Will I feel like this forever?

[EvaB99]

Hi all. I was told this is a good place to share how I'm feeling. ❤️

I had my baby 2 weeks ago and since his birth I have had paralysing anxiety and horrible mood swings. My GP says it is too soon to say whether this is baby blues or PND but has increased my dose of fluoxtine which I have been taking for OCD for a few years. It has been a week on the new dose and I am still feeling panicked and sad. I'm worried that I won't bond with my baby because of this and I'm devastated. My partner has been amazing and supportive but I am just so scared that I'll never feel better and I won't be a proper mother. I am in tears as I write this.

You won't feel like this forever.

But I think you need to push to be referred to the perinatal mental health service. Speak to your HV if your GP wont do it. Existing mental health problems are a risk factor for postnatal ones.

I didn’t bond with my son for at least 8/9 months (he had had a 5% chance of survival and I didn’t adjust to actually taking him home). We have a great bond now and are very close. So whatever you need to do to be OK, you have loads of time afterwards to create a strong bond.