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Telly addicts

Anyone watching Louis Theroux right now ?

110 replies

AnyFucker · 12/05/2019 21:38

Focussing on a mother and baby unit for mums with MH difficulties

Crying here and Louis is just lovely

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BuildBuildings · 12/05/2019 22:02

And I'm crying. I think it's in SE London and Winchester. Those of you who've been through this Flowers

TokyoSushi · 12/05/2019 22:04

Excellent programme, really sympathetically filmed and Louis was fantastic as always.

Wishing them all really well with their recoveries.

PotteringAlong · 12/05/2019 22:04

Ds1 woke up just as they said they’d found Catherine in a hotel. What happened to her? I didn’t pause it and it’s not on iplayer yet.

AndwhenyougetthereFoffsomemore · 12/05/2019 22:05

Just about to watch on player - I've done wirk with a charity which - amongst other things - supports parents with perinatal MH issues and was privileged to meet a few women who have spent time in MBU - I do think those facilities can be utterly amazing, although funding/not enough/all the usual...

SoxonFeet · 12/05/2019 22:07

The women were amazing. To carry on when faced with such overwhelming feelings. I thought each one was individually brave and courageous to keep going.

Louis handled it so well, sensitive yet empathetic and so kind. He even changed nappies and you could see he really tried to connect to the women who had been kind enough to help his documentary. A real eye opener. I haven’t had PND but had a breakdown recently and I totally understood the thought process and total lack of emotion and feeling.

Flowers to all those who have experienced this.

OhYouBadBadKitten · 12/05/2019 22:17

I watched it. Those women are so strong and didn't/don't know it.

I had pre and PND. I am so glad I came through. Life did get better.

costacoffeecup · 12/05/2019 22:23

@PotteringAlong they found her in time and took her to hospital. At the end she was back home and seemed much better.

She really resonated with me as she looked so put together but you could tell it was all a mask. The lady with the three children though - I hope she gets better but she seemed to have lost hope.

AdmiralSirArchibald · 12/05/2019 22:31

Louis is lovely but a hard watch for me. I think I didn't really understand how ill I was. DD1 is now 8 and I worry every day that she was damaged by my depression and anxiety.

OhYouBadBadKitten · 12/05/2019 22:33

I know it's hard to tell, but I was reassured by how well bonded the babies were, they smiled at their Mums, enjoyed cuddles, they seemed like any other baby I've seen.

BentBaastard · 12/05/2019 22:42

Watching now and wishing I could volunteer with these women.

Amazing documentary.

Love Louis.

LoafofSellotape · 12/05/2019 22:56

I know it's hard to tell, but I was reassured by how well bonded the babies were, they smiled at their Mums, enjoyed cuddles, they seemed like any other baby I've seen
That's what they work on the most in these units ime,they do everything their can you encourage bonding.

puppy23 · 13/05/2019 00:01

It was a really tough watch but Louis was so good as he always is.
Love to any and all of you've who've gone through this, can't begin to imagine how tough it must be.

BethlamBabe · 13/05/2019 12:29

Just testing a name change...

BethlamBabe · 13/05/2019 13:02

I've just watched it.

It was hard, I was there voluntarily for 8 months after ds was born. Never had a MH issue before then crashing PND that rendered me unable to do practically anything. I was on lots of medication while pregnant and one of the side effects was depression.

It looks much smarter now than 18 years ago, and there were no cots or a nursery the babies slept in prams in the lounge area.

I used to wish I had psychosis because mothers used to come in and literally be seeing things and within a couple of weeks with the right meds they were back to normal where with me it took a loooooong time.

Techniques seems to be the same, ward rounds for medication and doing everything to build and encourage a bond between mum and baby. I FINALLY got a big rush of love for da at 3 months,I remember it now. I envy people who get that at birth,it must be incredible.

A couple of things stood out on the programme,Catherine was very poorly the day she overdosed, she looked poorly,had no make up on which even her dh commented on and even she said she didn't think the ward round went well. The unit is tiny,or it was when I was there, there are only 12 mums and babies ,there are doctors and nurses and nursery nurses surely that would've set off alarm bells with the staff? I remember myself feeling that to get any help and convey just how bad I was feeling I'd need to run around naked with my knickers on my head before anyone took any notice!!

One of the staff there told me to look after my baby myself at night as who else did I think was going to do it! In my care plan it said I was to take tablets as sleep was important for my recovery. My family put in a big complaint and she wasn't allowed to be my nurse again- thank God! I'd like to say that was an isolated case but one of the locum doctors told me to stop crying as people would lose sympathy. Fucking hell ,that was a low day HmmSad Mostly though the staff were nice BUT it was a sticking plaster to get you able to look after your baby and out the door. There were meds but no therapy,I had to seek my own private counselling to deal with birth trauma years later.

