My mental health is struggling :(

[relly1]

Any advice? I’m struggling at the moment with my mental health. Had my baby at 36+3 weeks on Monday , he’s in nicu as he has wet lungs and needed shit of extra help, he was taken off the oxygen yesterday and has been doing brilliant he’s also had bottles of milk now instead of in his tube.. he is still under the jaundice light as far as I know from yesterday I haven’t seen him this morning yet, my anxiety is making me ill I’ve been up all night panicking when I get to take him home as he still breaths like he’s struggling even though there telling me his says and oxygen is great at 96 anything 90 or under is a concern and he’s isn’t but.. they call him a belly breather because he sucks I’m still sometiemes this is going to petrify me when I get home I know with my anxiety I’m going to be in and out of hospital becusss i physically cannot cope with seeing his belly do that. I do have a owlet sock but I just don’t trust nothing now as his oxygen is good but I hear the nurses talking saying he’s still belly breathing a little etc which scares me and I’m struggling bad with my anxiety :( I miss my baby so much him being in the nicu

This sounds so difficult, but your little boy is in the best hands. Can you ask if there’s a neonatal mental health team, or be referred to perinatal mental health? I’ve done that after a SCBU stay and has helped massively. Hang in there!

Ask the nicu staff if there is a counselling service for parents in the nicu. Our local nicu has a clinical psychologist allocated to the unit.

I think asking for some support sounds like a really good idea. How are you both today @relly1?

@CadyEastman hey cady, we are home now I had a ok night very anxious but today even worse he keeps screaming like he's in pain with wind then he's getting warm or maybe my mind playing tricks on me but it's a hot day so I put him in his vest and that's it I've gone to ASDA and got colief just Incase he has colic I'm just petrifed I feel like a failure like I need help but too scared to tell them how I feel , when I don't know what's up I feel like I can't cope and don't know what to do and I'm not even a first time mum I was never like this with my other 2 but I'm beyond petrifed and all I can say is in the 10 years I've had anxiety I can safely say the amount of anxiety I have right now tops the 10 years off !

You are right to keep him cool of it's hot.

Has the colief made any difference? If not, you could try Dentinox.

Your anxiety does sound very high, I understand though that you've been through quite a lot this week.

What do you normally do when your anxiety is high, do you have any coping strategies that usually help? And when are you die to see your MW again?

My anxiety hasn't ever been this high so I don't know what to do or how to deal with it , my other children have seen the change in the house with a newborn and are normally very good kids but wow their being such hand fills at the moment n it's really bringing me down