Pregnancy and anxiety

[AyeAyeFishyPie]

Hello everyone,

I suspect I will be posting a lot here so I will introduce myself properly. I’m 30, been with DH for ten years. I am six weeks pregnant with oit first baby.

I have had anxiety before,done some CBT which helped but the main cause of it was that I was in the wrong type of job - I changed and it got better.
Over the last three months it has got worse again. I’m afraid. I want to be a good mother and teach my baby to be brave and fearless. How can I do that when I get so afraid? I get upset about small things and thoughts race through my mind and I get tied into knots.

Could I have a virtual hug please?

I also have had anxiety for a few years before pregnancy with panic attacks, fears like fear that I’ll stop breathing and other crap. Still afraid plus all the pregnancy symptoms but thinking of the baby and imagining the future happy moments with him helps , and feeling that I’m lucky to have this gift, despite all the symptoms!

Hello, I'm here from you (or will try to be as best I can). It sounds as though we're quite similar. I'm 33, got married this year but we've been together 9 years. I have a history of anxiety and depression. I'm on 20mg Citalopram, which in my opinion changed my life for the better. I came off a while back when I got a promotion and then when I actually got the job I fell to pieces, after struggling for months I restarted Cit and was starting to feel human again. I just found out I'm 5 weeks pregnant. Out of interest are you taking any meds if you don't mind sharing? I feel guilty, but I also feel its the best decision for us all on balance. Oddly, one of my anxieties was that I was infertile, but we got pregnant on our first attempt. Just yesterday hormones kicked in (I think) and it felt as though I've gone a million steps backward! I've had to take the day off work. I'm so worried something I do or eat might harm the baby. I got really paranoid about getting flu and ended up ringing an emergency doctor hysterical last night, when actually I just have a bad cold. The GP was actually really lovely about it, but I'm a nurse and should know better! I've just finished group therapy for depression before Christmas and have been discharged, but I think I'm going to ask to be re-referred to the anxiety group. I found group therapy really good, despite initial reservations.

Positive news for you here anxiety gets so much better after having a child. You have more important things to worry about on a daily & it just makes you feel more powerful and fearless once you give birth. Honestly , motherhood has made me a much stronger person and rather then worrying about myself or navel gazing to much about insecurities having the distraction of a child works miracles for this.

Insecurities always are under the surface but having a baby will keep them in check when you need perspective after all, you only have to look at your little one

Good luck with everything

Only thing is to learn to cope with the challenges the motherhood brings as it might bring other problems causing depression etc

Thanks everyone - good to hear I am not alone. I have never been on meds. I can just feel it rising with early pregnany - I ate partridge last nifght which had been shot and freaked out.

@AyeAyeFishyPie are you saying that eating partridge made you post originally?