Coming out was hard as I only had my GP and I was lucky as I had a good HV. My GP wouldn't prescribe sleeping tablets even though the unit said I had to be on them for at least 6 months . My HV got me an appt with my local MH team and the psychiatrist rolled his eyes and said there was no problem at all with writing me a prescription. I could've done without that a week after coming out of hospital!

I felt for Lisa on the programme, she wasn't well enough imo to be home, she was practically dropping the baby at one point on the sofa she was so medicated and tired, what do people do if they haven't got family? She could hardly keep her eyes open, the poor woman. As she said "It's so crap."Aube there was a lot more outside help than was shown on the programme?

I haven't had a relapse since but I am very aware of keeping well mentally. I've been VERY fortunate not to have to work as dh is a high earner, I am just about thinking about a part time job as I think I could cope with it now as ds is flying the nest. The thought terrifies me though!

We didn't have and more children as neither of us could cope if it happened again and I was in the unit with people who had issues with multiple births so that really put me off. Also I saw women break their hearts in there for older children who were at home and I didn't want to do that to ds.

Urghhhh,sorry that was an outpouring!Hmm

I asked she if he wanted to watch it and he said absolutely not. I didn't realise until years after how hard it had been on him too.

Ds is amazing and I look at him now and can't believe I managed it tbhSmile

BethlamBabe · 13/05/2019 13:09

**I asked dh if he wanted to see it

BethlamBabe · 13/05/2019 13:21

I've just remembered there was one laundry room with one washer and one dryer for 12 people!! Hope things have improved nowShock

The hospital is in acres and acres of greenery,it's like being in the country. I used to walk miles with ds in his pram ,then dh used to come after work and we walked miles againSmile

IntentsandPorpoises · 13/05/2019 14:19

In Leeds there were 5 beds ( i think there are now 6). The staff were all wonderful, very supportive, looked after dd overnight as I was prescribed sleeping tablets. They were always on hand for a chat and a cuddle.

Perhaps with Catherine they thought that she was finally letting her guard down and not masking with all the make up?

I had meds, and sessions with a nursery nurse doing baby massage as they showed on the doc. I also met once a week with the Psych to talk about everything. They had a nurse trained in Indian head massage which was amazing.

Once I was discharged as an inpatient I continued under the Perinatal team until dd was 2, still travelling there to attend mum and baby sessions and to see the Psych. I was referred by my wonderful CPN for a form of behavioural talking therapy.

I gradually built up my time at home until my discharge. i was never made to feel there was a hurry for me to go.

fleshmarketclose · 13/05/2019 14:30

I'm plucking up courage to watch. I was sectioned with postnatal psychosis after my son's birth 24 years ago. No mother and baby unit back then so I was separated from my baby as well. Thankfully ECT and the massive doses of medication means it's mostly a blur now but I do remember feeling sheer terror and it does leave you with a long lasting fear when you lose your grip on reality.
No long term effects, even went on to have another baby although insisted that I wasn't discharged by psychiatrist before my daughter's first birthday even though it was soon obvious there wasn't going to be a repeat.

ElenadeClermont · 13/05/2019 14:38

Well worth a watch.

Flowers to all of you with MH problems and the Mommies in the TV programme.

kerstina · 13/05/2019 16:06

I watched it and thought it was brilliantly handled by Louis . I thought he had so much empathy and seemed to have more warmth and understanding than some of the professionals !
I could really empathise myself as I had a mental health crisis myself over a year ago and it was the most horrendous time of my life . The lead up to admission in acute ward I was literally in hell in my own head . Lack of sleep and lack of support coupled with hormonal changes of the menopause. I didn't sleep for two weeks at all .
When you are so low and seek help with professionals I can't emphasise enough how kindness can help and . It is so hard to push to get help . Would love to help other people who are struggling to .

dragonflyflew · 13/05/2019 17:28

Brilliant. Louis at his sensitive best. This was mildly triggering and I cried loads but it reinforced how I still haven’t recovered nearly ten years later because I didn’t admit how unwell I was at the time.
I never got proper parenting due to my own Mum’s pnd and subsequent serious mh issues, we still have a long way to go. Awareness raising like this is much needed.

AnyFucker · 13/05/2019 17:35

Louis is such a great interviewer/presenter

If anything bad ever comes out about him massive crush I think it will kill me Smile

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dragonflyflew · 13/05/2019 17:41

AnyFucker , he comes across as a genuinely beautiful person. Maybe he really is a good one! And yes, he’s very pleasing to the eye too!

AnyFucker · 13/05/2019 17:56

I know the programmes he does will be heavily edited but he manages to just get that light but caring touch just right in a wide variety of topics.

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ihatethecold · 13/05/2019 18:24

It made me feel very emotional. My teenage DD has Mh issues and hearing them say that having Mh issues already can be a trigger for PPS made me feel sad.
she struggles so much already at 15. My GP friend then told me that I should stop thinking that way... she is right, but I do fear for her future.

Watching the lady with 3 children at home trying to care for them was quite worrying. She looked so drugged up. I cant imagine how difficult that must be for her. I really do hope she has support round the clock.

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