anxiety in pregnancy - not sure how to access help

[TremoloGreen]

I am going through a really tough time at the moment, housing problems, money worries etc and I'm 7 months pregnant. Today I had what I think was a panic attack. I was previously taking sertraline for anxiety and depression but discontinued them a few months ago as they were causing extreme nausea and vomiting in pregnancy and also I was feeling better. However, I think all the housing/money problems have come to a head over the last few days and made me lose it again.

I've just left a voicemail for my midwife to call me back, but I don't really know what I'm doing or what I'm asking for. What is the normal route for someone suffering anxiety in pregnancy to get help? Is there someone I should ask to be referred to? I am worried about the effect all this stress is having on the baby and also having more anxiety post-natally (this is when my problems started last time). Should I go to the GP or wait for a specialist appointment through my midwife?

Thanks for reading

Hi, sorry you're feeing that way.

I'd start off speaking to PANDAS to see if they're any local support groups, and seek some advice www.pandasfoundation.org.uk/help-and-information.html

Then make an appointment to see your GP to discuss treatment options hun.

Go to your GP. It is highly unlikely there will be a specialist mental health service you can access for anxiety, usually the perinatal mental health service is for more serious mental health conditions (not to minimise your anxiety).

Go to your GP and ask about iapt- this is the service that provides talking therapies. They will fast track an appointment for you due to pregnancy. This is what they do in my area at least and this is my area of employment.

Well done for looking to access help. Your GP can also review your medication.

Definitely speak to your midwife. I am suffering anxiety due to a previous stillbirth and I am being put in contact with a psychologist that works in the maternity department. I've not heard anything back yet but I'm only 17 weeks. They might speed things up for you. Hope you feel better soon x

www.iapt.nhs.uk/ find your local service, many accept self referrals, and often prioritise pregnant and post natal women.

Also it is likely that stopping the sertraline may have left you with some longer term withdrawal symptoms many of which don't show until a few months down the line. Increased anxiety is common.

I hope you have some supportive people around. Take care.

You can also contact your health visitor when baby is born - or now if you have a child under 5, or if your HV does a pre-natal visit ( ours does as no nursery nurses or children's centres etc here).
Worth telling midwife and GP as each area has different resources. here there is a specialist midwife at the hospital you would be referred to ( not peri-natal, a step down). Also if pregnant the waiting lists for counselling is often shorter.

Thank you so much every one for responding.

Threelittlebadgers, I saw your post on another thread, I'm so sorry for your loss. I hope it all goes well for you.

I have made a GP appointment for Monday and also done the online referral to IAPT, I will mention that to my GP in case he can do anything to follow it up. I was seeing a therapist through IAPT in London but had to stop when we moved (although I was doing much better anyway). It took 9 months to get an appointment there, so hope it will be better here!

I guess I need to see if another AD will work for me. I didn't really want to come off the sertraline because I didn't want to rock the boat through the pregnancy/postnatal period, but I was vomiting twice a day and it stopped the day I stopped taking them. They didn't make me sick when I wasn't pregnant, so I was thining of just reviewing it once I had the baby, but things are just too grim at the moment.

I keep thinking it would all be alright if we could get a house purchase to go through and live somewhere that isn't tiny and damp, but we've been trying for 9 months now and spent a fortune and we're no closer to getting there, so I suppose I should just accept that I have no control over that. I might have to take the kids and go live with with my parents if our latest purchase falls through like all the others. At least that would take some pressure off, but it seems a bit unfair on DH who would have to stay here for work.

Tremolo you have to do what you can to get you through my lovely. You suffering with anxiety and panic attacks would be harder on DH than anything else. I am sure what matters to him more than anything is to see you and the children happy. It is hard to understand, unless you have been there. If you need an ear pm me and I will happily share your worries. I hope they manage to get something in place soon to help you

Sorry to hear you are having a tough time, I also suffer from anxiety and depression. My midwife put me in touch with the perinatal health team at my hospital who introduced me to a specialist mental health midwife who visits me at home. On her first visit she also provided lots of information about various support groups.

Your area may not necessarily have the same service in place but it is definitely worth talking to your midwife to see what is available to you. Knowing that I have a safety net in place has actually helped me not have wobbles when I might have done otherwise.

Really hope you start to feel better soon, there is definitely help out there for you.

I suffer with anxiety. Did before I was pregnant and carried on now I am pregnant. I had a very understand gp who has prescribed diazepan and ads. I also saw a consultant for a different reason and when this came up in concersation he wanted to see me again and monitor me.
Defo talk to your mw and gp.

Good luck kxxx

Definitely speak to both your midwife and GP. I'm suffering from anxiety at the moment and am now in contact with a perinatal midwife, a consultant psychiatrist and a mental health nurse. Their support has been invaluable for me over the past few weeks. I also take 40mg of Citalopram which has been keeping me functioning, I think! They'll also be able to help you after the birth as well.