Does this sound like PND?

[lottie198]

My baby is 10 weeks old. I had a traumatic birth and lost a lot of blood which made me feel ill for weeks. On top of this I have a baby that cries A LOT. He doesn't sleep much either. Some days he's awake 12plus hours without a single nap. I spoke to Gp and they said some babies are just like it. He's exclusively breast fed, 91st centile, hitting milestones etc.
I feel like I've been coping well so far but it hit me yesterday at a family party, I felt like an outsider looking in and I feel a sense of dread. Evenings are the absolute worse, it hits 5pm and I feel sick. I've lost my appetite and used to be such a foodie. Nothing seems to cheer me up like it used to. I love my baby so much and I do enjoy him at times. He's just such hard work , I can't put him down for a second without him crying. He also screams in the pram and the car. I feel trapped in the house.
I thought I was ok, but last few days I've felt terrible. Shaky, dizzy, no appetite, fatigued. When he cries I get such a strong sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach and just keep thinking I can't do this. We have been trying to get him to take a bottle so I can have a break at times but he refuses every time. It's so upsetting. I must've tried over 6 makes of bottles.
Not sure what I'm asking here, just any advice , has anyone ever felt the same? Is it just sleep deprivation?

I can't put him down for a second without him crying. He also screams in the pram and the car. I feel trapped in the house.

My DD was like this, it was soul destroying. Plenty of people swore by a sling/carrier but DD hated those too - might be worth a try as I know lots of people find them a godsend? I’m a tad sceptical of your GP’s advice that some 10 week olds just don’t nap at all all day - I’m not an expert but that sounds like bollocks.

But to answer your main question, yes I think you should speak to your GP about PND, because of what you’ve said around no appetite, and nothing cheering you up like before. I’m not sure there’s any such thing as “just” sleep deprivation as it is absolute torture and will make any mental health issues much worse. I had bad PND, and felt much like you describe. I’m not sure I have much advice though, as I’m not really sure I remember what helped. Definitely speak to your GP though.

last few days I've felt terrible. Shaky, dizzy, no appetite, fatigued.

Separate issue but you say you lost a lot of blood - are you anaemic? I believe I was told after I had a PPH that anaemia could be a cause and also a consequence of it.

On the bottle feeding, who is trying your son with the bottles? I know a lot of advice is for the mother to be out of the room when bottles are tried, so that the baby doesn’t want to breastfeed instead. But I personally found that DD at first only took the bottle from me, like she didn’t even associate DH with food and so just didn’t know what to do - once she’d done it with me a few times, she’d feed if DH gave her a bottle. So, not sure what you’ve tried already but I’d try you giving the bottle, and you being nowhere near it, see if either of those help at all.

@SickAndTiredAgain
Thank you for your response. He does like the baby sling but he's so heavy he hurts my back and it's just not practical all the time. He soon gets restless in it anyway. I cannot understand why he hates the pram so much but it gives me anxiety stepping outside with him as I know he will cry the whole time. So sorry to hear you had bad PND.

I was anaemic after the birth yes but the levels were increasing a couple of weeks after and not had them checked since but was feeling ok until the last few weeks.

In regards to the bottles. I've tried multiple times, my partner has tried, my mum, my dad. Variations - me being in the room, me being upstairs etc etc. He also won't take a dummy which would help him when he's in the car seat crying. I totally regret listening to people about nipple confusion and wished I'd introduced one sooner. He hasn't got a clue how to suck the teat and ends up gagging or getting really angry. :(

**I can't put him down for a second without him crying. He also screams in the pram and the car. I feel trapped in the house.

My DD was also like this. It was awful for the first couple of months. The first time I took her out in the pram she screamed. She screamed constantly and I actually thought she was going to stop breathing. I felt like an awful mother. I rushed back to the car and we took her home.
The sleeping was also a huge issue. She was noisy and restless unless asleep on me or DH.
After alot of research we considered silent reflux.
Had a chat with various doctors and paediatricians and she is now treated with Omeprazole, infant Gaviscon and prescription formula.
She is like a different baby.
Alot of the symptoms you mention sound really similar to DD.
Go back to your GP and ask for a 2nd opinion.
Babies ARE supposed to sleep during the day (mine actually didnt get all of the memo and will be awake for 10 hour stretches but thats a different srory).

With regards to not taking a bottle, this could also be down to reflux? DD would gag and cough when feeding from a bottle before treatment. We were advised to trial nipple shields as they have a texture and shape of a bottle teat but baby is heald in a BF position rather than a bottle feed position.
May be worth a try.

Being a first time mum is bloody hard.
Youre doing an amazing job.
Dont beat yourself up.

I have also had rhe dizzy spells etc post birth and ai have low iron due to prolonged bleeding post birth. Im taking iron tablets now and being monitored. May be worth having this checked too.

My first cried all the time. Gradually got better, by around 6 months.
Doctors just kept saying "some babies cry a lot". Well I'm now convinced she had silent reflux. As DD2 has been diagnosed and treated for this.

I'd definitely have a chat to your gp about the baby.

I don't know anything about PND though. Sorry.