Postnatal depression.

[mollysmummy1970]

Hi,

I'm not sure if this is the right place to post but here goes. My little boy will be 13 months next week and I'm not sure if I'm depressed or just really tired. He's never been a good sleeper so I'm still up 2-3 times a night, me and his dad usually take it in turns so it isn't as if I'm doing it all myself or anything.

I'm just finding that I want to cry a lot of the time, and when I'm off work on my own with him I find trying to do all the things I need to do a struggle. Everyone always says how good a baby he is so why do I find it so difficult? I've not got energy a lot of the time.

It's not as if I'm sad all of the time or anything, people wouldn't have a clue because I'm normally quite a happy person.

Me and my partner are always bickering too which is getting me down.

On the days where my boy is only up once or sleeps the full night I'm like a different person. And I have loads of people that help me. I just don't know. X

It's hard for us to say over an Internet forum whether you are depressed, but it does sound likely. Book an appointment with your doctor, I had severe postnatal depression and the doctor sees it all the time, they are fantastic. Depression isn't as stigmatised as it once was, don't be afraid to talk about it and tell people you trust that you're struggling. Above all, be kind to yourself, it's bloody hard work being a parent!!

Sounds a bit like me OP - I do have pnd, although tbh the symptoms are v v similar to sleep deprivation. How many hours sleep are you getting?

Thanks both of you for your replies. If the shoe was on somebody else's foot I would be the first to tell them to make a gp appointment, it's weird how u can't see it when it's yourself.

I usually go to bed between 10.30-11pm and I'm up about 6.30-7am so it's not even that bad, that's why I don't get it. Maybe it's because im not getting longer than 3 hours at a time. X

Tbh it's really difficult to tell - like I said, sleep deprivation can make you feel depressed. Also PMT can make you feel depressed! Basically we're all fucked. I suppose you could assume it is PND and go down the route of treating it - you don't have to go on ADs if you don't want to, but CBT counselling is very effective (I speak from experience). Could you afford private counselling?

I'm another advocate of cbt for general depression, but had to use ad's for pnd. Go and see your gp anyway, they will have a better idea than us. Also try going to bed earlier if you can, neither of my boys were sleepers and it is absolute hell.....but I didn't feel depressed when tired with ds2 despite being more tired than I was first time round, if that makes sense? I could cope with it because I didn't have pnd.