Also lots of rest (when you can! not easy with 2 little ones) and if anyone offers help, don't be proud - just accept took me 3 babies to learn that one!

Go to a great toddler group and the ladies have been very sympathetic, will miss them when we finally move

Have bought some books of Amazon to read and the GP has prescribed Lustral (?) to start. Will see her again in 2 weeks for an update.

good - hang in there monkeyandbooba - don't forget that MN is there wherever you live!

i found just getting out for walk once or twice a day helped alot i used to take lunch to the park and sit there it was peaceful and i felt so relaxed

talking on the net with like minded people helped me hugely

not being afraid to tell dp when i was having a bad day

reminding myself its not my fault and it will get better

diet i made sure i had alot of freshly cooked meals and fruit as felt good when i knew id eaten healthily dp worked away alot too and helped that i could talk to him and get his support even over phone

most of all was making sure i went out even if just for short walk fresh air made all the difference

settling myself to bed as soon as ds went to sleep even if it was 7 oclock

i never dod chores if the didnt need to be done i slept first and caught up gradually on chores

Did the same as bubbla; used to walk up to the school to collect the other dc's.

Also planted a lot of pretty flowers, either pot or in the garden. I dunno but I found this unbelievably therapeutic. It was like planting the flowers was somehow putting down roots and the rest was something to build on. My garden was lovely that year!!

Getting help from dp was also important.

Rewards as well - haircut, whatever it took, I hate shopping but like Waterstones. I eventually used to do a little course of a friday afternoon that took me out for a couple of hours - it was fun and a small group.

I also went to a small pnd group for about 3 months and that made all the difference as well.