Antenatal Depression

[juliec26]

Not sure if anyone can help or may have experience of ante natal depression, but I think i have it - I have dd 4 yrs old with exh and always wanted another baby with new dp, but since finding out i was pregnant i just feel hopeless, I thought i would be over the moon and all i can do is wonder if i am doing the right thing, wonder if my dp is the one for me - I no longer look forward to anything and my days are consumed with dark thoughts I was taking Citlaopram every other day and I have dropped to once a week since finding out - I just cant understand how I could have been so happy, so in love and desperate for a baby and now I have it just feel totally numb, I feel ever emotion has been taken from me and I just want to cry all the time - just wondered if anyone can help or has been there

sorry you are feeling so bad julie - could it be because you are reducing your citalopram?

You should get advice from your local Community Mental Health team about ADs in pregnancy - SSRIs such as citalopram are considered to be some of the safer ones to take.

So it wouldn't be a disaster if you took citalopram during pregnancy if they keep you well. After all, if you are stressed / miserable etc. that won't be doing your baby much good either.

Hope you get the right advice and start feeling better soon. x

Hi Julie

I suffer from antenatal depression and anxiety - it seems that the pg hormones just don't agree with me. Last time I was quite unwell and stopped leaving the house entirely.

I told the midwives and consultant that I was feeling very low and anxious but they didn't do anytihng. In the end DH made me go to the GP, they took it seriously and referred me to the perinatal team at the hospital. I had appts with them to talk about it all, was assessed by psychiatrist and given the option of talking appts or drugs etc.

There is help out there, this is a very common condition, they extimate 1 in 10 pg women suffer.

You say you have reduced your Citlaopram - have you talked to your doctor about this? There are many ADs that are fine to take in pregnancy and I really don't think that you should be reducing your dose without discussing it with the doc. I really really think that you should go to your doctor and talk abotu all of this.

Here are a few links more link to show you that this is common, and you can seek help, and people should listen.

Have you told your DP? Is he supportive? If you tell him then he can be a good person to take with you to appts etc to make sure that they listen. I know it can be hard to be assertive and seek help when you're in the middle of all of this.

Lots of other women on here have suffered from this I am sure some more people will come and probably give better advice than me

Thank you both for your replies, it was on my doc advice that I reduced to 1 a week - I am going to go back tomorrow and say how low I am feeling - I just cant seem to look forward to anything and hate the fact I feel so miserable at what should be a happy time - DP is lovely and totally understanding, but I hate the fact i have turned into a misery who just wants to sleep and cant be bothered to do anything - i am keeping going to try and block it all out, but know I need to do something about it - hoping my doc will have some advice - Thanks for the lInks xx

I'm glad that you are going to go and see your doc again, please do come back and let us know how you get on, if you want

It is an awful thing this - I just wanted to sit in silence (looking at the computer), I lost all interest in doing anything else, i wouldn't leave the house, I withdrew from DD1 and DH. It was a really awful time but a caring DH and support from the hosp made it managable.

Maybe ask your doc if there is a perinatal service in your area who you can contact / be referred to for additional support?

Will do just feel so awful and sad that I can't feel happy about it all and feel no love feelings and spend my days at work biting my lip not to cry - will let you know how i get on x

Please don't feel guilty

This is no reflection on how you really feel about your partner/pregnancy

It is just stupid brain chemicals and hormones making you feel so bad. It's not a true reflection of how things are IYSWIM.

Good luck at the docs.

{{{{{hugs}}}}}

Thanks isnt - Doc just said to take citlopram every other day and that its normal to feel how I do, to be honest thought she might help a bit more, but perhaps I need to speak to a midwife - she did say things should settle down soon and i should start to feel better - hopefully I will - didnt go to work today and wasnt a good idea as have not done anything other than lay on the sofa! off to Romania this weekend for a wedding hate flying, but hoping it will be a nice distraction to worry about something else for a while x

See how you feel once you have put your dose back up to normal - and if you are still feeling low then definitely seek further help.

Have a good time at the wedding

And we're still here if you need us