Anxiety Attacks

[AmazingGraceO]

Hi, I had my little girl 7 weeks ago and have been experiencing horrible anxiety. It is based mostly around the fear of something terrible happening to my daughter or my husband. I have been trying breathing exercises and I am able to talk to my husband, who is very supportive, but I can't seem to get rid of the feelings.

I am in contact with the local MH service but was hoping there might be some support available on here as I don't really have anyone else to talk to about it. I really am struggling at the moment and am worried about how I am going to cope with looking after my little girl while my husband is at work for the rest of the week.

hi,appart from your hubbie have you got anyone else?is this your first baby/what exactly are you scared about?

Hello

Congratualtions!

I don't really know how I could help but just wanted to say that you aren't alone!

I suffered dreadfully with anxiety with DD and DS. (DS has SN so it was much more intense)

I had very disturbing thoughts, about DD stopping breathing in her sleep, dropping her, DH being killed in an accident, me being killed etc...... I was terrified of losing them and would watch DD and DS like a hawk when they were first born.

It was so frightening!!

DS is now 17mns and DD11yrs and I can tell you that with both of them, once they got past 6mns, I seemed to relax a little!

You always worry about them! Regardless of how old they are!

Have you tried to post this is Mental Health? Or one of the parenting topics aswell?

Hi, I don't have anyone else I can really talk to about it. She is my first baby.
It's mostly a general sense of impending doom but for the last couple of days I've been terrified about SIDS. I'm aware of, and follow, the guidelines for safe sleeping but it doesn't seem to allay the fear.

Hi Mouseface, those are all things that I have been scared about. I just feel so frightened at the moment.
I will post in the other groups too, thank you.

oh we all are anxious about that,thats normal.its your maternal instincts.i even use to prod my 4th ds if he was quite for too long.

I'm just feeling so scared right now. My heart is pounding.

It is normal but not very nice to deal with. Especially if you have no RL support.

It is you PROTECTIVE MOTHER instincts kicking in (as wfrances says) and boy are they strong! You would quite happily kill anyone who posed a threat to your little girl.

If you explore MN a bit more, you may find more useful threads. You could try searching phrases or words like 'newborn' and 'anxiety' and 'first baby'.

See if someone else has had a similar thread with some good advice on.

Be gentle with yourself. It's all perfectly normal and, if you are taking care when putting her to bed, there is no reason why she won't be alright.

(although your head is telling you otherwise)!!

You must be very tired too. Give yourself a break xx

Thank you Mouseface. I guess I was hoping for a chat to take my mind off the feelings but that hasn't worked out. x

Then go post in chat.

Lots of support will also come your way.

Maybe a title like - 'help me take my mind off this...'?

have you tried to read a book,a bit of christmas shopping,take your baby around the block.best if you can join a new mums group cause youll all have the same worrys. i was lucky all my friends and sister were pregnant at the same time give a year so we were all on the same wave length.
its a heck of a responsibility to all of a sudden be mum of a tiny baby that relies on you for everything.you cant switch off ever.even when you sleep,youll find the slightest thing and your wide awake on the way to your baby before youve opened your eyes.i still do and mine range between 6 and 15.

Thank you Mouseface. I will do that. Sorry, I'm new to this.

Thanks wfrances. I've just been out with baby and hubbie to distract me. I think I'll go on chat for a while and then get some sleep.

Hi AmazingGraceO.
My heart goes out to you. I had exactly the same feelings of anxiety, impending doom, and irrational thoughts after the birth of my dd many years ago. It started when she was about six weeks old with a panic attack which came out of the blue. It escalated from there. It seems so unfair when you want to enjoy your baby. I was eventually diagnosed with post natal anxiety. Please get help as soon as you can by speaking to your midwife or g.p. There is a lot of support out there.

Thank you tilly. I will talk to my gp. x

Amazing I know exactly how you feel too.

I was the same after my DS was born and for a good 10 months. I probably should have seen about it but didn't.

I then had a period of insomnia leading up to trying for a second baby (had alot of problems with first PG.

I had my DD over 9 months ago and i am seriously climbing the walls with anxiety but it's much more colourful this time!

I think it is very normal to feel anxious in the early days. Everyone has that fear of SIDS or dropping the baby on his/her head!

If it makes you feel better (fingers crossed you don't smoke) - when my DD was born, like DS, she had/has reflux and I discovered she would only sleep on her tummy. I asked the Docs advice and he said that in actual fact 95% of SIDS are in homes of smokers.

If you do smoke, armed with that info you could be more careful about where you do and change tops before cuddling and washing hands etc. If you don't then the chances are smaller than you probably realised.

I did calm right down eventually after DS and felt my old self eventually.
This time ive ended up with an under active thyroid and an over active mind!

Thank you sneakapeak and ThinneverVetch. Neither of us smoke. I got alot of support today and saw my gp but I think all there is to do is try to ride it out, although it is very intense. Thanks all x