Is there anything you can do to to try to reduce your risk of PND?

[Chequers]

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My doula (lovely Mars) told me that the best thing to do was to make sure you can tell your birth story after the event. That is, have someone listen to you tell it all. Also, I found (and I'm no expert) that out of all my friends, those with support post-birth (in the form of DPs, Mums, doulas, friends, whatever) were also less likely to suffer. having said all that, i think that if you're going to get it, you're going to get it and no eating/support is going to avoid it.

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If you are not already prone to depression and have not been depressed during pregnancy, then that decreases your risk. Also, obvious things like having a good suport network.

I know from experience that lots of fresh air & exercise helps! Since you've no history of depression, you can reassure yourself (if you do get PND - you might not, you know!) that it's "just" your hormones restabilising & perfectly normal, etc. I forced myself to take dd out in her pram every day for about 45 mins & even when so tired just the idea of going out for a walk seemed impossible, I forced myself & always felt better.

Don't know what your birth plan is, but research says that it can often occur when people don't end up with the type of birth that they had mentally prepared themselves up for. Whichever one you have chosen, maybe make sure you fully familiarise yourself with the procedures for other eventualities, just in case they arise?

Agree with Cariboo...get out as much as possible, even when you don't feel like it. Have a look at what baby groups and activities are available in your area so you can plan to go to them/boom a place.

Things like baby massage and baby yoga are suitable for newborns and can be really fun. I'd definitely recommend sing & sign for around the 6 month mark.

Go to a few parent & baby groups to find one you like & that fits in with your day...I find that groups that start at 9.30 are a bit of a rush to get to but 10 works perfectly.

*book a place

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Eating healthy and exercise while pregant and after. After baby, important to get out everyday, its so easy when you tired and feel abit hormonal to stay in all day in your pjs but I know from experience it makes you feel 10 times more. Ring family info link to find out what going on in your area ie toddler groups. Also try nct they do baby and bump groups so you might meet some new friends in your last few weeks of maternity leave. Be realistic, your life will probably turned upside down for a bit. Dont expect to be on top of your usual housework rountine, take everyday as it comes. Grap every support offered dont be polite and refuse

Yeah, lonliness is not fun. I had my mum around for awhile but mums tend to get bossy & generally annoying.

We live in Switzerland, in the countryside & there were no support groups (they're starting to happen a bit more these days, especially among the expats) and my friends (all from work) were kind but clueless and very, very busy! It was only when dd started nursery school that I began to make mummy-friends, which is a long time to wait.

I'm sure it's easier in the UK. Do you go to prenatal classes or prenatal yoga? That's a great way to meet good, good friends - very easy to bond when pg, esp for the 1st time.

If all else fails, we're here for you!

support
support
support

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An easy way to try and help is to eat foods with serotonin in. Off the top of my head bananas and salmon are good ones.

I wouldn't say PND is "just your hormones stabilising"

do you have a really good mate who you can cry at?

What Enid said.

Personally I was extremely lucky and had masses of material support around the birth, and lots of female company to discuss the more intimate bits of childbirth with.

Post-natal groups a very good idea - it doesn't matter one bit if you would not normally have known those women in your previous life, and they may not become life long bosom buddies - the point is that they are shipmates, IYSXIM.

Although I was quite flexible with my birth plan but I never thought about a section as baby wasnt beech. After a long traumatic labour ds got into distress and they had to do a crash section under a ga so I missed it all. I think that contributed alot to my pnd. Without being negative perhaps explore how you would feel if section requiered. My birth with ds2 was actually worse but it didnt bother me at all afterwards just grateful that we all ok, I think because I prepared myself for it all going wrong again.

That's just what I mean, Orangehead. We all have our ideas about how the birth is gonna be, then when circumstances change (as they often will!), it can be very difficult for people to come to terms with. But that's only one potential cause of pnd of course. People on your side come what may, whether it's dh or mates or family - that helps.

I know, notabanana. I'm not trying to belittle PND but why go into the gory details for someone who hasn't even got PND & is probably having some pre-term jitters?

In my own experience PND is only a likelihood if you are overdoing it too soon.
My 1st and 2nd DC were fine, but when DC3 came along I was knocked for six and still had so much to do for 1&2 and a house and a husband to look after. It was too much at times and I was always tired. It was when I was at my most tired that I would sit and cry, feel depressed.
The deppression in your history theory is rubbish as it will strike anybody in no particular order.
My advice: Just look after yourself, get as much rest as you can, even if it means having a lie down when baby is napping in the afternoon

Oh yes have a sleep when baby has a afternoon sleep is a good one

but don't beat yourself up if you can't sleep, sometimes you're too wound up. Just lie and close your eyes and try not to run to the computer to mn and email your friends!

Chequers, even if you don't want your mum to come and stay, maybe you could ask her to cook loads of yummy meals for your freezer? Then she can feel useful and you will have lots of stress-free meals ready to pop in the microwave.

I think really good nutrition is very important. makes all the difference to recovery. some vitamins are mood stabilisers too and obviously if you don't eat well and end up tired and run down then it doesn't help much.

I had PND with my dd and in hindsight wasn't looking after myself at all-i didn't feel like I was worth it. Now ds is 14weeks I have had a generally easier time but am beginning to feel myself slipping and getting run down for me is usually followed closely by bouts of depression this was true before I had kids. so hopefully making an effort to look after yourself and not just putting yourself to the bottom of the pile which is easy to do with a family, will help too.

talking helps too though, I have more friends in the same boat now and talking stuff through helps to helps to avoid the slide into the black hole. It helps if you have someone close to look after you aswell.

Its a combination of things. I can't see what's wrong with talking about the possibility of PND in a just in case kind of manner. I gets it out in the open. If you don't get it then you are likely to meet/know other mums that will.